 The Afghan Hound, undeniably amongst the most glamorous of dogs, was first discovered in and around Afghanistan during the latter part of the 19th century. It is primarily a coursing hound, originally pursuing its quarry by sight (hence the term sight hound or sighthound) followed by huntsmen on horseback. Because the Afghan Hound invariably outdistanced the horses, they tended to hunt on their own which may go some way to explaining the independence of thought and spirit still typical of the breed. Of the breed's origin and history prior to that time, little is known for certain. There appears to be little basis for the once popular belief that the Afghan Hound existed in Egypt thousands of years ago, or for the theory that the breed evolved on the steppes of Asia and represents the original sight hound.
Much of the Afghan Hound's popularity has come about because of the breed's spectacular qualities as a show dog. The Afghan Hound also excels in lure racing and, although its tendency to think for itself makes for something less than perfect precision in executing set exercises and commands, the breed has also done well in obedience work.
The first recorded appearance of the Afghan Hound in the West was in the latter part of the 19th century, when British officers and others returning from the Indian-Afghanistan border wars brought dogs from that area back to England. Some of these were exhibited at dog shows as Afghan Hounds. There was some breeding of Afghan Hounds in Great Britain at this time, and some specimens from there or Afghanistan may have reached America prior to the first World War.
The basic structure of the dog beneath the coat is that of a relatively sturdy coursing hound of a type which might have evolved or been created from other canine types almost anytime, anywhere. The extremely fine, longhaired coat, however, is of a sort found among animals native to high altitudes, and the desired coat pattern of contrasting short hair on the foreface, back and dorsal surface of the tail may also be related to climate.
Among other things, this diversity in the breed helps explain the apparent conflicts among accounts of how the breed was utilized in its native land. Some tell of Afghan Hounds serving as guard dogs and herd dogs, which are within the capabilities of the breed as we know it. The major role of these dogs, however, was undoubtedly that of hunting. The kings of Afghanistan maintained a kennel of hunting hounds for many generations.
As coursing dogs Afghan Hounds excel, not so much in straightaway speed as in the ability to traverse rough terrain swiftly and sure-footedly. This requires agility in leaping and quickness in turning, plus the stamina to maintain a strenuous chase for as long as it may take to close on the quarry. |
