summary
The Afghan Hound is an aristocrat who gives the impression of nobility and solitude without any sign of plainness or coarseness.
His forequarters are straight, his head is held high, and his eyes gaze into the distance, as if remembering years gone by.
The distinguishing features of this breed are:
- An exotic, or “eastern” expression
- Long, silky “hair”
- A rare coat
- Very prominent hip bones
- Large claws.
- And what feels like a slightly exaggerated rear knee angle (due to the obvious protruding ‘pants material’)
These Afghan Hound looks, which make him the emperor of dogs, are the legacy of a long, correct tradition.
Place of origin
Afghanistan
Head
The head is of proper length and appears very fine, the head and front face appearing even and harmonious. Slightly protruding nasal bridge, forming a Roman look, whose centerline rises along the front of the face to a slight (or no) stop, disappearing in front of the eyes, so that vision is clear without any conflict, the jaw appears very strong, with a long, strong jaw; the mouth is a pincer bite and, with the teeth of the upper and lower jaws evenly matched and perfectly aligned, with no protrusion of the upper jaws or the lower jaws.
Such a mouth is rare for this breed. The clipper bite is stronger and more easily bred than the pincer bite, and the clipper bite (the teeth of the lower jaw pressing against the inside of the teeth of the upper jaw) is not a defect. The occipital bone is very prominent and the “hair” on the top of the head is silky and long.
Ears: Long, positioned at about the same level as the outer corners of the eyes, the length of the ears extends to the tip of the nose and are covered with long, silky hair.
Eyes: almond-shaped (almost triangular), not too prominent, dark in color.
Noseglasses: appropriately sized, black in color.
Defects: rough, like a truncated, protruding upper or lower jaw, round, protruding or light-colored eyes, over-exaggerated Roman nose, lack of “hair” on the head.
Neck
The neck is of sufficient length, firm and arched, curved and connected to the shoulders, the scapulae are long and sloping back.
Defects: neck too short or too thick, sheep neck, goose neck, lack of muscle or bone in the neck.
Body
The dorsal line appears to be almost perfectly horizontal from the rump to the loin.
The loin is strong and firm with a slightly rounded arch that disappears into the hips. The hip bones are very prominent and the ribs well expanded, while the loin sockets are lifted. The height of the shoulder is about equal to the length of the body (the distance from the chest to the hips), and the chest is deep and moderately broad.
Flaws: arched back, sunken back, goose buttocks, loose loin, hip bones not prominent, chest too wide while clashing with elbows.
Tail
The root of the tail is not excessively high in position, and is looped or curved at the end; but it must not be excessively curled, or rolled behind the back, or flung to the side of the body; and it must never be too thick.
Legs
The forelegs are straight and strong, of great length from the elbow to the stifle, with the elbow close to the body, the forefoot claws of great length and breadth, with rounded arches of the toes, and the claws covered with a thick, long coat of fine texture, the stifle being long and straight, and the pads of the feet very large and supported on the ground. The shoulder joint is properly angled so that the leg is in the proper position under the body. A shoulder joint that is too straight will cause the collar bones to be crushed and is a serious defect.
All four foot claws of the Afghan Hound are oriented in the same direction as the body and are neither bent inward nor turned outward. The hind foot claws are wide and of sufficient length, with rounded arched toes, and the claws are covered with a thick, long coat of hair. The hindquarters are powerful and muscular, with sufficient length between the flyjoints and the hips; the flyjoints are low in position, and both the flyjoints and the knees are properly angled; they are slightly curved in an arch from the flyjoints to the crotch.
Defects: front and rear paws curved inward or turned outward, footpads lack sufficient thickness, paws too small, paws with other notable faults, looseness or compression of the stifle, knees too straight, fly joints too long.
Coat
The hindquarters, loin sockets, ribs, forequarters, and legs are covered with a dense, silky coat of fine texture; the ears, and all four footpaws are feathered with trimmed hairs; starting at the shoulders in front; the hair extending backward into a saddle-shaped area (including the loin sockets and the area above the ribs) is slightly shorter and tighter, making up the smooth back of a mature dog, which is traditionally a characteristic of the Afghan Hound. The Afghan Hound is in its natural form and the coat does not require trimming or grooming; the long, silky “hair” on the top of the head is also a distinctive feature of the Afghan Hound. Shorter hair on the forelimbs and the wrists of the hind limbs is permissible. DEFECTS: Mature dogs lack the saddle-shaped area of short hair.
Height
Males, 27 inches with a 1-inch margin of error above and below;
Females, 25 inches with a 1-inch margin of error above and below.
Weight
Males about 60 pounds; females about 50 pounds.
Color
All colors are permitted, but colored or combination colors are better. White markings, especially if they appear on the head, are undesirable.
Gait
When running freely, the Afghan Hound will dart at high speeds, showing great elasticity and spring in a powerful, smooth stride.
If left unchecked, the Afghan Hound runs extremely fast; when running forward, the rear paws fall directly on the tracks of the front paws, (front and rear tracks) which are straight ahead.
Running with the head and tail held high, the whole appearance of the Afghan Hound is just very stylish and beautiful.
Temperament
Lonely and majestic, but happy. Flaws: fierce or shy.
