Afghan Hound

About the breed

The Afghan Hound (FCI standard no. 228) is a tall, long-coated sighthound from Afghanistan, placed by the FCI in Group 10, Section 1 (long-haired or fringed sighthounds), without a working trial. The standard describes it as a hunter that will chase if given the opportunity, and today also as a show dog with a long, silky coat and an "Oriental" expression.

Two things decide what life with one is like: a coat that needs long, regular care, and the independent character of a hunter that was not built for blind obedience. Keepers who take both seriously get a reserved, loyal companion; those who underestimate them end up with a matted coat and a dog that is not safe off the lead outside a fence.

Origins: a mountain hunter from Afghanistan

According to the historical summary in the FCI standard, the breed comes from the mountains of Afghanistan and is also known as the Tazi, because of its resemblance to a Russian breed of that name. The first Afghans arrived in Britain in the early 1900s, and one of them, called Zardin, won in spectacular style at the 1907 Crystal Palace show in London; Great Britain holds the patronage of the standard.

Sources are more cautious about the breed's development at home. The UK Kennel Club (now the Royal Kennel Club) says the Afghan may well have developed from Salukis brought from neighbouring Persia, with the longer coat protecting against the cold of the mountains. The Sighthound Club of Slovenia (SKH) writes that in its homeland the hound originally hunted desert foxes and gazelles by day and guarded tents at night.

Appearance under the FCI standard: size, coat, expression

The FCI standard gives an ideal height at the withers of 68–74 cm for males and 63–69 cm for females, and no weight. The standard published by the American breed club (AHCA) mentions about 60 pounds for males and about 50 for females, roughly 27 and 23 kg (the AKC breed page lists 50–60 pounds), so the weight on this page is approximate.

The coat is long and very fine on the ribs, fore and hindquarters and flanks, but in mature dogs it is short and close from the shoulder backwards along the saddle; a long, silky topknot grows from the forehead back. The feet are large and well coated, the tail is set low with a ring at the end, and the eyes are nearly triangular and slightly slanting. All colours are acceptable, but white markings on the head or collar are highly undesirable; the Kennel Club lists black, cream, red, brindle and blue among the colours of the breed.

Temperament: dignified, reserved, independent

The standard describes a dignified, aloof dog with a certain keen fierceness. The AHCA adds that it is rather reserved with strangers, becomes deeply attached to its own people, and may have difficulty adapting to a new home when mature. It is not a dog that follows you everywhere: by the club's account it will usually pick its own spot and expect you to come to it.

Chase instinct and recall: why a fence is essential

The Afghan Hound hunts by sight, so it is not safe off the lead outside a fence. The AHCA says it is so fast that it can be "in the next county" before you begin to give chase; the fence must be high enough, because the dog can jump high even from a standing start. The SKH notes a strongly developed instinct to hunt small animals in all sighthounds. A recall that would hold at the sight of a hare or a fleeing dog is therefore not considered reliable in this breed; it is a trait of the breed, not a lack of discipline.

Training a dog that decides for itself

The AHCA is frank that the Afghan Hound is generally not an obedient dog: it comes when it wants to and can be very stubborn; it usually knows what you are asking but does not always choose to do it. At the same time, enough Afghans earn obedience, agility and lure coursing titles to show, in the club's words, adaptability and intelligence. The club advises consistency about what the dog may and may not do, and a crate or pen in the house where it can retire; if it learns to stay calmly in it when you are out, both dog and furniture are safe. The crate must never become a punishment.

Exercise: walks, running and coursing

The AHCA recommends a good long walk on the lead and, where possible, occasional free running in a fenced area; the dog should not be made to run in hot weather. It gives no number of hours, while the Kennel Club's breed overview lists more than two hours of exercise a day, a large house and a large garden. Dogs that love to run may enjoy lure coursing (chasing a mechanical lure), which the SKH organises in Slovenia with licences and training sessions.

Flat, children and other animals

A flat is not ruled out but is conditional: alongside long walks the dog needs regular access to a fenced area for running, and a house with a high fenced garden is the more natural fit.

On children, the AHCA says some Afghans are good with them and some are not, depending on the relationship the parents build; very small children should never be left alone with any dog. Because the standard calls the breed a hunter and the SKH notes a strong small-animal hunting instinct in all sighthounds, a cat, rabbit or hamster in the house may become prey; the club advises teaching a puppy early to live with other animals.

Coat care: how often and with what

The coat is a large ongoing commitment. The AHCA recommends bathing and grooming most show coats twice a week; if you keep only one Afghan it says a few hours of brushing a week and regular bathing will suffice. The Kennel Club lists grooming every day and notes that the coat sheds.

The club's rule is to groom before the coat mats: never brush a dry or dirty coat, bathe first, brush from the skin out, and check with your fingers for knots in hidden places (armpits, behind the ears, between the toes). Existing mats are better worked out after a bath and heavy conditioning. Tools: a large oval pin brush, a slicker brush for stubborn mats, shampoo and conditioner, a standing dryer and a grooming table. A snood keeps the long ear fringe out of the dog's mouth while eating. Before buying, be honest about whether you have the time for grooming.

Health: breed clubs and veterinary literature

Here we rely mainly on the UK Kennel Club and Animal Health Trust survey (2004; breed report 2008): the response rate was 28.2% (58 returned forms), and 143 deaths were reported. Cancer was the cause of death in 44 cases (30.8%), old age in 29 (20.3%) and heart disease in 15 (10.5%). Diagnoses were reported by owners without veterinary confirmation, so this is not a registry.

Chylothorax (lymphatic fluid collecting in the chest) is described as a relatively uncommon disease by the AHCA and as a rare one by the Kennel Club; it is documented in the breed: in a 1986 series of 34 dogs, Afghan Hounds made up 26.5% of cases. The AHCA says the breed is among the most affected and that it is starting a research study with the University of Missouri (the page is undated). The UK survey cautions that evidence of higher frequency is poor, and it recorded no case among the surveyed dogs. Lung lobe torsion was over-represented in Afghan Hounds compared with the hospital population in a 22-dog series (2000); the survey also lists laryngeal paralysis, which occurs as in most large breeds.

Sighthounds have quirks in veterinary care: the UK survey says all sighthounds normally have lower thyroid hormone levels and that hypothyroidism may be over-diagnosed, a study by Shiel et al. (2010) advises breed-specific reference limits, and review articles on anaesthesia describe slower metabolism of some drugs and a tendency to cool down. It makes sense to tell your vet that you have a sighthound.

The AHCA's CHIC page lists required hip, eye and thyroid testing (a CHIC number does not imply normal results); the Kennel Club recommends that breeders complete hip testing under the BVA/KC scheme, and the SKH recommends a heart check in all sighthounds, while under its breeding rules hip X-rays are not yet mandatory. These are club rules and recommendations, not FCI requirements.

How long does an Afghan Hound live?

The Kennel Club gives a lifespan of "over 10 years". In a UK study of breed longevity (McMillan et al., 2024; data from 18 organisations), the Afghan Hound's median lifespan was 11.1 years (95% CI 10.5–11.8; 238 deaths). In the Kennel Club's owner survey the median age at death was 11 years and 11 months, and 24% of the dogs that had died reached 13 years. From these sources we draw a rough range of 10–13 years (editorial estimate), which is not a promise for any individual dog.

Afghan Hound, Saluki or Borzoi: the differences

In height the Afghan Hound sits between the Saluki and the Borzoi: the FCI standards give 68–74 cm for Afghan males, an average of 58–71 cm for the Saluki and 75–85 cm for Borzoi males. The easiest tell is the coat: long and very fine, with a short saddle in the adult and a topknot, whereas the Borzoi's is silky, wavy or curly, and the Saluki has a smooth silky coat with feathering on the legs (a variety without feathering also exists). The Afghan's tail curls into a ring, the Borzoi's is sickle- or sabre-shaped. The standards call the Afghan dignified and aloof, the Saluki reserved with strangers and independent, and the Borzoi calm and neutral to friendly towards people. According to the UK Kennel Club, the Afghan may well have developed from Salukis.

Myths about the Afghan Hound

Myth: it is the dumbest dog. For his book The Intelligence of Dogs, the psychologist Stanley Coren surveyed obedience judges; by his own account, 121 of the 199 who provided information ranked the Afghan Hound in the bottom ten for working and obedience intelligence, and in his list of the bottom ten it comes last. That measures how readily a dog follows commands, not intelligence as a whole; the AHCA calls it highly intelligent but non-obedient. Myth: it is only a show dog. The standard lists it as a hunter that will chase if given the opportunity.

What to ask a breeder

Ask for the test results of both parents (hips, eyes, thyroid and, on the SKH's recommendation, heart) and for an explanation of how the coat is cared for: the AHCA advises a breeder who will show you how to care for the dog and expects an honest appraisal of the care needed. The same club advises that dogs not be bred before 24 months of age and that no puppy leave the breeder before eight weeks; the buyer should get at least a three-generation pedigree and a written contract. Under the SKH's published breeding rules the minimum age for a breeding assessment of the larger sighthounds is 18 months. Look for a suitable breeder in the directory.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits keepers with a high fenced garden or access to a fenced running area, time for coat care and the willingness to accept an independent character that decides for itself. It suits less a family looking for an obedient dog, a home with small animals and no supervision, or a keeper who cannot manage the grooming. The conditions for good co-existence are a long walk every day, safe running and regular coat care.

Pros & cons