Afghan hound dog

History of origin

Afghanistan is considered to be the birthplace of this stately dog ​​with a graceful body and magnificent hair – it was there that Europeans first saw these amazing animals, capable of rushing after prey along steep mountain slopes as if on a flat field. This is where their modern name, the Afghan hounds, came from. But these ancient powerful dogs lived in a much larger area, covering all of South Asia and the Middle East. The closest relatives of the Afghan hounds, the Persian Saluki greyhounds and the Arabian Saluki greyhounds, are the same ancient native dogs as the Afghans. For many centuries, Afghan hounds have helped people survive in difficult mountainous and desert areas, hunting with them mountain deer, hares, snow leopards, quails, participating in falconry.

The aboriginal ancestors of the Afghan hounds differed in appearance from the modern appearance of these dogs. In the mountainous regions there were dogs with thicker dark hair, in the southern desert regions – shorter-haired and lighter in color, but none of them had such rich silky “clothes” as modern Afghan hounds. The incredible beauty of Afghan wool is the merit of Western breeders who first met Afghan hounds at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. After participating in the Indo-Afghan wars, British officers returning home carried these amazing dogs along with trophies.

So the Afghan hounds came to Great Britain, they also became the progenitors of modern Afghans. At first, they loved Afghans, they bred different types of greyhounds in their kennels – long-haired and short-haired, arguing that each type of breed is the standard of the Afghan hound. Unfortunately, the years of World War II greatly reduced the number of Afghan hounds, only in the 60s interest in this breed was revived again. As a result, the “mountain version” of the Afghan won in breeding – a dog with longer hair, the beauty of which the breeders brought to perfection.

In Europe and the USA, these dogs have lost their working purpose, becoming pets, pleasing to the eye with their beauty, and today there is no dog whose “clothes” can compare with the splendor of the long flowing hair of the Afghan hounds. But their aboriginal relatives still live in Afghanistan and are still used for hunting.

Breed description

Afghan hounds are dogs that combine strength and dignity, their features testify to speed and power. The skull is elongated, the transition from the forehead to the muzzle is smooth. The jaws are powerful, with a scissor bite, but a level bite is acceptable. The nose is black, in light-colored dogs a brown nose is acceptable. The eyes are triangular in shape, set slightly obliquely, it is desirable that their color be dark, but golden color is also acceptable. Hanging ears set low, covered with very long silky hair. The long, strong neck is set high. The forelimbs are muscular, well developed, the shoulder blades are sloping, the forearms are straight, the elbows are pressed. The hind limbs are powerful, developed, with good angulations. The chest is deep, the back is muscular, the loin is wide, the makloks are well protruding.

Powerful front and hind legs are covered with thick hair, the front legs are wider than the hind legs. The tail is of medium length, set low, curled at the end and covered with sparse hair. The coat from the withers to the tail along the entire spine is shorter and denser, on the chest, sides and limbs – long, thin and silky. The face of the Afghan hound is covered with short hair, and it falls from the forehead with long silk strands. The ears are also covered with long silky hair. Afghan hounds can be painted in any color.

Photos

Character

“First of all, you need to understand that the Afghan Hound is an independent person, not an attachment to a person, not a beautiful fun for its owners, but an equal member of the family – this is exactly what these dogs consider themselves to be,” says Natalya Zaitseva, owner of the Dream Nation Afghan hound kennel. – She will behave like an equal member of the family – she will have her own opinion, do not be shy to express it, and people who have adopted an Afghan hound into their family should be ready for this. Many buy into the external beauty of the Afghan hounds, not realizing that this is not just a pet, but a creature that will require serious attention from the owners. If you are not ready to raise an Afghan Hound in the same way as your child, give her the same amount of time and care, then this dog is not right for you. And, if you approached life with the Afghan Hound with all your heart and responsibility, then this amazing dog will answer you with great love, will become your best friend.

Almost all owners of Afghan hounds note that they are very mischievous dogs, cheerful, cheerful, with a great sense of humor.

“Afghan hounds are very sociable, open dogs, they are extroverts, incredibly friendly animals,” says Natalya Zaitseva. – They love to observe, draw conclusions, are always ready to maintain good relations and advocate for harmony. In most cases, Afghan hounds get along well with children, strangers, and other dogs. They are not aggressive, quite accommodating and, with the right upbringing, bring only joy to their owners.

Care and maintenance

Although today Afghan hounds are more like pets than hunting dogs, they still remain greyhounds and must necessarily satisfy their need for walking and running, living in city apartments.

– In the city with an Afghan you need to walk only on a leash, – emphasizes Natalya Zaitseva. – Like any greyhound, the hunting instinct makes the Afghans pursue a moving target, and you can’t guess what the dog will take for this target – a running cat or a cyclist. And you need to be afraid not that the Afghan Hound will get lost, this will not happen, one can say that they have a built-in navigator, busy routes are much more dangerous – a dog keen on chasing can easily get hit by a car. Therefore, walks in the city only on a leash!

But walking on a leash, even for a few hours, is not enough to satisfy the Afghan Hound’s need for daily exercise.

Walking the streets with the owner, the Afghan hounds get the experience, which is important for dogs, but they need to run out. Therefore, owners need to find a fully fenced area where they can let the dog run and play daily. Ideally, if the Afghan has a running companion – another Afghan hound, or an equally active dog of a different breed. When the dog ran out, it tiredly lay down on the ground, then you can lead the Afghan Hound home, knowing that the animal will feel comfortable.

The magnificent coat of the Afghan Hound requires regular care, which falls entirely on the owners of the dog. Moreover, this is not only time, but also money for good zoocosmetics: shampoos, conditioners, which will be needed for bathing Afghans.

– Every week, at most, once every 10 days, the Afghan hound must be bathed so that its thin flowing coat remains beautiful, healthy and silky, – says Natalya Zaitseva. – It is necessary to use professional shampoos and conditioners for dogs with long hair. After drying with a towel, the wool is combed and dried with a hair dryer. No matter how long the hair is, if the cosmetics are good, then it is dried with a hair dryer in 40-60 minutes. After the dog has been combed and dried, no more brushing is needed until the next bath.

During walks, twigs, leaves, burdocks easily fall into the long and thin hair of Afghan hounds – everything that grows on the street is lying on the ground. To avoid this, owners put on special protection for their dogs.

“Afghan hounds have special hats for walking in the form of a soft long tube that is put on the head and completely covers the ears,” says Natalya Zaitseva. – Afghans wear cloth leggings on their feet. Some owners prefer to put boots on their dogs, but I believe that such shoes interfere with good adhesion of paws to the soil, make Afghans less stable.

In muddy weather, Afghan Hounds are packed into overalls, all to preserve the beauty and quality of their magnificent coat.

“The main thing in grooming Afghan hounds is clarity and regularity,” explains Natalya Zaitseva. – Eleven months you watched the pet, and then you had to leave and entrust the dog, for example, to a relative. He forgot to put a hat on the Afghan before eating and that’s it, the dog ate his ears. I am not exaggerating – while eating, long ears fall into a bowl of food and the dog chews both the wool and the ears themselves.

What kind of food to choose for Afghan hounds – natural or industrial – is decided by the owner himself, the main thing is that it suits the dog.

“Afghan hounds digest food with a high protein content well,” explains Natalya Zaitseva. – Compared to dogs of other breeds with the same dimensions, Afghans are small, but it is the high protein content that allows them to receive the energy they need for the whole day. And in order for the coat to grow well and be beautiful, the diet of Afghan hounds must contain fats – fatty lamb, fatty fish or fish oil in the form of a dietary supplement. Fatty food does not cause any liver problems in Afghans. Another feature of the Afghan hounds is that they drink little, as they have lived in arid areas for many centuries. Therefore, I do not recommend feeding these dogs dry food, which can be a problem for them due to their low fluid intake. In my opinion, Afghan hounds are better suited to a natural diet.

Education and training

“Unfortunately, there is an opinion that Afghan hounds are difficult to educate – they are disobedient and do not have a very developed intellect,” says Natalia Zaitseva. – I have been dealing with Afghan hounds for 30 years and do not agree with such an assessment of the representatives of this breed. Afghans train perfectly if done correctly, methodically, reinforcing their actions with praise and treats.

Afghan hounds are a hunting breed, they are not service dogs, so they are adapted to the unquestioning execution of commands, they get tired of routine tasks very quickly and begin to stubbornly.

“At first, Afghan hound puppies perform all the exercises and commands with pleasure, but the more often they are forced to repeat the same action, the faster their enthusiasm disappears,” explains Natalya Zaitseva. – And here the task of the owner is to be creative in the upbringing and education of the Afghan: change tasks, make them more intellectually complex, turn learning into a fun game. If this is difficult to do on your own, then you can sign up for training courses “City Dog” or other classes with dog handlers who will teach the owner how to manage their dog. The more you interact with the Afghan Hound, the more he will begin to understand the rules of behavior that you want to teach him and the more willing he will be to follow them.

Health and disease

Like most native breeds, Afghan hounds are distinguished by good health and good immunity.

“Unfortunately, Afghan hounds have a tendency to develop tumors,” says Natalya Zaitseva. – Unfortunately, it is impossible to insure against this problem, but if the tumor does not prevent the dog from living, then you can do without surgical medical intervention.

Unlike canine greyhounds, Afghans do not develop intestinal volvulus, a fairly common problem among hunting dogs. Their joints and ligaments over the centuries of cross-country running have developed and strengthened so much that the Afghan hound can be compared to a four-wheel drive car.

“Only at a very mature age, already after 12-13 years old, Afghan hounds may develop weakness in their hind legs and they will begin to get up badly,” says Natalya Zaitseva. – But this is old age and for dogs it is also not a joy. But in general, this is a healthy breed that lives for a long time, which means that the joy of communicating with the Afghan Hound will also last a long time.

Popular questions and answers

We asked to answer questions about the maintenance of Afghan hounds zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.