Afghan Hound

Table of Contents

Afghan Hound Appearance

Afghan Hounds are elegantly distinguished by their silky, lustrous coat of long, fine fur and prominently curled tail. The coloring of the coat can differ greatly within the Afghan Hound breed, with shades ranging from golden blonde to red to tri-colored, with many hues in between. The long topknot and shorter-haired saddle pattern on the back of their coats are distinct features of this breed. Afghan Hounds are typically between 24-29 inches tall and can weigh up to 60 pounds at full growth. These majestic dogs also usually have unique facial markings that can resemble a black mask or Fu Manchu style mustache. These beautiful creatures will typically have an average lifespan of about 12 years.

Afghan Hound Grooming

The magnificent coat of this breed requires high maintenance care and weekly baths, at the minimum. For optimum health and appearance, the Afghan Hound should be brushed multiple times a week to help cut down on shedding and reduce the chance of matted fur. Monthly nail trimming is also advisable, as with most dogs, in order to prevent painful ingrown nails and breakage.

Afghan Hound Temperament

The exotic and regal look of this breed is often expressed in personality traits as well, with these dogs typically behaving aloof and independent. They also can be very silly when engaged, however, and love to play. Once matched with an owner, these dogs develop strong bonds of loyalty and make great family pets. They do have a high prey drive and may not always get along with small animals. The temperament of this breed also tends to be very high energy, requiring daily exercise in order to keep behavior problems at bay. These dogs love visits to the dog park, going for a jog, and many other activities that help them burn off their intense levels of energy.

Afghan Hound Training

Afghan Hounds are very intelligent dogs with great reasoning skills, but their independent nature sometimes results in stubborn behavior during training. They tend to have a reputation of having slow obedience intelligence, but this can be overcome with frequent and consistent training. Their deductive reasoning abilities and intuitive nature makes them very sweet and loving companions and even great therapy dogs.

Afghan Hound History

Afghan Hounds have been referred to as the “dog of Noah’s Ark” by nomadic groups of Afghanistan due to their extremely long history of existence. Afghan Hounds are one of the oldest recognizable breed of dogs and can be traced far back to the ancient pre-Christian era. The modern purebred of today descends from dogs brought to Great Britain from Afghanistan in the 1920s that were bred with varieties of long haired sight hounds from all across Afghanistan and the surrounding areas. While their glamorous coat is often renowned for its beauty today, it was actually crucial in protecting these dogs from the cold, harsh mountain climate in which they worked. Their incredible stamina and agility made them excellent coursing hounds and helped hone their abilities, which are still prevalent in the temperament of Afghan Hounds.