The aristocratic Afghan hound is the standard of cold elegance. Instead of going up to the person, he will wait for the person to come up to him. The breed was bred to hunt hares and other animals on the rough terrain of Afghanistan; therefore, it has a strong pursuit instinct and some other features.
Afghan Hound facts Breeders Never Tell You
Low Intelligence
The Afghan Hound is reserved with strangers and not overly demonstrative in affection for the family, although in fact the bond with the owners can be strong.
Having low intelligence makes it difficult to learn even with a dog handler, but stupidity sometimes makes life with a dog fun. With children, the Afghan hound is affectionate if raised with them, but in fact it is not a playmate.
The dog can be called an independent thinker, and although it has difficulty remembering commands, it can be trained using rewarding techniques, especially by stimulating learning with food rewards.
The Afghan Hound should be trained as early as possible with short and fun training sessions, avoiding harsh punishments. And be patient, understanding a new command occurs after 80 repetitions, and obeying the command the first time less than 25% of the time.
Coat
The Afghan Hound’s coat is distinguished by its special beauty: a long, silky tuft of hair on the crown, a thin and thick coat – all this makes the dog very attractive.
Afghan wool can be any color or color combination, including black and brown. Do not get an Afghan Hound unless you are ready to take on a grooming commitment.
In addition to the fact that keeping wool in a decent form will require considerable daily efforts, during the first molt, the time for cleaning the house will increase significantly. The Afghan Hound sheds heavily, leaving its fur wherever possible.
Theft
Another important difference of the breed is its insatiable appetite. Food should be kept out of the dog’s reach. Bearing in mind the growth of up to 70 cm at the withers, the animal can steal food from any table or even from the counter while walking around the market.
Theft is in the blood of this dog, and the strict “No!”, Understandable to other breeds, does not work on the Afghan hound.
Frequent poisoning
A direct consequence of the behavior from the previous point is food poisoning. Royal-looking dogs can even eat from the trash, not disdaining bad-smelling and frankly rotten foods.
The only way to protect a non-intelligent, and narrow-minded mind of a pet is not to let go of the leash while walking in places where he can find food for himself. Remember that poisoning is difficult and expensive to treat, or it can even lead to a sad outcome.
Choosing an Afghan hound as a companion, one must remember about hunting instincts, cats and other pets run the risk of becoming prey for a dog.