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Afghan hound - a real aristocrat, in which there are all the attributes that correspond to a good style. She has an elegant silhouette that blends harmoniously into the endless Asian steppe, and silky curls that look similar to a long dress can develop beautifully in the wind during a run. The high-set head is decorated with fashionable hairstyle, and in the look of this greyhound dignity and independence prevail.
The refined image of the breed is complemented by a regal bearing, confident graceful step and beautiful, aristocratic manners. Despite its generous appearance, the Afghan hound can cause its owner a lot of inconvenience caused by its proud and freedom-loving character.This behavior is explained by the fact that under the aristocratic guise are energetic and brutal hunters with a difficult pedigree.
Breed history
Bible story
Due to the fact that the Afghan Hound breed belongs to the list of the most ancient dog breeds in the whole world, its history is calculated not in centuries, but in millennia. What is remarkable, the most ancient facts testifying to this breed are absolutely in no way connected with Afghanistan. For the first time, alleged relatives of the Afghan hound were discovered in ancient Persia, in whose territory Iran is located today.
In the expanses of modern Iran, caves with rock paintings made about 11,000 years ago were discovered where greyhounds were depicted. Most scientists and archaeologists have come to the conclusion that in this way the people who lived in those times perpetuated these animals, because they managed to survive the most terrible cataclysm. As the ancient legends say, the Afghan hound was on the list of animals that fell on Noah’s Ark from Bible stories, and was able to avoid death in the Flood.
In the ancient world, the owners of this breed called their dogs "Tazi", which in translation from Persian means "one who quickly runs." The Afghan hound was very much loved and revered in Ancient Persia - so much so that one of the then rulers gave the name of one of the cities in Yemen in her honor - Taiz.
Pure dog
Since Muslim laws and customs are significantly different from the Orthodox, the Afghans have a rather negative attitude to any dog breeds. A dog, like a pig, in this religion is considered a dirty animal, and therefore is called the saga, which translates as "despicable", "dirty creature." However, it was the Afghan hound that became an exception to this rule, and according to the history of the Muslim people, it has an honorable place among dogs and is pure. This is justified by its positive qualities, since this breed is characterized as an excellent hunter and shepherd.
Traveling Continents
In addition to the cave images of this greyhound in Iran, in the caves in Afghanistan there are also rock paintings depicting this dog. Naturally, compared with Iranian drawings, they are much younger, because they were applied only 4,000 years.Also, images of the Afghan hound are often found on the canvases of Greek tapestries, the creation of which dates from the sixth century BC. Based on these facts, it is quite logical to conclude that this breed made active travels accompanied by nomadic tribes, trading caravans and crews of sailors.
The appearance of short-haired grandparents of the Afghan hound falls on Central Asia, from where, in fact, the breed spread to the territory of Iran and Afghanistan. Once in the east, the dog was able to establish itself as a successful hunter for mountain leopards and antelopes, gazelles, hares, foxes and wolves, she was seriously interested in her. This led to the fact that the short-haired ancestor of the Afghan hound was crossed with the Persian salyuk. It was this crossing that gave this breed of dogs its main trump card - magnificent long hair, thanks to which the Afghan hound was able to escape from the harsh alpine climate.
Exit from imprisonment
After crossing with the Persian saluk, no selective rock experiments were performed.This is due to the fact that her stay was very isolated, and rarely had to contact with other dogs. Representatives of the Afghan aristocracy, who were engaged in the cultivation of this breed, closely followed the observance of its pure blood. The appearance of the dog for several millennia has remained unchanged, but the development of hunting and herding skills has been at an active stage of development due to regular practice.
The Afghan hound reached Europe only at the end of the 19th century. This happened thanks to the soldiers who participated in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, who brought several dogs of this breed to Britain in 1886. Thanks to such qualities as pure pedigree, extraordinary appearance and excellent hunting skills, the Afghan hound has gained popularity throughout England in a very short time.
Popularization in Europe
The appearance of the first valuable for cynologists specimen occurred only in 1907. He was found by captain John Braff in Pakistan and brought to Quetta, located in India, to participate in a dog show. At this exhibition, the Afghan hound has made an incredible furor.It is noteworthy that this dog belonged to the plain type and had a shortened coat.
This success has incredibly inspired the captain, which led to the immediate delivery of this dog to London. In England, the Afghan hound also caused a storm of emotions and admiration, scored about 55 victories. As a result, she was introduced to the Queen of Great Britain directly on the territory of Buckingham Palace. To the great regret of breeders, this charming aristocrat has no descendants left, but it was this dog that became the standard from which the first description of the breed came.
A new, suitable for breeding instance was discovered 19 years later, in 1926. At that time, the UK already had several working nurseries who were engaged in breeding this particular breed, one of which succeeded in breeding a representative of the Afghan hounds belonging to the mountain type. This specimen had a very thick coat, and all other features remained identical to the plain type. Many modern representatives of the Afghan hound are distant relatives of this particular instance.
Afghan Hound in America
In the United States of America, this breed appeared somewhat later than in Great Britain, in 1902. Americans, as well as the British, came to the delight of the Afghan greyhound. The popularization of the breed in the territory of America developed at a rather rapid pace. And in 1926, the opening of the first club of Afghan hound lovers took place. It is noteworthy that this dog was imported into France in 1936, and the Afghan hound was able to reach the USSR only in the late twentieth century.
Standard and main characteristics of the breed
The modern type of Afghan hounds has a robust body, their movement is rather smooth and graceful. When looking at them, you can see that they are always on guard and ready to make a lightning jump, even with their noble posture. Compared with the rest of the greyhounds, the Afghan is inferior to them in speed, but significantly ahead in terms of endurance.
The dog is rather large in size, it can weigh from 24 to 36 kilograms, and it can reach a height of 68 to 73 centimeters at the withers. The muzzle is elongated, characterized by the presence of strong jaws, which is the hallmark of all hunting dogs.The main feature of the Afghan hound is considered to be a high-set head, which has a wedge-shaped shape, which allows the dog to keep its potential prey in sight during the chase. The dog's skull lines are very peculiar, it has a well-defined occipital protuberance and a smooth transition between the nose and forehead. Also among the distinguishing features of the Afghan hound include elongated drooping ears, on which there is a long, silky hair, and the presence of bangs on temechke. The color of the eyes of these dogs is almost always dark, and the shape is triangular, landing on the face slanting. The nose pad is either black or brown.
The Afghan Hound has a broad chest, which has a positive effect on the rhythm of breathing and the work of the heart. Abundant wool cover hides under a massive muscular paws. Despite her strong and flat back, her croup is down. On the tail there is a rare coat of wool, during movement it is usually raised high.
This dog is incredibly fast and can reach exactly the same speed as a thoroughbred racehorse - 60 km / h.The speed and confidence when moving due to the special structure of the hips, their location is quite high, and the distance between the legs is wide. Thanks to this feature, the Afghan hound is able to quickly change the trajectory of its movement, and is also prepared for sudden changes in height, which are characteristic of the mountains in Afghanistan.
Afghan Hound Health
This breed has excellent health, therefore it is not at all surprising that, compared to other large breeds of dogs, it is a clear long-liver, since its average life expectancy is 15 years. Despite this, the Afghan Hound has a very low pain threshold, which makes it incredibly sensitive to pain. Even a minor minor injury can cause great torment and discomfort in the dog. They are also characterized by the occurrence of various eye diseases, for example, cataracts, therefore it is necessary to take preventive veterinary examination of these dogs as often as possible. Often, it is precisely the beautiful tail that can create deplorable situations, since it is his dog that hurts most often.
Afghan Hound Training
Due to the fact that the Afghan hound has a strong and unshakable character, it is a serious challenge for any trainer, and indeed it is only an experienced and affectionate specialist who can teach this dog anything. This animal tends to be independent, because stubbornness is a usual thing for them. It is because of this stubbornness that the dog may not respond to the call, and ignore the moments when the owner asks her to approach.
It is very important for the potential owner of the Afghan hound to understand that this breed has a thick coat, which was originally intended to protect against the harsh freezing temperatures typical of high mountains. The active behavior of this dog during hot or humid weather adversely affects the general health of the animal.
Difficult temperament of the breed
Due to the fact that the Afghan hound has a rather heavy and stubborn character, it is naturally much harder to train. It is because of the complex nature of the breed that Colombian scientists, who carried out independent research on the intellectual level of various dog breeds, attributed the Afghan hound to the number of dogs that have poorly developed intelligence.However, the results of these studies cannot be considered reliable, since only the stubbornness and arrogance of the Afghan hound is most often perceived as a low level of their intelligence. In fact, these dogs are incredibly clever, just because of their proud temper, dogs are much harder to teach anything than other breeds. Such stubbornness is explained by the hunting fervor, which can manifest itself at the most inappropriate moments literally out of the blue, for example, when a dog heard a loud sound or was disturbed by someone's sudden movement.
In order for the Afghan hound to become a true friend and loyal assistant to its owner, it must devote sufficient time to correct its behavior. The main thing is not to offend your pet, since he is very sensitive to the rude attitude of his owner, and perceives his emotional state very sensitively. Also this dog can be rather vindictive.
The Afghan hound, like any other dog, loves attention and affection, but in fact can only become attached to that family member with whom communication happens more often than with the rest.This dog respects all members of the family equally, but as far as outsiders are concerned, they can be treated as enemies. Small children are also perceived with difficulty, but this is not at all an indicator of the desire to dominate. The Afghan hound, on the contrary, likes a state of peace and quiet, in such a situation it is usually restrained and silent.
Care for afghan hound
The Afghan hound, like any other hunting dog, requires long walks and outdoor games in nature. Many trainers and dog experts recommend making daily walks with these dogs for at least an hour. At the end of these walks, the dog must be thoroughly washed.
Since the main advantage of the Afghan hound is its excellent coat, it requires particularly careful attention and care, which in turn can be very problematic for its owner. Thanks to such a woolen cover, the owner of the Afghan hound assumes additional responsibility, since he needs to preserve the natural beauty of his pet in proper form. This, respectively, leads to the daily combing of the wool and washing it several times a week.
The main inconvenience in the care of the wool coat of the Afghan hound is the large amount of time that must be given to the procedure. It should also be borne in mind that not every brush will be able to cope with such a thick coat. However, such features have some advantages, first of all, if the hair of the Afghan hound is properly cared for - it will not have an unpleasant smell that is peculiar to dogs. Also, the Afghan hound rarely sheds due to the fact that its wool is updated regularly throughout the year.
Video: Afghan Hound dog breed
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