It was originally introduced by an English captain: John Barff. His own dog of this very race, named Zardin, was the first one ever displayed at an exhibition of this race.



The first Afghan hounds were used to fight off various bandits from caravans travelling around the country. It was also commonly trained for hunting, an ability it still retains today.

It runs incredibly fast, and was at first one of the fastest known breeds in Europe, it even participated in races, and still does so in some locations around the globe. The hound was first registered with the AKC in 1926.

The breed has always been thought to date back at least before the Christian era, but recent discoveries by researchers studying ancient DNA have revealed that it is in fact an even more ancient dog breed, dating back thousands of years. Its original name is Tazi, however not much more is known from this epoque.

Its fur is different from that of any other dog, both longer than normal, and one that falls straight downwards.

It's very luxurious and good-looking, and It takes a lot of time and work to take care off, but looks, according to many people, very good. It runs in a very gracious manner as well, holding it's head down, jumping in glacier-like motions.

The style is very smooth and suddle. This breed also needs to run daily to get its required dose of exercise. It's very lively and needs an active lifestyle.

Afghan Hounds however aren't as loyal as most other dog breeds. Like the other animals from their country, such as Camels, they do what you tell them to only when they themselves want to.

They are hard to train and have very stubborn and individual personalities as well. The temperament of the typical Afghan Hound can be aloof and dignified, but happy and clownish when playing.

It's defiantly not a choice for people who have not previously owned a dog, who are impatient or who due to some reason can't move around much.

The life expectancy of an Afghan Hound lies on around twelve years, not a very old age compared to other breeds. Common health problems include thyroid problems, OCD, and autoimmune problems as well as allergies, and cancer.

Sensitivity to anesthesia is an issue the Afghan hound shares with the rest of the sighthound group, as sighthounds have low levels of body fat. Most Afghan Hounds however remain healthy as long as they get the exercise that they need.