- Undesirable: All colours acceptable however white markings on the head or collar
About the Afghan Hound
Origin: Afghanistan
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 25-30 kg
- Female
- 20-25 kg
- Height
- Male
- 69-74 cm
- Female
- 63-69 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Sighthounds
- Origin
- Afghanistan
- Also called
- Lebrel Afgano
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Afghan Hound?
Ancient, elegant sighthound with dramatic, flowing silky coat and aristocratic bearing, bred for hunting large prey in mountainous terrain
Afghan Hound history and origins
Ancient sighthound originating in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan, where they were prized for hunting large prey like gazelles and leopards. Valued for their speed, stamina, and problem-solving intelligence over rugged terrain. Introduced to the Western world by British officers in the early 20th century.
Afghan Hound appearance and size
Males typically weigh 25-30 kg and stand 69-74 cm at the shoulder; females 20-25 kg and 63-69 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Sighthound
- Behaviour and temperament
“Eastern or Oriental expression is typical of breed. The Afghan looks at and through one. Dignified and aloof, with a certain keen fierceness”
Quoted from FCI standard n°228. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Sighthound” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Afghan Hound
What you get with the Afghan Hound
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Sighthound”
- The standard describes the breed as: “Eastern or Oriental expression is typical of breed”
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “Long and very fine texture on ribs, fore and hindquarters and flanks.”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Afghan Hound
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording, tagged undesirable.
Coat
Long and very fine texture on ribs, fore and hindquarters and flanks.
In mature dogs from shoulder backwards and along the saddle, hair short and close.
Hair long from forehead backwards, with a distinct silky “top-knot “.
On the foreface hair short.
Ears and legs well coated.
Pasterns can be bare.
Coat must develop naturally.
Any evidence of clipping or scissoring should be penalized
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°228 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Ideal height at the withers: Males: 68 – 74 cms. Females: 63 – 69 cms”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°228. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Afghan Hound in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Afghan Hound
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Afghan Hound on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Afghan Hound owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Afghan Hound breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.