Origin
Afghan Hounds are the glamour dogs of the canine world and over time have become one of the most recognised dogs on the planet. The breed first appeared in the UK early in the 1900s with an Afghan Hound named Zardin winning the dog show at Crystal Palace in 1907. Often referred to as the "King of Dogs", the Afghan Hound is a dignified and proud dog that boasts a noble air about them.
Native to Afghanistan and bred to hunt in a mountain environment, these sight hounds need a lot in the way of exercise and because of their high prey drive, it's a good idea to keep an Afghan on a strong lead or they might just chase off after a cat or other small animal they spot when out on a walk. With this said, over the years they have become a very popular choice as companion dogs and family pets.
The Afghan Hound is thought to be over 4000 years old, making it one of the most ancient breeds on the planet. Hounds, particularly sighthounds, have been kept for centuries living and working with people. Afghan Hounds are skilled hunters and they are large and brave enough to tackle all sorts of prey which includes deer, goats, wild mountain cats and even wolves.
The breed is thought to be closely related to the Saluki and the pedigree Afghans we see today are descendants of dogs that arrived in the UK in the twenties when King Amanullah offered them as gifts. However, the true origins of the Afghan Hound remains a bit of a mystery with a lot of speculation as to how the breed first came about. What is known about these elegant dogs is that once they arrived on British soil, they were an instant hit with dog fanciers all over the country with the first Afghan Hound being exhibited in 1907.
Many sight dogs had been bought to Britain in the 1800's by officers returning from areas of the British Empire and they went by many names including 'Persian Greyhounds' and Barukzy Hounds. However, when it comes to the long-haired Afghan Hound, two strains are thought to be the foundation dogs for the modern Afghan we see today.
The first group of Afghan Hounds were introduced to Scotland by Major and Mrs G Bell-Murray in 1920 and were named the "Bell-Murray" strain. Another group of dogs were bought over to England by Mrs Mary Amps in 1925 and these dogs boasted heavier coats than the dogs in Scotland. A breed standard was eventually established in 1948 which is the one that is still valid today.
