The Parent Club, AKC and the Afghan Hound
Breed Standard Shake-Up
.( by Peter Belmont Elmo, USA, 1985)
Page2
Reminder
****** In the following pages the type which directly quotes the standard is in REGULAR text.
******The type in ITALICS indicates comments and clarification by the Afghan Hound Club Of America
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, sway-back, goose rump, slack loin; lack of
prominence of hipbones, too much width of brisket causing interference with
elbows.
The Afghan hound should exhibit a square profile. With high head carriage and a strong level back, he appears more compact than other sighthounds. Within the square, the Afghan should have a long rib cage, with comparatively short loin and good tuck up. Depth of brisket and tuck up should be hand examined - coat length and pattern can create many different illusions.
Starting at the front, the sternum, which connects the two sides of the ribs, should be reasonably broad. One should be able to put the palm of the hand (lengthwise) between the forelegs.
Narrow fore ribs and excessively pointed sternum not only indicate lack of heart and lung room, but they provide a fault base for shoulder and upper arms.
The rib cage should be moderately rounded - slightly flattened near the elbows to allow for free movement. The deepest part of the rib case should reach to the elbow and slightly behind the joint. It is more "U" shaped than "Y" shaped. A barrel chest is seldom seen but must be penalized. Slab-sided bodies are often seen and should be equally penalized.
The topline should appear level from the top of the shoulders to the hip bones. This does not mean "flat" or "slack". Within this apparent level back there are changes in direction of vertebral spines, some of which may show clearly in the very spare topline. A slight dent at the end of the withers, due to a change in direction of the underlying vertebral spines, should not be mistaken for a swayback. The arch over the loin is skeletal and may not show in a well-fleshed animal. Flanks are very well muscled.
The topline is further broken by prominent hip bones which are accentuated by the saddled coat pattern. The pelvis should be quite broad, setting the hip bones well apart (width of hand) The croup descends from the hip bones to the root of the tail, with at least a palm's worth of distance from hip bones to tail. Hip bones should not be unduly prominent at the cost of croup musculation.
Avoid long, soft or swaybacks, or any dogs which do not exhibit a square outline. A short rib cage and a long loin are incorrect, and a back that is too short is also incorrect.
TAIL. Tail set is 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.
There is no good reason for the exhibitor to hold his dog's tail when standing for examination. The Standard calls for the Afghan hound's tail to be up only when the dog is in motion. Exhibitors should be discouraged from pushing the tai up and forward - this obscures the tail's natural set and carriage
The Standard also calls for a ring or curve to the tail - the good Afghan tail has considerable "spring" to it. Avoid limp loose tails with neither ring nor curve
Where the tail begins to curl, how tightly it curls, and if it curls, will drastically alter its overall appearance, as will the fringe that adorns it
The Afghan tail should never be bushy, but should have fringes
As in any breed, the tail is an indicator of the dogs temperament and disposition - a tail tucked between the legs indicates shyness or fear.
Most Afghan hounds will gait with head and tail held high; some will carry their tails well out, but not necessarily as high as others. This is also acceptable
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 usually 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 down pasterns; too straight in stifle; too long in hock.
Despite the Afghan's beauty and its exotic appearance, we would like everyone to be aware that this dog is a hunting sighthound that searches for its prey, and locating it, must run it down. Besides agility and speed, the Afghan must have endurance
Proper structure in the front assembly is extremely important. The Standard's reference to legs "well set, underneath the dog" should be carefully noted
The straight foreleg referred to in the Standard means from the front view, and has nothing to do with angulation
The front assembly (shoulders and upper arm together) should have bones which are approximately the same length. Shoulders should be long and well laid back, with equally long, well set-under upper arms. A certain amount of body should be felt and seen between the forelegs. Shoulders and upper arms must be felt by hand, because temporary or permanent lay of the coat may create highly misleading lines.
Avoid forequarters placed too far forward on the dog. Be aware that while the bones of shoulder and upper arm may be correct in relation to each other, the whole assembly may be set too far forward - this is a common fault. The tops of the should blades should not protrude but should blend smoothly into the topline.
The phrase "elbows well held in" actually requests a U shaped rib cage that nicely fits the area between the elbows.
Legs should end in very large feet, heavily furred, with thick rough pads, and strong arched toes. Here again the judge should ascertain the actual size of the feet by feeling the pads, as coat can mislead the eye. These truly immense feet give the Afghan hound good footing in all kinds of natural terrain, helping him to stop short and turn fast.
Angulation of the hind legs refers to the degree of flexion at the stifle joint, and should be hand checked. In profile, the hind leg segment from seat-bone to stifle should equal the length from stifle to the point of hock. Of prime importance is not the angulation itself, but that it is in static and dynamic balance with the front angulation.
The placing of hind legs far behind the dog creates an incorrect silhouette of actual rear angulation and should be discouraged. Pull the hind feet up into the tiptoe artificially reduces the foot size, and nullifies the purpose of feet well down on the ground for firm balance and quick takeoffs.
Note that the Standard says "the angulation of the rear legs may give the appearance of exaggerated bend in stifle due to profuse trouserings". This is easily checked by hand, as is the actual length of the hock, despite the fall of hair.
The slight bow in the hind legs (as seen from the rear) called for in the Standard is very characteristic of the breed. It indicates a larger amount of muscle mass outside of the rear legs - the actual bones are straight
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.
FAULTS. Lack of shorthaired saddle in mature dogs.
A natural short-haired saddle on a mature Afghan, as called for in the Standard, may appear any time within four months and three years of age. Acceptable saddle patterns may vary widely in depth and width.
At a year of age, many Afghans are gawky, fuzzy teen-agers, and over-anxious exhibitors artfully trim a saddle for the show ring - a flagrant violation of the Standard's calling for a "natural" dog. With each change of coat length, texture and pattern, the whole appearance of the Afghan hound changes, and the judge must understand these changes and learn t look through the coat, rather than at it.
Short hair, in the form of "cuffs" over the pasterns and hocks, remains perfectly permissible, as is a natural "mane" that extends on some Afghans from the top knot to withers - or, in the reverse, natural short hair on the back of the neck.
Clipper marks or other trimming on necks, saddles, faces and bodies should be penalized as with any other flagrant deviation from the Standard. Artful trimming can obscure or conceal defects, particularly of feet or hocks.
A wide variation in coat appearance is natural to the breed, from wavy to flat - the Standard specifies only that the hair be fine and silky
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.
The Afghan is not a wispy or weedy breed, nor is it meant to have a coarseness unbefitting its gazehound character. Any great size variation must be handled as any other deviation from the Standard's requirements.
COLOR. All colors are permissible, but color or color combinations are pleasing; white markings, especially on the head, are undesirable.
There is no color disqualification in the breed; the occurrence of obvious white markings should be penalized according to size, placement and severity
Specifically criticized in the Standard are "blazes" and other white markings on the head. White chest "lockets" white toe tips and tail tips are frequently seen.
Light, (cream to ivory) markings often found in dominos (reverse markings on the head
GAIT. When running free, the Afghan hound moves at a gallop, showing
great elasticity and spring in this 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.
The Afghan hound must have unparalleled agility, powerful front quarters, and thrusting rear quarters that can take him up slopes and over broken ground with great bursts of speed.
The references to "great elasticity and spring" and "smooth, powerful stride" refer to the Afghan's movement at a trot as well as a gallop. The term "at a fast pace" does not justify the practice of racing around the ring at top speed, which should be discouraged. In the ring, the trot should be one of the balanced collection - back remaining level (not bouncing), with head and tail held high. The proper gait of the afghan can only be accomplished on a loose lead, or one with feather-light control. Unfortunately many exhibitors string up their dogs while moving and standing, substantially changing the dog's true appearance.
Please note that the Standard uses the words "when on a loose lead" in relation to the trot. The judge should insist on this method of gaiting.
When viewed in motion from the front or rear, the legs should converge toward a center line of gravity (single-tracking), the degree of convergence dependent upon the speed of the dog. The balanced Afghan will have the same degree of convergence fore and aft - and within the convergence, all legs should retain a straight line from shoulder or hip to the ground
In two-color dogs (black and tan, for example) the hair on the legs can create illusions as to the dog's gait. Watch the rear pads when the dog is moving away from you. Many things can also be learned about fronts when the dog is moving away, and about rears as the dog comes toward you.
Avoid any type of unbalanced gait, such as flapping, paddling, high-stepping front action, shuffling, weak wobbly rear action, forging at the end of the lead, or crabbing (sidewinding), the latter indicating that the rear legs are overstepping and moving diagonally in order to avoid the front legs. Lack of balance, standing, or in motion, should be penalized.
The Afghan hound should give the appearance the he can turn, spring, or maneuver without having to first pull himself together. Incorrect stacking of the rear may cause the dog to be unable to move without taking a step or two with his rear feet. The hind legs should not be placed so far behind the dog when stacked so as to create a sloping topline - the topline should appear level when the dog is stacked or in motion.
In motion, the Afghan's body should appear to be "floating" above well-jointed legs moving in great effortless supple strides/
TEMPERAMENT. Aloof and dignified, yet gay
FAULTS. Sharpness or shyness
The temperament of the Afghan hound ranges from aloof dignity to clownish behavior. He reserves his most dignified attitudes for strangers, while those he loves he exhibits a great sense of humor and often acts foolish and silly
Although the Afghan hound may pull his head back when approached, a trained show dog will allow himself to be touched. His expression during examination is usually arrogant or distant, as if he is not taking part in that exercise. He should never appear fearful, threatening, or vacant, and should not be strangled by the lead. It is quite difficult to assess temperament while a dog is being tightly held up on the lead
Sharpness, shown by growling, snarling and biting cannot be tolerated - neither can shyness evidenced by cringing, or sharply pulling away from people when approached. The AKC guidelines for judges state that any dog that is so aggressive or so fearful that it cannot be "safely approached by the judge and gone over in the normal manner" must be excused from the ring.
The judge should not necessarily expect the Afghan to respond to attention-getting actions such as the tossing of keys, baiting, or making noises.
Moving or standing, the correct Afghan hound portrait is one of beauty, obvious power, latent agility and unmistakable pride of race.
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