Harcourt-Brown - Afghan Hound: a Comprehensive Owners Guide

Physical Characteristics of the Afghan Hound

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Eyes: Almond-shaped (almost triangular)dark in color.

Nose: Of good size, black in color.

Mouth: Level.

Shoulders: Have plenty of angulation.

Coat: Hindquarters, flanks, ribs, forequarters, and legs well covered with thick, silky hair, very fine in texture; ears and all four feet well feathered.

Forelegs: Straight and strong with great length between elbow and pastern.

Forefeet: Large in both length and width; toes well arched.

Head: Of good length, showing much refinement.

Skull: Evenly balanced with the foreface.

Ears: Long, set approximately on level with outer corners of the eyes.

Neck: Of good length, strong and arched, running in a curve to the shoulders.

Body: The back line appearing practically level from the shoulders to the loin. The height at the shoulders equals the distance from the chest to the buttocks.

Tail: Tail set not too high on the body, having a ring, or a curve on the end.

Hindquarters: Powerful and well muscled, with great length between hip and hock; hocks are well let down; good angulation of both stifle and hock.

Height: Dogs, 27 inches, plus or minus one inch; bitches, 25 inches, plus or minus one inch.

Weight: Dogs, about 60 pounds; bitches, about 50 pounds.

Color: All colors are permissible, but color or color combinations are pleasing.

Hind feet: Broad and of good length; the toes arched.

Contents

Graceful and fleet of foot, the Afghan Hound is an elegant sighthound of noble ancestry. Follow its beginnings in its homeland of Afghanistan and learn how this distinctive and dramatic breed made its mark around the world to earn global popularity. A special section on the breeds history in the US is provided by guest author Betty Stites.

Truly unique in both appearance and personality, the Afghan Hound has won its share of devotees. Are you the right owner? This chapter addresses physical, personality and health traits of which all owners and potential owners should be aware.

Learn the requirements of a well-bred Afghan Hound by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club standard. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Find out about how to locate a well-bred Afghan Hound puppy. Discover which questions to ask the breeder and what to expect when visiting the litter. Prepare for your puppy-accessory shopping spree. Also discussed are home safety, the first trip to the vet, socialization and acclimating pup to his new home.

Cover the specifics of taking care of your Afghan Hound every day: feeding for the puppy, adult and senior dog; grooming, including coat care, ears, eyes, nails and bathing; and exercise needs for your dog. Also discussed are dog ID and safe travel with your dog.

Begin with the basics of training the puppy and adult dog. Learn the principles of house-training the Afghan Hound , including the use of crates and basic scent instincts. Get started by introducing the pup to his collar and leash and progress to the basic commands. Find out about obedience classes and other activities.

By Lowell Ackerman DVM, DACVD

Become your dogs healthcare advocate and a well-educated canine keeper for all of your dogs life stages. Select a skilled and able veterinarian. Discuss pet insurance, vaccinations and infectious diseases, the neuter/spay decision and a sensible, effective plan for parasite control, including fleas, ticks and worms.

Step into the center ring and find out about the world of showing pure-bred dogs. Learn the basics of AKC conformation showing and how to get started. Explore other types of competitive sport for the Afghan Hound : obedience, agility, tracking, lure coursing and racing.

K ENNEL C LUB B OOKS A FGHAN H OUND

ISBN 13: 978-1-59378-249-8

eISBN 13: 978-1-59378-720-2

Copyright 2005 Kennel Club Books An Imprint of I-5 Press A Division of I-5 Publishing, LLC

3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618 USA

Cover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Photography by:

John Ashbey, Paulette Braun, T.J. Calhoun, Alan and Sandy Carey, Isabelle Franais, Bryony Harcourt-Brown, Carol Ann Johnson, Bill Jonas, Paul Lepiane, Joan Ludwig, Alice Roche, Steven Sourifman, Kent Standerford and Alice van Kempen.

Illustrations by Rene Low and Patricia Peters.

The author would like to thank Betty Stites for information on the breeds history in the US and grooming and Dr. Malcolm Willis for information supplied regarding hip dysplasia.

The Afghan Hound is one of the most beautiful and graceful, as well as one of the fastest, breeds known in the world of canines.

The Afghan Hound is a unique and noble breed that traces its ancestry back through history as a dog bred for strength of limb and soundness of movement. These dogs are fleet of foot and capable of dramatic turns of speed when running. The Afghan Hound is a sighthound, which means that he is a dog that hunts by sight and not scent, as opposed to a scent-hound such as the Bloodhound. The Afghan Hound will frequently survey the far horizon with an intent stare, appearing to see objects that are out of a humans range of vision. The hunting instinct is still present in some Afghan Hounds; small game such as rabbit is of particular interest to an Afghan Hound in the mood for fun!