Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound has its origins from Middle Eastern Sighthounds with roots that date back to the Egyptian Pharaohs. Most of these dogs were used by nomadic tribes in order to hunt the ground for gazelles, hare, and other small animals to bring back for food. For centuries, the Afghan Hound breed remained isolated in the Afghanistan Mountains. These mountains were practically impenetrable.
Afghan Hounds often hunted with the partnership of falcons, which were trained to swoop at the quarry. These dogs spent generation after generation hunting through rough conditions in harsh mountains.
They developed great stamina, strength and speed from such hard labor. The Afghan Hound's most striking physical capabilities were its leaping distance and nimbleness. These great hunting dogs were able to work with great success in the frigid mountain climate by the aid of their thick, long coat.
It wasn't until sometime during the early 1900s that the very first Afghan Hound made its way to England. At that time these dogs were referred to as “Barukhzy Hounds”. Others called them “Persian Greyhounds”.
The Afghan Hound was quite a diverse breed so in order to draw up a breed standard that was based on perfection, a model dog was used that best illustrated the elegant look of today's Afghan Hound. That dog was named Zardin.
The breed's popularity grew at a snail's pace, but eventually made a name in the show ring. In fact, the Afghan Hound quickly made a name for itself as one of the most glamorous, yet competitive dogs in the rings. The 1970s proved to be a booming time for the breed amongst the public, but since then their status as a common household pet has dwindled.
Personality
By viewing the glamorous, striking look of the Afghan Hound, those people unfamiliar with its history would never guess at how skillful its hunting abilities are. This dog is a hunter at heart, capable of finding its prey through rough terrain, yet is peaceful and gentle, especially with children. It needs exercise on a daily basis and can be somewhat shy and reserved around strangers.
Taking Care Of Your Afghan Hound
Daily stimulation, both mentally and physically, will keep the Afghan Hound in a happy state of mind. This dog loves the opportunity to run at full speed if you can do so in a safe area. They should live indoors with the rest of the family but have access to an enclosed, outside area during the day. Grooming does take a little extra work with the Afghan Hound. Its coat is long and may need to be brushed thoroughly every other day.
Health Information
The average lifespan of a healthy Afghan Hound is between 12 and 15 years. These dogs are considered to be very healthy with absolutely no major health issues, and the only minor concerns that may spring up are cataracts. Occasionally seen are CHD and necrotic myelopathy, but these health problems are extremely rare.
History
The Afghan Hound 's archaic history is cited in Egyptian papyri concerning long-haired sight hounds. Afghanistan hunters of old claimed these dogs were in Noah's Ark. Ancient artists in Northern Afghanistan depicted similar dogs in cave drawings over 4000 years ago.
This breed was utilized as a hunter and shepherd dog for centuries. They hunted deers, gazelles, wolves, wild boars, goats, antelopes, and snow leopards. Genetic testing has shed light on the ancientness of the Afghan Hound. It is amongst breeds that have the smallest variance genetically from wolves. This means they stem from the primogenital dog types. This doesn't mean this particular breed as it is now existed in ancient times. For centuries dogs akin to this breed have lived in Russia, India, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and the Tian Shan area in China close to Afghanistan.
During the 19th century, officers of the English army brought different “sight hounds” home. They were shown in The Kennel Club shows. The current Afghan Hound stems from two kinds: the Bell-Murray strain and the Ghazni strain. In 1934, the first Afghan Hounds went to Australia; they were from the Ghazni strain. In 1939, the French started a breed club (FALAPA). In 1948, the standard was composed. They were brought to the U.S. in 1926. The AKC recognized this breed in 1926.
General Looks
They are tall dogs The fur is long and silk-like. The long tail curves. The head is long and has a silky topknot. The shoulder height is equal to the body's length. The lengthy fur hangs from the hindquarters, forequarters,legs, flanks, and ribs. Shorter fur covers the back.
Is This Your Breed?
This breed needs regular exercise and grooming. They need a fenced yard and motivational training.
Coat
The coat's texture is fine.
Color
All solid colors are acceptable. The colors are black, tan, red, apricot-cream, and silver-cream. White patched aren't wanted.
Locomotion
The gait is a gallop with spring and elasticity.
Personality
The Afghan Hound is smart, playful, affectionate, loyal, and independent. If they are around children from young pups, they are good with kids. They normally behave well with pets, though sometimes not sociable with cats, usually okay with them if raised around them. They are okay with other dogs.
They do well in lure coursing, conformation shows, obedience and agility training and these are good for their exercise and mind.
Afghan Hound video:
Tags: Afghan Hound video, Middle Eastern Sighthounds, Barukhzy Hounds, afghan hound, household pet, necrotic myelopathy
afghan hound, afghan hound breed description
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This entry has been on my mind. Our Apso community, right here on this blogsite, is an eclectic collection of pet people, show people and lots of combinations in between. Something that wasn't in this entry is that according to AKC's latest statistics, the Lhasa Apso is the fastest declining breed in registration numbers. 80%! Yes, 80%!! Ergo, Vickie's original discussion on another list.
For months Julie has been insisting it's not the economy, but rather lack of interest in our breed, that led to not having all our puppies spoken for before they were old enough to leave their mother. Now I believe she's right; it's not just the economy.
Vickie makes a number of excellent points and, frankly, I'm disappointed the thread didn't spark interest and feedback. Far more often than not, I've got something to say about a subject, but will let an entry sit for a bit, waiting to see what others have to say.
We are in an ever-changing technological society. Wondering if my outreach via the blogsite hasn't been adequate, I'm constantly watching how the younger generations (:::sigh::: that means there's more than one generation between me and young people) communicate. Would knowing the [...]
The sheer number of dog breeds has always daunted me whenever I think about getting a purebred dog (laughingly said, as I have one and a half – there's a possibility that Emma's a pure Pittie).
I mean you could create a list of attributes you want in a dog and there will (usually, unless you're looking for very breed/type-specific traits) at least 20 breeds, if not 50, that could easily fit that role. And then don't forget the only-ten-people-in-the-world-know-they-exist breeds. And then the dogs that don't fit to their breed standard, but fit into your criteria. I mean come ON.
I've had a soft spot for BRTs for a while.
And Great Danes.
And Borzois.
And just about any other dog anyone could name.
Going to a nearby shelter and finding a dog that fits my character trait list is SO much easier. And I got to find a dog that's a living example that individuals can by contrary to just about every breed trait!
Awesome post. I need to get back to posts about SOMETHING.
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