Often described as the king of dogs.
The Afghan hound is a majestic and elegant site hound that many believe is one of the most ancient dog breeds. Legend has it that the Afghan hound was the dog rescued on Noah’s Ark.
The first known country that was absolutely sure that it came from his Afghanistan hence named Afghan hound. And if you go back to Afghanistan you can see Afghans depicted on the walls in the northern caves of Afghanistan. Instead of hunting by scent and endurance, Afghan hounds like other site hounds hunt by speed and sight.
Afghans were actually bred to hunt gazelle and deer and leopards, so you can imagine how fast it must be. In fact, the Afghan hound can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. That’s as fast as a thoroughbred racehorse.
What makes these dogs so fast and sure-footed is the confirmation of their hips. Set high and wide apart, they enable the Afghan to change direction quickly and to cover the uneven terrain in the Afghanistan mountains.
Today this breed has become a luxurious pet in America and Europe because of its aristocratic beauty. Afghans are definitely sort of like the runway supermodel of the dog world. This cover canine has been featured in print film and television even inspiring Picasso to create his untitled sculpture molded after one of his own beloved Afghan hounds.
There are not many things that are as beautiful as watching an Afghan with that flowing coat and the very elegant way they hold their head up high they’re beautiful beautiful dogs. Developed to protect them from the harsh weather at high altitudes, the first characteristic that makes this dog so remarkable is its long silky coat. And the flowing coat is really their signature look.
The second characteristic is their Dolichocephalic skull. This is a long narrow shaped skull with the length being three times longer than the width. Shorter nose dogs like the boxer have a narrower field of vision as low as 180 degrees. While a sighthound like the Afghan hound has a field of vision up to 270 degrees.
The third characteristic is their distinctive ringed tail. Afghans have a very striking tail that actually curls into a point at the end. They also have a tendency to get that beautiful curled tail stuck in things or injured. While they might have fragile tails the bonds Afghans develop with the humans they love are unbreakable and profound.
If you’re thinking of owning one of these extraordinary dogs here are some things to know the average lifespan of these dogs is 14 years and they’re quite healthy. However, they are hypersensitive to pain and even small injuries can cause them great discomfort.
The Afghan hound needs at least one hour of physical activity every day where they can run at full speed but remember these dogs are sighthounds. If they see something small running they’re gonna chase it, so they should be fenced in and they should always be monitored whenever they’re being exercised.
Experienced and gentle dog owners do their best to train this breed. Their sensitivity has an upside making these dogs delightful family companions that thrive with loving and calm owners. While beautiful they’re a long thick coat that demands an enormous amount of grooming.
You do need to make sure that every day you at least run a brush through their coat to make sure they’re not matted.
To Sum Up – Afghan Hound in a Nutshell:
So in general Afghan hounds do best in calm environments and need about an hour of exercise every day.
While the sturdy breed of Afghans are hypersensitive to injuries their long coats require daily grooming and they’re best trained by an experienced gentle hand.
Lastly, the Afghan thrives in a family with older children.
They just touch your heart they know exactly how to reach you it’s inspirational to live with them.