The Afghan Hound is a hound that is
distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at
the end. The breed was selectively bred for its unique features in the cold
mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is Tāžī Spay or Sag-e Tāzī . Other names for this breed are
Kuchi Hound, Tāzī, Balkh Hound, Baluchi Hound, Barakzai Hound, Shalgar Hound,
Kabul Hound, Galanday Hound or sometimes incorrectly African Hound.
Description of Afghan Hound
The
Afghan Hound is tall, standing in height 61–74 cm (24–29 in) and weighing 20–27
kg (44–60 lb). The coat may be any colour, but white markings, particularly on
the head, are discouraged; many individuals have a black facial mask. A
specimen may have facial hair that looks like a Fu Manchu mustache. The
mustache is called "mandarins." Some Afghan Hounds are almost white,
but parti-color hounds (white with islands of red or black) are penalized in
the AKC standard, but not by the FCI. The long, fine-textured coat requires
considerable care and grooming. The long topknot and the shorter-haired saddle
on the back of the dog are distinctive features of the Afghan Hound coat. The
high hipbones and unique small ring on the end of the tail are also
characteristics of the breed.
The
temperament of the typical Afghan Hound can be aloof and dignified, but happy
and clownish when it's playing. This breed, as is the case with many
sighthounds, has a high prey drive and may not get along with small animals.
The Afghan Hound can be a successful competitor in dog agility trials as well
as an intuitive therapy dog and companion. Genomic studies have pointed to the
Afghan Hound as one of the oldest of dog breeds.
The
breed has a reputation among some dog trainers of having a relatively slow
"obedience intelligence" as defined by author Stanley Coren in The
Intelligence of Dogs.
Although
seldom used today for hunting in Europe and America where they are popular,
Afghan hounds are frequent participants in lure coursing events and are also
popular in the sport of conformation showing.
Variants
The
Khalag Tazi is a variety of the Afghan. It was introduced to Europe in 1920
when an Indian Army officer, Major G Bell-Murray, brought some animals back
from Afghanistan. Tazi is a current and ancient name for hunting dogs of the
sighthound type in the Middle East. It has been used to denote the Saluki,
Afghan, Taigan, Persian Greyhound, greyhound types of hound.
Health
Lifespan
Afghan
Hounds in UK surveys had an average lifespan of about 12 years. which is
similar to other breeds of their size. In the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey, the
most common causes of death were cancer (31%), old age (20%), cardiac (10.5%),
and urologic (5%). Those that die of old age had a median lifespan of 12 years,
with 12% living to at least 14.
Health concerns
Major
health issues are allergies, cancer, and hip dysplasia. Sensitivity to
anesthesia 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 are
also among the dog breeds most likely to develop chylothorax, a rare condition
which causes the thoracic ducts to leak, allowing large quantities of chyle
fluid to enter the dog's chest cavity. This condition commonly results in a
lung torsion (in which the dog's lung twists within the chest cavity, requiring
emergency surgery), due to the breed's typically deep,
"barrel"-shaped chest. If not corrected through surgery, chylothorax
can ultimately cause fibrosing pleuritis, or a hardening of the organs, due to
scar tissue forming around the organs to protect them from the chyle fluid.
Chylothorax is not necessarily, but often, fatal.
In popular culture
Because
of its distinctive appearance, the Afghan hound has been represented in
animated feature films and TV shows, including Universal Pictures' Balto
(Sylvie), Disney's Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (Ruby) and Oliver
& Company (Rita), an Afghan hound also appeared on 101 Dalmatians as well
as in 102 Dalmatians as one of the dogs in Cruella De Vil's party and the
television series What-a-Mess (Prince Amir of Kinjan; based on children's books
by Frank Muir) and, as Prissy in the 1961 Disney animated film One Hundred and
One Dalmatians and 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure. Brainy Barker
from Krypto the Superdog claims to be an Afghan Hound in the episode "Meet
the Dog Stars", although her design actually resembles that of a Saluki
instead of an Afghan Hound.
Afghan
hounds have also been featured in television advertisements and in fashion
magazines. The Afghan hound is represented in books as well, including being
featured in a series of mystery novels by Nina Wright (Abra), and a talking
Afghan Hound in David Rothman's The Solomon Scandals (2008, Twilight Times
Books). In the novel Between the Acts, Virginia Woolf uses an Afghan hound
(named Sohrab) to represent aspects of one of the book's human characters.
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, an Afghan
Hound named Snuppy. In 2006 Hwang Woo-Suk was dismissed from his university
position for fabricating data in his research. Snuppy, nonetheless, was a
genuine clone, and thus the first cloned dog in history.
The
Afghan Hound features prominently in the avant-garde music video of popular
French band M83's, "Set in Stone (M83 Remix)".
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