AFGHAN HOUNDS WEREN'T SEEN OUTSIDE AFGHANISTAN UNTIL THE 1900s
Despite the Afghan Hound's long history, the breed was rarely encountered outside of its eponymous country until the 20th century. That's because Afghans were very protective of their hounds, refusing to sell the dogs to outsiders. British soldiers finally brought the breed west around the turn of the century.
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AFGHAN HOUNDS ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR FUR
Afghan Hounds are well known for their distinctly long and lustrous fur, but those coats require a lot of grooming. Afghan Hounds need both daily brushing and weekly bathing to prevent mats, to which the breed is highly susceptible. Afghan Hounds need shampoo, conditioner and even blow drying to keep their fur looking best.
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AFGHAN HOUNDS WERE BORN TO HUNT
Despite their regal and even elegant appearance, Afghan Hounds are no dainty lap dogs. The agile dogs were bred for hunting, and were capable of chasing down challenging game, including hares, antelope, wolves and even falcons. Their thick fur kept them warm in hard climates, and their athletic builds make them physically capable across varying terrains.
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AFGHAN HOUNDS GO BY MANY NAMES
For such an ancient dog breed, it's perhaps not surprising that the Afghan Hounds has gone by many different names. You may hear the breed called Afghanischer Windhund, African Hound, Balkh Hound, Baluchi Hound, Barutzy Hound, Eastern Greyhound, Galanday Hound, Kabul Hound, Kuchi Hound, Levrier Afghan, Ogar Afghan, Shalgar Hound or Tazi.
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AFGHAN HOUNDS ARE A TYPE OF GREYHOUND
Though superficially different in appearance due to their long coats, Afghan Hounds are a type of Greyhound, and closely related to the breed more commonly called Greyhound. In fact, some Afghan Hounds enthusiasts like to informally race their dogs against each other at the track in the same way that Greyhounds race, as seen in this photograph.
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A MARX BROTHER INTRODUCED AFGHAN HOUNDS TO AMERICA
Herbert "Zeppo" Marx, aka "the other Marx Brother," was one of the earliest American fans of Afghan Hounds, and one of the first to bring the breed to the States, which he did in 1931, kicking off a brief period of popularity for Afghan Hounds in America. The two Afghan Hounds that Zeppo imported from the U.K. were named Asra of Ghazni and Westmill Omar.
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