Afghan Hound

AKC Group: Hound

Club: Afghan Hound Club of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Donna Amos
Address: 10457 W. Liberty Ct., Beach Park , IL , 60099
Website: clubs.akc.org/ahca
Email: k.d.amos@comcast.com
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Afghan Hound is an aristocrat, his whole appearance one of dignity and aloofness with no trace of plainness or coarseness. He has a straight front, proudly carried head, eyes gazing into the distance as if in memory of ages past. The striking characteristics of the breed-exotic, or "Eastern," expression, long silky topknot, peculiar coat pattern, very prominent hipbones, large feet, and the impression of a somewhat exaggerated bend in the stifle due to profuse trouserings-stand out clearly, giving the Afghan Hound the appearance of what he is, a king of dogs, that has held true to tradition throughout the ages.

Size:

Height- Dogs, 27 inches, plus or minus one inch; bitches, 25 inches, plus or minus one inch. Weight- Dogs, about 60 pounds; bitches, about 50 pounds.

Coat:

Hindquarters, flanks, ribs, forequarters, and legs well covered with thick, silky hair, very fine in texture; ears and all four feet well feathered; from in front of the shoulders; and also backwards from the shoulders along the saddle from the flanks and the ribs upwards, the hair is short and close, forming a smooth back in mature dogs - this is a traditional characteristic of the Afghan Hound. The Afghan Hound should be shown in its natural state; the coat is not clipped or trimmed; the head is surmounted (in the full sense of the word) with a topknot of long, silky hair - that is also an outstanding characteristic of the Afghan Hound. Showing of short hair on cuffs on either front or back legs is permissible. Fault--Lack of shorthaired saddle in mature dogs.

Temperament:

Aloof and dignified, yet gay. Faults--Sharpness or shyness.

History:

The Afghan Hound was discovered by the Western World in Afghanistan and surrounding regions during the 19th century, with the first specimens brought to England in the latter part of that century. Of the breed's origin and its history prior to then, little is known for certain. It was once believed that the Afghan Hound existed in Egypt thousands of years ago, with a second theory that the breed evolved on the steppes of Asia representing the original sight hound. A great deal of research has not provided proof for either of these speculations.

As the breed developed in Afghanistan, two distinct types evolved. Hounds from the southern and western desert regions had a rangy build, were light in color and sparse in outer coat. The dogs from the northern regions were more compact in structure, darker in color and more heavily coated. These and other variations represented logical adaptations to the wide diversity of climate and terrain of the country.

The breed is primarily a coursing hound, pursuing its quarry by sight. The Afghan Hound was hunted singly, in dog and bitch pairs, in packs and combined with specially trained falcons. A tremendously versatile breed, its quarry included hare, wolves, jackals, marmots and snow leopards. Because of the variety of game hunted and the diversity of the geography, the Afghan Hound's most desirable traits were being sure-footed and agile to work the rugged terrain, strength and speed to bring down prey, plus the stamina to maintain a strenuous chase for a sustained length of time.

Interesting Facts:

• The Afghan Hound was discovered by the Western world in Afghanistan and surrounding regions during the 19th century. The current breed was developed in Afghanistan's mountainous countryside.
  
  
• The Afghan Hound first appeared in the United States in 1926.
  
  
• In 1940, the Afghan Hound Club of America was admitted to AKC membership and held its first specialty show.
  
  
• The long, fine coat of the Afghan is a sort found among animals native to high altitudes, and the contrasting short hair on the foreface, back and dorsal surface of the tail may also be related to climate.
  
  
• Two type extremes exist in the Afghan breed with numerous intermediate variations: the hounds of the southern and western regions, which tend to be relatively rangy in build, light in color, and sparse in coat; and the hounds of the northern mountain regions, which tend to be more compact, dark, and more heavily coated.
  
  
• During WWI, the breed literally disappeared in the Western world, and the start of the Afghan Hounds we have today dates back to 1920, when Major & Mrs. G. Bell Murray and Miss Jean C. Manson brought to Scotland a group of Afghans they had acquired or bred during an eight-year stay in Baluchistan (today's Pakistan).