This hound is so elegant that Ellen Degeneres recently posted a pic on Instagram of the hound next to Jennifer Aniston as a joke! I'm a huge fan of the hound group and live with two lovable hound dogs myself.
Check out these cool facts about this beautiful and elegant breed from VetStreet:
- Afghan hounds won "Best in Show" at Westminster in 1957 and 1983.
- The Afghan's coat can be any color or combination of colors, including black and tan.
- He was bred to course hare and gazelle over the rugged terrain of his native Afghanistan.
The Afghan hound is an athlete capable of immense speed and requires a large fenced in yard and exercise daily. Beneath the long, glamorous coat is a hunter! Yet you will need to commit to a lot of grooming if you want to live with this breed.
History
According to Vet Street, British military officers brought the dogs to the West after being posted to the India-Afghanistan border.
"The dogs died out in Europe during World War I because food shortages limited the breeding and keeping of dogs, but breeding began again in 1920 when some desert-type Afghans were imported to Scotland by people who had been stationed in Baluchistan. Some of the mountain-type dogs were sent from Kabul to England in 1925. During the same decade, Americans imported some of the Afghans from Britain."
The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1926.
Breed overview
They typically need about 40 minutes of daily exercise as they were bred for hunting and coursing.
- Height: 25-27 inches
- Weight: 50-60 pounds
- Life Expectancy: 12-15 years
- Group: Hounds
Personality
The Spruce Pets tells us that Afghans need daily exercise. They're happy to hang out with the family but only after they've had a chance to run around.
Engage them in activities that make use of the Afghan's natural hunting drive, such as lure coursing. They also need to run off-leash in an enclosed area once or twice a week.
Overall coat care
Grooming! His coat doesn't need to be clipped but the finishing touch is a topknot of long, silky hair. This breed must be groomed so pet parents must plan to brush and comb the Afghan Hound's thick, silky hair three times a week to prevent or remove mats and tangles, and bathe him as needed. He'll need a blow-dry.
The silky coat will require grooming! So before you bring home an Afghan hound puppy be sure to consider the time you'll need each week to bathe, brush and blow-dry its coat. Work with a reputable breeder on finding an Afghan puppy!
The life span for this family dog is 12-15 years which is a wonderful life expectancy.
The UKC does have this dog breed in the sighthound group so don't let that confuse you when you're researching this breed.
Other breeds to consider are the Labrador retriever, German shepherd, Siberian husky, Great Dane, Chihuahua, poodle, pug, Italian greyhound, golden retriever and the Schnauzer.
The Saluki breed is often compared to the Afghan hound, so you may enjoy learning about that breed, too.
Do you know anyone that lives with an Afghan? Let us know what characteristics you love about this breed!
