Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound is a very old sighthound dog breed. Distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end, the breed acquired its unique features within the cold mountains of Afghanistan, where it was initially used to hunt wolves, foxes, and gazelles.

Afghan Hound Temperament

The temperament of the typical Afghan Hound will be aloof and dignified, but happy and clownish when playing. The breed has a reputation among dog trainers of having a comparatively low "obedience intelligence" as outlined by author Stanley Coren. The Afghan Hound has many cat-like tendencies and isn't slavish in its obedience as are some other breeds. The Afghan hound has a leaning in the direction of independence. Owners shouldn't be shocked if their Afghan hounds sometimes choose to ignore commands. Although seldom used in the present day for hunting in Europe and America where they are popular, Afghans are frequent participants in lure coursing events and are additionally in style as show dogs.

Afghan Hound Health

Afghans are a relatively healthy breed; major health issues are allergies, and cancer. Sensitivity to anaesthesia is an issue the Afghan hound shares with the rest of the sighthound group, as sighthounds have relatively low levels of body fat. Afghan hounds as a whole are a fairly long-lived breed, often living 13-14 years.

Afghan Hound History

The breed was always thought to date back at least to the pre-Christian era, and recent discoveries by researchers studying ancient DNA have revealed that the Afghan Hound is in fact one of the most ancient dog breeds, dating back for many thousands of years. Its original native name, Tazi, betrays its connection to the very similar Tasy breed of Russia. The proximity of southern Russia and Afghanistan argue for a common origin for both breeds.

Initially, Afghan people refused to sell their national dog to outsiders; the breed was not seen in Europe and America until after the turn of the 20th century. AKC and CKC did not recognize the Afghan Hound until the 1930s.

On August 3, 2005, Korean scientist Hwang Woo-Suk announced that his team of researchers had become the first team to successfully clone a dog. The dog, an Afghan Hound, was named Snuppy. Later that year, a pattern of lies and fraud by Hwang Woo-Suk came to light, throwing in doubt all his claims. Snuppy, nonetheless, was a genuine clone, and thus the first cloned dog in history. ("The panel found that Hwang's claims last year to have created the world's first cloned dog, however, were genuine.")