Last Updated on October 18, 2022 by Pets Feed
The Afghan hound, a dog of noble appearance and worthy of the name, stands proudly and elegantly and wears the long and shiny fur that is its greatest attraction.
A combination of elegant appearance, grace and excellent hunting data is rarely found in one animal. Grace in tandem with power is about an Afghan hound. This breed belongs to the most ancient types of dogs.
The Afghan Hound is an active and sociable dog. Representatives of this breed are friendly, agile, are distinguished by devotion and cheerfulness.
| Breed name | Afghan Hound |
| Country of origin | Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan |
| Weight | 20 – 30 kg |
| Height (at the withers) | 63 – 74 cm |
| Life expectancy | 15 years |
| Size | Big |
Afghan Hound photos
Physical characteristics of the Afghan hound
The appearance of the Afghan hound indicates its independence, pride and a certain alienation. The impression is quite justified on the strength, power and speed of this dog.
Together with the listed characteristics, it can be argued that the Afghan has a very beautiful exterior. For the most part, thanks to the long coat, which resembles a veil, falling to the ground.
The growth of adults is 63-74 cm, weight is about 20-30 kg.
- Head: The head is placed high, which allows you to increase the field of vision during the hunt. Compared to body size, quite small.
- Teeth: Scissor bite, strong teeth.
- Ears: Drooping ears, quite long. Covered with long, thick hair.
- Eyes: The eyes are oval, large. Color yellow-brown to dark brown.
- Frame: The chest is deep, wide enough – this means that the dog has powerful lungs, allowing the Afghan Hound to travel long distances at a speed of 50 km per hour. Belly picked up. The back is straight, muscular, strong enough.
- Legs: The front legs are straight and parallel. The elbow joint is well developed. The hind legs are parallel, the thighs are powerful and wide. The paws are collected, the pads are narrow. The claws are directed to the ground, the color depends on the color of the dog.
- Coat: The outer coat is long and soft. Covers the entire surface of the body, except the muzzle. The coat is straight. The color can be any, the most popular – red and sand, less often – black and white.
Behavior and character
The Afghan hound is often distant with strangers, so it is essential to socialize this royal dog, as well as to train as a young puppy, especially to learn to answer the call of the master.
It will not show any reservations with his family and the people he meets. This dog is extraordinarily loyal and affectionate. The Afghan hound is made to run and its happiest moment is when it runs at full speed with the wind caressing the fur behind a bullet or squirrel it has discovered.
The Afghan hound is infinitely devoted to its master and all members of the household. Puppies and young greyhounds are especially affectionate and friendly. As they grow older, this dog is increasingly showing its independence. But, despite some waywardness, without attention from the owner, such a dog can even get sick, become aggressive or become depressed.
Sudden movements, loud sounds can scare the Afghan hound. Therefore, a pet in the form of a greyhound is not recommended in families with nursing babies or with preschool children. An Afghan is able to be friends with an older child, he will become an ideal companion in outdoor games and a defender in dangerous situations.
You cannot call an Afghan hound a dominant. He gets along well with other pets, especially if he grew up with them. But, in view of the hunting instinct, rodents and birds are not recommended to be kept together with the Afghan. For example, a dog can easily take a rabbit or a guinea pig for prey and arrange a hunt with a deplorable outcome for a rodent.
Note
Afghan hound dogs are wary of strangers. Unreasonable aggression is not manifested, but the instinct of protecting its territory is well developed.
Health
By nature, it’s a healthy dog, but there is a predisposition of the Afghan hound to the following diseases:
- Demodecosis – affects the skin and internal organs.
- Cataract is an eye disease, if untreated, it can lead to dangerous complications.
- Hypothyroidism is a pathology caused by a lack of thyroid hormones.
- Bloating – If you do not take urgent measures, an Afghan can die in a matter of hours.
- Retinal dystrophy is a hereditary disease that leads to vision loss.
- Cardiomyopathy is a pathology of the heart.
- Congenital chylothorax is an accumulation of the chylus in the pleural cavity.
The owner of the Afghan hound should know that his pet has an extremely low pain threshold. Even a minor wound, a scratch gives the greyhound severe pain. It is important to carefully monitor the condition of the dog, treat the injuries with special preparations on time and contact the veterinarian for help without delay.
Representatives of the breed tolerate anesthesia very poorly. If you have to apply anesthesia, you must carefully determine the desired dose.
Life expectancy
The average life expectancy of the Afghan hound is about 11-13 years. Afghan can live longer, but subject to proper nutrition, maintenance and care. It is important to vaccinate on time, treat internal and external parasites and show the pet once a year to the veterinarian for preventive examinations.
Basic care
The Afghan hound needs to be combed 2-3 times a week, their hair is long, thick, and therefore the breed is not very suitable for keeping in an apartment.
Nails should be trimmed 3 times a month. Ears are cleaned 2-3 times a week, eyes are cleaned of deposits daily.
You need to bathe the dog once a week, and there are some “dancing with a tambourine” here – the room should be warm, the shampoo with a low pH level should be slightly diluted with water, moisten the coat with water at room temperature, and then apply the shampoo from roots to ends by lightly massaging. Then you can use the balm. Dry the wool with a hairdryer, it is better to disassemble the tangles with your fingers. Also, wool can be trimmed, or left untouched.
Advice
The Afghan hound should not be allowed to walk alone, because the hunting instinct will awaken in him and they may attack other animals.
Exercise
An adult Afghan hound needs a lot of exercise (preferably about two hours a day or more). It loves to run freely, but because of its tendency to hunt, you must first ensure that it will answer your call and not release it only in safe areas, safe from dangers such as circulation.
Afghan hound Fun Facts
- Studies by scientists have shown that the Afghan Hound is on the list of the most difficultly trained breeds.
- According to legend, Noah was chosen by Noah to travel on the ark.
- In Afghanistan, representatives of the breed are called “tazi”, which translates as “fast running.”
- Afghan is capable of speeds up to 40-60 km / h.
- The Afghan Hound is the national symbol of Afghanistan.
Breed history
Despite its name, Afghanistan is not Afghanistan’s historical homeland. There are versions that the breed came from Mesopotamia, China or from Persia. It is believed that the first varieties of Afghan hound existed in the Middle East millennia ago.
A good reason to call these greyhounds Afghan hound was the findings of archaeologists. During excavations in Afghanistan, images of dogs that were exactly similar to the Afghans were discovered. Ancient creations are dated by the second century BC.
In Afghanistan, the attitude to the pelvis is special. Here they are valued, revered, protected as a national treasure. Until the end of the nineteenth century, a decree was in force in Afghanistan to ban the export of Afghan hounds from the country.
The appearance of the Afghan hound is similar to saluki, the main difference between these dogs is the thicker coat of the Afghan. Becoming a modern Afghan hound was carried out by breeders. During the breeding work, they crossed the ancient Afghan hound with a saluki.
Bakkhmul was an indispensable assistant to his masters during the hunt. In this case, the goal of a greyhound could be both small rabbits and more serious game in the form of predatory animals. Hunting talent and the ability to tirelessly chase the game for a long time, and then hold it until the arrival of the hunter, the Afghan hound is similar to the Estonian and Russian hounds.
Also, these greyhounds were used as watchdogs responsible for the safety of farm property and livestock. Among the nobility, it was fashionable to keep a bodyguard in the form of an Afghan.
After the lifting of the ban on the export of pots from Afghanistan, the English border guards were the first to bring these dogs to the UK. Also, European countries got acquainted with a new type of greyhounds thanks to the British colonialists who brought the Afghans with them, returning to their homeland from the Persian campaigns. This happened at the end of the nineteenth century.
