can be trustworthy and responsive to children. It is important that dog and child alike are taught how to treat each other.
On the go! An Afghan Hound and a child can be the best of friends. Much depends on the personality of the individual dog and the child.
I am sure that, when first seen by Europeans, the Afghan Hounds of Afghanistan created a huge degree of interest, as they possess so many unique and unusual features. This is a breed of enormous individuality. Nowadays, since the breed has undergone such a degree of exposure, most people are used to the appearance of these dogs, but consider the stir they must have made when they were first exported from Afghanistan. Add their reputation for character, and they must have attracted a fascinated following wherever they went.
PERSONALITY
It is necessary to understand the Afghan Hound’s character to appreciate it fully. For many, the idiosyncrasies of this breed make it virtually impossible to live without; to others the breed is nearly impossible to live with. One of the aspects that determine this outcome is your house, as well as your yard or the grounds around your home, but the main aspect is your own personality and that of the rest of your family.
The typical Afghan Hound is very much a creature of independent thought and free spirit. The easiest way to live with this is to simply accept it. However, the breed is also loving. Afghan Hounds are capable of as much love and devotion as anyone could possibly crave, but this love is not always given in a demonstrative way; it is often given at a distance.
I believe that the Afghan Hound is one of the most intelligent breeds I have ever lived with, but the intelligence is not shown in learning to do tricks or in any form of training. Afghan Hounds are self-taught, meaning that they generally do not copy the behavior of other dogs; instead, they create their own. It could be unwise to try to bend the will of a true Afghan Hound to your path; rather, it is necessary to travel a path parallel to your Afghan Hound. I have often spent time sitting on the floor while our Afghan Hounds occupied the sofa. I realize that this is uncomfortable, but I have accepted that this is part of the breed and that (in the dogs’ minds) we are equals. Sometimes I have resisted the dogs’ looks of indignation and reproach and insisted on having a place on the sofa myself.
MEMORY LANE
Afghan Hounds appear to have remarkably long memories. Afghan Hounds often seem to recognize their breeders with affection despite a long absence from their birth home. Afghan Hound dams also often appear to retain extremely strong ties with their offspring and frequently seem to recognize their grown puppies when they meet them.
Who can resist a face like this? Although not the breed for everyone, the Afghan’s personality is like no other in dogdom and has won the breed its share of devout admirers.
Who knows what an Afghan Hound sees as he gazes into the distance?
It is not really sensible to acquire an Afghan Hound if you wish to have a dog that you can “master.” Although you should not be mastered by your Afghan Hound either, you can expect to have an equal in your family when you have an Afghan Hound in it. Typical Afghan Hounds are not subservient to anyone and will sometimes show passing aggression if they are pushed to prove this.
Although, as individuals, many Afghan Hounds are excellent and trustworthy with children, this is not a breed that could really be recommended as a dog universally suitable for children. This is mainly because Afghan Hounds do not suffer teasing well, as a rule. Obviously no dog should be subjected to teasing, but many breeds will overlook innocent, childish, irritating behavior that an Afghan Hound would, perhaps, find relatively difficult to bear. Teasing a dog with the sensitive personality that many Afghan Hounds have could result in the dog’s becoming withdrawn and anxious around children. In some instances, this might even lead to aggression due to the anxiety and stress caused to the dog. This is not to say that all Afghan Hounds are the same, and I have seen adult males lying under toddlers as the toddlers have climbed on top of them, with no hint of concern or unpleasantness from the dogs! With any dog, it is necessary to supervise all time spent with young children.
A leash is necessary for your Afghan Hound’s safety in open areas, not meant to restrict his response to “the call of the wild,” but rather a necessary preventive measure to keep him from running away and possibly into danger.
One of the Afghan Hound’s truest and, indeed, unique characteristics is the expression, which is interestingly described in the British standard as looking “at and through” one. This, I feel, is saved by Afghan Hounds for studying the horizon and surveying strangers and minor acquaintances. I find that the privileged inner circle of an Afghan Hound’s closest and dearest people is often accorded a loving and intimate gaze. There can be nothing more rewarding to an Afghan Hound lover than this gaze—it is confidential, it is personal and it speaks totally from the heart. It is possible, when you really know your dog, to communicate in total silence. On the subject of communication, I believe that the Afghan Hound is able to acquire one of the largest understandings of human vocabulary of all of the breeds that I have lived with. However, words such as “Come,” “Stay” and “No” are often carefully considered first before an acceptance can be negotiated.
BORN TO RUN
Afghan Hounds have a reputation for running away when off the lead. I prefer to think of this as the dog obeying his natural instinct in the call of wild and open places rather than naughtiness. However, it is still rather annoying and could be quite dangerous for the dog. Don’t expect to be able to teach your Afghan Hound to come back to you when he is running free. You should practice the “come” command, but you will never have a 100% reliable response. It is better to deal with this aspect of the breed than to fight it, so you must find safe, securely enclosed areas for free running and always keep your hound on lead in open areas.
All of this independence makes the Afghan Hound more of a specialist breed than a typical “pet” breed. This does not mean that Afghans do not make good companions to the non-exhibiting owner, it just means that they are not necessarily the sort of dog to fit into all households. In this discussion of Afghan Hound temperament, I have described the temperament that has typified the breed for generations. It could be argued that, in recent years, the trend has been toward a somewhat easier temperament in some ways, due to selective breeding. Many Afghan Hounds nowadays are more outgoing toward strangers, bouncier and more similar to other, less aloof, breeds. Whether this is a satisfactory trend is a point for debate; many who know the Afghan Hound temperament in all its glory would vehemently defend the original traits as superior. I, personally, would prefer not to be greeted as a long-lost friend by an Afghan Hound who does not know me, but I can see that it is easier to walk in public places with this type of dog than with a reserved, shy and sometimes anxious dog.
Majestic dignity is a defining trait of the Afghan Hound breed.
To appreciate these dogs, it is essential to understand them. It is necessary to think like an Afghan Hound to see the world through the dog’s eyes. Afghan Hounds I have lived with have held strong links to their historical origins, have had strong
