General Appearance: Tall, elegant,
athletic, with an exotic appearance of dignity.
Head: Long, slender with little or
no stop, a prominent occiput, and a top-knot of long, finely,
textured hair. The ears are long and set approximately level with
the corners of the eyes. The dark, but sometimes golden eyes have an
almond shaped slant.
Body: Tall with shoulders long,
sloping, and well laid back. Chest set deep. The back line is almost
level from the shoulders to the loin falling away toward the stern.
Hip bones are well pronounced. The hindquarters are long and well
muscled between hip and hock. In mature hounds there should be a
well defined, short hair saddle. Legs bowed from hock to crotch. The
long, straight and strong forelegs are set well underneath the
hound. Both hind feet and fore feet are in line with the body and
covered with long thick hair. The toes are arched. The tail set low
with a curve or ring at the end. The tail should never be curled
over, carried sideways, or resting on the back, nor should it be
busy.
Color: All colors are permissible.
White markings, especially on the head are undesirable. The nose is
black; although it may be lighter in liver colored hounds. The long
coat of thick, silky hair should not be trimmed or clipped.
Size: Females: 25 inches // 50
pounds
Males: 27 inches // 60 pounds
Temperament: This dog of the sight
hounds group was developed as a hunting dog in ancient Egypt because
of it’s amazing agility and speed in the open deserts. The Afghan
while being a lively spirited and independent dog does indeed
require an extensive amount of both grooming and exercise to
maintain it’s physical and mental health.
It is hoped that these standards
will help both the breeder and the show judge in the selection of
dogs that will better the breed and make dogs more enjoyable to
their owners.