Afghan Hound Info & Afghan Hound Breeders
A beautiful and striking dog, the Afghan Hound is a hunting dog and one of the group of sighthounds known as Eastern Greyhounds. Built for speed and endurance, Afghan Hounds were bred to hunt small to medium-sized game like hares and gazelle by sight over the rough terrain of Iran and Afghanistan.
Afghan Hounds are proud and independent and can work alone or as part of a pack.
Australian Afghan Hounds are considered to be amongst the highest quality in the world and have been exported all over the world.
The Afghan Hound is also known as the Kuchi Hound, Balkh Hound, Baluchi Hound, Barutzy Hound, Shalgar Hound, Kabul Hound, Galanday Hound, or sometimes incorrectly the African Hound.
Afghan Hound temperament
Afghan Hounds are dignified, independent, aloof and very active but they can be happy and clownish during play. As a sighthound they have a high prey drive and may not get along with small animals.
The Afghan Hound makes an intuitive therapy dog and companion.
While Afghan Hounds may have a reputation for being stupid, they have a steady intelligent gaze and have been bred for independent decision making. It is more likely that an owner or trainer will just need to work harder to understand what motivates their Afghan.
Afghan Hounds are sensitive and can be nervous. They thrive on routine and hate change. Unfamiliar noises and environments can make them highly anxious. Make sure you keep them safe inside on fireworks nights!
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The ideal owner for an Afghan Hound
Afghan Hounds are active, high energy dogs and need enough space to burn some of that energy off. They need to be provided with a lot of opportunities for exercise.
They generally get along very well with children.
Training and socialisation
The Afghan Hound can be taught to obey basic commands with persistent training and some have been known to succeed in Agility, Lure Coursing and other sports. Overcoming their very string hunting drive is difficult so they should be kept on leash when they are away from home.
Afghan Hounds are REALLY fast and have incredible endurance. And they are sneaky – keep an eye on that slice of pizza or steak thawing on the bench!
How much space and exercise do Afghan Hounds need?
It is rumoured that Afghan Hounds don’t believe in fences! They can easily clear a four foot or higher fence from a standing start, and are known to leap fences in pursuit of a rabbit or cat.
They can live indoors, but require a reasonably sized, well-fenced yard. They are self exercising and should also receive plenty of mental stimulation.
Afghan Hounds & Grooming
The beautiful Afghan Hound coat which should be allowed to develop naturally. It is very long, and is finely textured. Usually the hair on the face of the dog is short, and grows long from the forehead backward. Their long, well coated ears fall in everything they eat and drink and may need special attention to keep them clean.
An Afghan Hound should be bathed regularly and requires regular brushing. They are low shedding dogs and require some clipping because their hair grows continually like human hair.
Afghan Hound colour variations
Afghan hounds are typically black, cream or red, however all colours of Afghan Hounds are acceptable to the breeding clubs.
Potential health issues in Afghan Hounds
A hardy breed, Afghan Hounds have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years. They are relatively free from hereditary disease, but there have been instances of cataracts and hip dysplasia. Testing by responsible breeders has greatly decreased the incidence of both.
Afghans are a healthy and normally long lived breed (12 plus years is fairly regular), neither allergies nor Hip Dysplasia are common in the breed, although of course like any other breed these problems may be present. Chylothorax is known but again it is not documented that they are among the dog breeds most likely to develop this.
General facts about Afghan Hounds
Average life expectancy: 12-14 years
Average weight: Females: 20-25 kg, Males: 25-30 kg
Average height (at withers): Females: 60–69 cm, Males: 68–74 cm
Afghan Hound History
While the Afghan Hound is an ancient breed, the Islamic culture of their origin avoids the depiction of animals in art so there are few representations of the breed until the 1800s when they were discovered by the British military.
Afghan Hound FAQs
1. Do Afghan Hounds shed?
Despite their appearance, Afghan Hounds are a low shedding breed. They have no undercoat and their hair grows continuously like human hair.
2. Do Afghan Hounds bark?
Afghan Hounds are known for their aloof nature. While they may bark once or twice on the arrival of a stranger, they are more like to ignore them. Afghan Hounds do not make good watchdogs.
3. Do Afghan Hounds smell?
No, they don’t have a typical “doggy” smell. However Afghan Hounds are sometimes known as Scented Hounds because of their distinctive pleasant musky smell.
4. Are Afghan Hounds related to Greyhounds?
Yes. The Afghan hound is a sighthounds. This group includes the greyhound, whippet, borzoi, and saluki. These dogs all have great vision.
Fun facts about Afghan Hounds
- An Afghan hound was featured on the cover of Life Magazine, November 26, 1945.
- Even though there are few pictorial representations of them, the Afghan Hound is so ancient that it is rumoured that they were the representative dog breed that was on Noah’s Ark.
- These dogs are fast! The average Afghan Hound can reach speeds of up to 65 kph!
- The Afghan Hound has a dolichocephalic head which means they have an exceptional field of vision of 270 degrees.
References:
If you are a small scale ANKC registered breeder and would like to be listed here, just contact us or follow a few simple steps to add your details yourself.
We welcome helpful comments and contributions to information about this breed by email
Registered Afghan Hound Breeders
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