Afghan Hounds are high maintenance in the grooming and bathing department. Their long coats need to be brushed on a daily basis to prevent any mats, knots and tangles from developing in their hair which is extremely fine and therefore more likely to get matted if not brushed regularly. If you don't have the time to brush your pet every day then choosing to share your home with an Afghan Hound would be a big mistake.
You also need to invest in a lot of grooming tools if you own an Afghan and this includes "drying suits" which help speed up the process of drying a dog once they've been bathed, remembering that these dogs need more frequent bathing than many other breeds.
These dogs also benefit from being professionally groomed on a regular basis to keep their coats and skin in top condition throughout the year. As with other breeds, Afghans tend to shed the most during the Spring and then again in the Autumn which is when more grooming is essential.
Afghan Hounds are high energy dogs and as such they need to be given a lot of exercise on a daily basis. Ideally, they need to be given a good two hours or more and this needs to be somewhere safe and secure where you can let them off their leads so they can really let off steam. You also need to bear in mind that gardens need to be ultra-secure because an Afghan is a nimble dog and one that can jump high fences when they want to. They are also extremely good at digging their way under a fence if the urge takes them.
On top of all the physical exercise these dogs need on a daily basis, they also need to be given a tremendous amount of mental stimulation in the form of interactive games, something these dogs genuinely need and enjoy to be truly happy, well-balanced dogs. The old adage of a "tired dog being a good dog" is never truer than when describing an Afghan Hound. If an Afghan is not given enough exercise, they will get bored very quickly which could lead to all sorts of unwanted and destructive behaviours around the house.
If you get an Afghan puppy from a breeder, they would provide you with a feeding schedule when you pick them up. It's really important to stick with the schedule and to feed a puppy the same food at the same time of the day they are used to otherwise they could end up having a tummy upset. Any different food needs to be introduced to a puppy's diet very gradually for the same reason.
A more mature, older Afghan Hound needs to be fed a good quality, well balanced diet and one that suits their ages. They are known to be fussy eaters which can make finding the sort of food a dog likes a little challenging at times, but perseverance and lots of "testing" usually pays off in the end. However, you should never resort to feeding an Afghan Hound lower quality food because they could end up with a digestive problem.
