Afghan hounds are quite the lovable type.
- An Afghan hound is a breed of large domestic dog, that is commonly kept and bred as a pet, and it uses its sense of sight and fast moving ability when hunting, and therefore is listed as a ‘sighthound’.
- ‘Afghan hounds’ are also known as ‘Tazis’, ‘Sage Balochis’, ‘Ogar Afgans’, ‘Eastern greyhounds’, ‘Kabul hounds’, ‘Baluchi hounds’, and ‘Persian greyhounds’, as well as ‘Tāžī Spay’ and ‘Sag-e Tāzī’ in native languages.
- The long, thick hair with a silk-like appearance is a notable feature of Afghan hounds, along with their distinctly curled tails and particularly lengthy muzzles.
- The fur of Afghan hounds ranges from brown, grey, black, gold and white in colour, and it requires much grooming to keep a neat appearance.
- Afghan hounds originate from the cold mountainous regions of Afghanistan, in Asia, and were probably domesticated in the area around 4000 BC.
Afghan Hound
Image courtesy of Bryan Ungard/Flickr
- Afghan hounds generally grow to be 61 to 74 centimetres (24 to 29 inches) in height and 20 to 27 kilograms (44 to 59.5 pounds) in weight.
- Usually, Afghan hounds have a gentle and pleasant nature, although they have been used throughout history to hunt boar, deer, gazelle and goats, and guarding livestock from snow leopards, wolves and other animals.
- Afghan hounds were first imported into the United Kingdom in the 1880s, while afterwards in the United States of America in the 1920s, and they quickly became a popular breed and commonly exhibited at shows.
- Although originally quite an independent breed, Afghan hounds have had this tendency dulled through breeding attempts to create appealing varieties.
- Female Afghan hounds generally have around seven pups at a time, and they typically live twelve to fourteen years.
Bibliography:
Afghan Hound, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/afghan-hound/
Afghan Hound, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_Hound
