Afghan hound

Group 10: Greyhounds
Section 1: Long-Coated or Feathered Sighthounds

Patronage: Great Britain
Alternative names: Afghan Hound, Afghane, Tazi, Baluchi greyhound
Height at the withers: males: 68 to 74 cm
bitches 63 to 69 cm
Weight: 20 to 30 kg
Life expectancy: about 12 years

One of the most original greyhound breeds from the Hindu Kush highlands is the Afghan greyhound (afgh. Thasi). 4000 BC The nomads of Afghanistan already bred a type of dog that is now considered the ancestor of the Afghan greyhound. This, on the other hand, is said to have originally come to Afghanistan from the Middle East, with the physique, and here especially the head, showing similarities to the Persian greyhound, the Saluki and the Kyrgyz taigan. The exact origin is not yet traceable due to the insufficient sources. The dog was highly valued in its country of origin, Afghanistan, and sometimes treated as a treasure. This is easy to understand in connection with the austere life of the nomads in the rugged mountains, the wide steppes of this country and its harsh nature, where the dog was used as a hunting dog and ensured the survival of its owners. It is used for the falconry hunt, which is considered a privilege, to hunt down the game. According to a 1962 newspaper report in a Kabul newspaper, three original types of Afghan Hound are known, the smooth-coated Luchak, the Bakhmull with long silky hair and the Kalagh type, which is also smooth-coated and has long hair on the legs and ears. In this report, the different types are referred to as distinct breeds. It is not clear whether these were independent populations or whether the three types were also heavily mixed with one another. This breed of dog was deemed so valuable that they were smuggled out of the country due to an export ban. The first specimens were brought to Europe by British soldiers who fought in the second Angelo-Afghan War. At a show in Bristol, the first Afghan Hound was shown, the bitch "Mortee". In 1925 the breed standard was finally settled on the Mountain Afghan type after several animals of the different types of this sighthound were brought into England and there were different breed standards.

In the following decades, the standard developed from the former hunting dog more and more towards an exhibition animal. The coat of this breed became longer and fuller, so that these dogs were no longer successful on the track. As a result, there are different breeding lines for presentation at exhibitions and use on the racetrack. The decisive difference between the two is mainly the hair, which is significantly shorter in the racing Afghan. In the USA, show dogs from breeding lines show particularly lush and long hair.

This specialization of breeding for success in greyhound races or exhibitions results in very different types of Afghan Hounds, such as the racing Afghan and the pure show Afghan. However, there are also judging categories in which the successes of the show and the track are combined, and here only dogs balanced in the standard can win

The overall appearance of the dog should express elegance, pride and dignity, but also give an idea of ​​the power and speed of the breed. The dog's skull is long and not too narrow, with a long mop of hair. For the elegant and slightly springy gait, breeders pay attention to an appropriate geometry of the limbs. The long and silky coat can be any color, with red, cream, silver, black, tan, silver-black, blue, ivory and domino being the most common.The head can be with or without a black or blue mask. The approximate 1:1 ratio of shoulder height and length of the dog is also decisive for the overall appearance of this breed. The height at the withers is between 68-74 cm for males and 63-69 cm for females. The dog's stomach should be tucked up and have a deep chest. The weight of this breed is between 20-30 kg. Afghans can live up to 12 years and older.

In the house gentle, quiet and unobtrusive. Outside, the passion for hunting can prevail, this goes so far that he must not be leashed in the woods and fields. As a rule, he gets along with conspecifics and has no protective instinct. The gait of this breed is considered a pride, which also reflects its nature. Independence and absolute calm are hallmarks of this dog breed in any type of training. However, Afghans are also very sensitive and can become suspicious of strangers if mishandled. They get along well with children, but due to the enormous size of the breed, they should be a bit older to walk the dog alone.

Afghan myelopathy is believed to be an inherited disease of the spinal cord that results in complete limb paralysis.