Hound Group
Approved September 14, 1948
General Appearance:
The Afghan Hound is an aristocrat, his
whole appearance one of dignity and aloofness with no trace
of plainness or coarseness. He has a straight front, proudly
carried head, eyes gazing into the distance as if in memory
of ages past. The striking characteristics of the breed-exotic,
or "Eastern," expression, long silky topknot, peculiar coat
pattern, very prominent hipbones, large feet, and the impression
of a somewhat exaggerated bend in the stifle due to profuse
trouserings-stand out clearly, giving the Afghan Hound the
appearance of what he is, a king of dogs, that has held
true to tradition throughout the ages.
Head:
The head is of good length, showing much refinement, the
skull evenly balanced with the foreface. There is a slight
prominence of the nasal bone structure causing a slightly
Roman appearance, the center line running up over the foreface
with little or no stop, falling away in front of the eyes
so there is an absolutely clear outlook with no interference;
the underjaw showing great strength, the jaws long and punishing;
the mouth level, meaning that the teeth from the upper jaw
and lower jaw match evenly, neither overshot nor undershot.
This is a difficult mouth to breed. A scissors bite is even
more punishing and can be more easily bred into a dog than
a level mouth, and a dog having a scissors bite, where the
lower teeth slip inside and rest against the teeth of the
upper jaw, should not be penalized. The occipital bone is
very prominent. The head is surmounted by a topknot of long
silky hair. Ears--The ears are long, set approximately on
level with outer corners of the eyes, the leather of the
ear reaching nearly to the end of the dog's nose, and covered
with long silky hair. Eyes--The eyes are almond-shaped (almost
triangular), never full or bulgy, and are dark in color.
Nose--Nose is of good size, black in color. Faults--Coarseness;
snipiness; overshot or undershot; eyes round or bulgy or
light in color; exaggerated Roman nose; head not surmounted
with topknot.
Neck:
The neck is of good length, strong and arched, running in
a curve to the shoulders which are long and sloping and
well laid back. Faults--Neck too short or too thick; a ewe
neck; a goose neck; a neck lacking in substance.
Body:
The back line appearing practically level from the shoulders
to the loin. Strong and powerful loin and slightly arched,
falling away toward the stern, with the hipbones very pronounced;
well ribbed and tucked up in flanks. The height at the shoulders
equals the distance from the chest to the buttocks; the
brisket well let down, and of medium width. Faults--Roach
back, swayback, goose rump, slack loin; lack of prominence
of hipbones; too much width of brisket, causing interference
with elbows.
Tail:
Tail set not too high on the body, having a ring, or a curve
on the end; should never be curled over, or rest on the
back, or be carried sideways; and should never be bushy.
Legs:
Forelegs are straight and strong with great length between
elbow and pastern; elbows well held in; forefeet large in
both length and width; toes well arched; feet covered with
long thick hair; fine in texture; pasterns long and straight;
pads of feet unusually large and well down on the ground.
Shoulders have plenty of angulation so that the legs are
well set underneath the dog. Too much straightness of shoulder
causes the dog to break down in the pasterns, and this is
a serious fault. All four feet of the Afghan Hound are in
line with the body, turning neither in nor out. The hind
feet are broad and of good length; the toes arched, and
covered with long thick hair; hindquarters powerful and
well muscled, with great length between hip and hock; hocks
are well let down; good angulation of both stifle and hock;
slightly bowed from hock to crotch. Faults--Front or back
feet thrown outward or inward; pads of feet not thick enough;
or feet too small; or any other evidence of weakness in
feet; weak or broken downpasterns; too straight in stifle;
too long in hock.
Coat:
Hindquarters, flanks, ribs, forequarters, and legs well
covered with thick, silky hair, very fine in texture; ears
and all four feet well feathered; from in front of the shoulders;
and also backwards from the shoulders along the saddle from
the flanks and the ribs upwards, the hair is short and close,
forming a smooth back in mature dogs - this is a traditional
characteristic of the Afghan Hound. The Afghan Hound should
be shown in its natural state; the coat is not clipped or
trimmed; the head is surmounted (in the full sense of the
word) with a topknot of long, silky hair - that is also
an outstanding characteristic of the Afghan Hound. Showing
of short hair on cuffs on either front or back legs is permissible.
Fault--Lack of shorthaired saddle in mature dogs.
Height:
Dogs, 27 inches, plus or minus one inch; bitches, 25 inches,
plus or minus one inch.
Weight:
Dogs, about 60 pounds; bitches, about 50 pounds.
Color:
All colors are permissible, but color or color combinations
are pleasing; white markings, especially on the head, are
undesirable.
Gait:
When running free, the Afghan Hound moves at a gallop, showing
great elasticity and spring in his smooth, powerful stride.
When on a loose lead, the Afghan can trot at a fast pace;
stepping along, he has the appearance of placing the hind
feet directly in the foot prints of the front feet, both
thrown straight ahead. Moving with head and tail high, the
whole appearance of the Afghan Hound is one of great style
and beauty.
Temperament:
Aloof and dignified, yet gay. Faults--Sharpness or shyness.
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