The Afghan Hound, a canine breed of Afghan origin recognized by the FCI, has an innate elegance characterized by its long coat and its refined walk. We tell you everything we know about one of the most beautiful dog breeds in the world and… yes! We are in love with its mane.
The origins of the Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is a dog that, as its name suggests, is originally from Afghanistan and is a very precious and particular breed.
Its body is slim and, its particularly long curtain-like coat, gives it additional elegance in its movements and walk.
Considered the most ancient dog breed in the world, images of it (graffiti type) have been found dating back to 2,000 BC. in what is now northern Afghanistan; However, its true area of origin is believed to be the Sinai. In fact, its presence has also been noted in some ancient Egyptian papyri. It is even narrated that in Noè’s ark, there were two specimen of Afghan Hound.
We can, therefore, conclude that it is a dog of ancient lineage.
A dog between myth and history
Originally, it was born as a hunting dog and arrived in Europe towards the end of 1800 along with British soldiers returning from the Anglo-Afghan wars. It is said that the English stole some specimens secretly, because the Afghans would not have allowed it: they were leery of their dogs and their impressive beauty, and they would not have allowed any specimen to leave the country; It would have been something inconceivable for Afghans.
Over the years, and since its arrival in Europe, the Afghan Hound has never experienced a change at an aesthetic level nor in the structure of its physique: it has remained physically the same as its ancestors.
The beauty of the coat as a standard of the breed
It was in 1912 when the standard characteristics of the breed and all its peculiarities were finally drawn up.
The coat of the Afghan Hound
The predominant peculiarity, the one that most gets noticed to those who observe this wonderful specimen, is its coat. Very long and silky, it remembers of human hair and long female hair.
Normally it is left natural but, on some occasions, a special treatment can be given: stripping on the back. It is done to highlight the shape of the back and delineate the lines of the dog.
Hair can be: golden blonde, red, cream (with black mask) and black. There is also another colour but it is unusual: Oyster. It is a grey-silver colour in the area of the back, while the rest of the hair is divided into the following colours: the ears have shades that go from ivory to almond, the muzzle is light colour and the rest of the body has a white fur.
A peculiarity that we must not forget is that it never loses its hair! It only sheds once in its entire life and has no undercoat.
The character of the Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is a very docile dog and good with family members, sweet and affectionate and extremely calm.
Keep in mind that he is a very stubborn and proud dog and training him may not be as easy as it seems.
Although the Afghan Hound was born as a hunting dog, today it is a dog that we could define as a companion dog due to its gentle character.
How to take care of the coat of the Afghan Hound
The coat of the Afghan Hound needs constant care; It needs special products and treatments to stay healthy and knot-free.
Its hair, in fact, must be brushed every day without exception. You have to comb all the parts of the body and this is because, just like what happens to us with our hair, if it doesn’t untangle, we risk tangling it.
His hair naturally fills in during growth and therefore we should not clip it but take it to the dog groomer to have its expert treatment.
The Afghan Hound needs constant bathing and attention. Therefore, opt for a specific and respectful cleanser for your hair type without phthalates, parabens, sulphates and petroleum derivatives.
You can also use our specific conditioner or our brightening detangler, concentrated two-phase detangler without rinsing. Between baths, you can use a perfume for dogs to vaporize on the hair.
Once we have bathed him, we give you a tip: during meals make your wear earmuffs! The ears could end up in the food bowl and get stained or drop hair that will later be eaten along with the croquettes and I don’t think it’s nice, right?
