Afghan Hound puppies

About the Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound is an ancient sighthound from the mountains of Afghanistan, where they hunted hare, gazelle and larger game over broken ground, working well ahead of the hunter and on their own judgement. They are tall and narrow, 64 to 69 centimetres at the shoulder, with prominent hip bones, a long silky coat and a floating way of moving. The temperament follows the job: aloof with strangers, affectionate on their own terms, and quite unmoved by instructions they see no point in.

Most of your time goes into the coat: several hours of brushing a week, plus regular bathing with shampoo and conditioner, or it mats down to the skin. Exercise means a chance to run flat out in a large enclosed space several times a week, behind a high fence, because Afghans jump. Walking off lead is not safe with a dog this driven by movement. New owners most often expect obedience class results and grow frustrated; patient, reward based work gets much further than repetition.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Afghan Hound puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Anaesthetic sensitivity, a sighthound trait linked to very low body fat, so procedures should be booked with a vet who knows the type
• Gastric dilatation volvulus, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs, so owners should learn the signs
• Juvenile cataract, found on an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Hypothyroidism, diagnosed on a thyroid blood panel
• Chylothorax, a build up of lymph fluid in the chest, diagnosed by chest imaging and fluid sampling

Your Afghan Hound puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Afghan Hound.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 27.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 27.2 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Do slow feeder bowls work? Choosing one for a puppy that gulps
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Afghan Hound

Previous: Affenpinscher · Next: Airedale Terrier

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Afghan Hound breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/afghan-hound/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: SheltieBoy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.