Can anyone tell me more about their grooming,exercise requirements and temperaments, and any health issues to look out for? I'm quite curious about them and have only ever seen a few.

Don't and have never owned one but would say their exercise requirements is about the same as a Greyhound but they do require for the coat to be kept in order although fortunately the pups do not have the long coat. Unusual for most hounds grooming does include a fair amount of trimming and bathing but I don't think it is that excessive except in the show dog. Most I have met have been friendly and of good temperament but then most of those I have met have been show dogs and therefore used to strangers handling them, when young they are very playful.

Umm get locks for your cupboards is all I can say LOL!  A friends Afghan was able to get into all of the kitchen cupboards easily and the fridge etc.  She ended up having to get locks for everything!

Once had a GSD like that, only person in Berkhamsted who had two bolts and a padlock on the fridge :-)

My Elks are not beyond stealing and opening doors but they have never opened the fridge.

I had a couple come through my hands as fosters on their way to an Afghan rescue and all I can say is, the boys lived up to the image.  The reminded me of Arabian princes!  Very aloof and noble.  Not much nonsense(but they were only with me 2 days).  And didn't take a lot of walking.  Grooming? Pah, I couldn't keep that up!  But then, do they not get taped up like the yorkies?  I've seen Afghans at shows with the coat wrapped up.  And with the waterproof coats nowadays, walking would be easier.  I've never seen a shaved Afghan so they can't be that bad!lol
The 2 boys that stayed with me had great temprements with my Akitas (males and females) and even tolerated my cat(who's not afraid of dogs).  They were very gentle and loving boys who didn't move very much off the sofa the entire time.  That is my view of the breed.  Beautiful but not for me! Can't be doing with a dog who's hair is nicer than mine!!lol

they can be aloof ..have met a few where I have been dubious of the temperament ... they are such a beautiful  glamourous dog I love to watch them move  ... having beardies the coat would not be a problem for me although different texture and care of the coat would be required.

OOooh are you considering having one??

I am reading this thread with interest as I have always had a hankering for an Afghan!
Jeff.

An Afghan's coat has always kept them off my ever growing wish list. It is beautiful to look at, but it just seems so long and prone to tangling. That is based off only ever meeting one afghan in the flesh so might just be a misconception!

Yep! they are supposed to be aloof with strangers but I find most are comedians.

Photo taken at one of our shows - Title "Is this Mine"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v173/Thordell/Afghan-with-cup.jpg

great pic looks like he/she is reading the name on the cup!!

LOL he was licking it so it was a good job he had won it no one wants a gobbed on award.

parrysite.. people say that about beardies...its time consuming ... but to me its worth it... I know someone who washes her afghan with what ever shampoo she is using herself dog looks great.... and she has now got 2 tickets .... although I wouldnt do that with my beardies... thier shampoo /cond, grooming sprays, gels for knots,preventative sprays, and dont get me started on the price I pay for brushes and combs... haha costs £££ more than mine LOL

I think beardies look like less hassle coat wise than an Afghan. I'm not exactly against a lot of grooming, but I do prefer my wipe clean dogs haha

When I was growing up, used to see this couple walk their Afghans in our local village for hours at all times of the day and night. They used to take it in turn but came across as sooo devoted to the breed.

never having groomed an afghan I wouldnt know but dont think they have a double coat like beardies more of a silky flowing coat...some owners wrap the coat to prevent damage... where as a beardie coat is harsh .... the mud just dries and falls off.. granted all over my floors.. !!!!

I think beardies look like less hassle coat wise than an Afghan

Not sure they would be they do not have the soft undercoat the Beardies have the coat of the Afghan is very soft and silky but not double

I have a part bred Afghan, the other part is Saluki..

I got her after she was spayed so I have no idea if her coat is how it was when she was born or if its a result of her being spayed but she has a very soft fine wool type coat (think cashmere, not sheep!).

It mats VERY easily, but is totally manageable as her coat resembles much more the Afghans original coat than the modern show coat, (she has a natural broad saddle, very heavy coat on her ears and forelegs, belly and hind legs). I use a VERY heavy conditioner on her to keep it silky rather than wooly or fluffy and I strip some out of the thicker areas (her elbows are ridiculous!).

The correct Afghan coat should not be wooly - some are so pick your breeder wisely and get to know their lines. It is a very fine silk coat and does need care to keep it in a floor length style show-appropriate condition, that means weekly (or more frequent!) baths depending on time of year and where you walk. It might mean oiling the coat and careful use of all in one play suits..

If you want an afghan but don't want to show, its not so hard to keep them in a full coat but not show quality,  ie, coat WILL break off as it contacts the ground and knots and the knots get removed, so the coat will look natural rather than trimmed, but won't be so long.

Still wants a lot of washing and drying because dirt will break the coat quickly and also a dirty dog is often an itchy dog, and an itchy dog makes mats in itself very fast!

Temperament wise.. extreme end of  the sighthound scale, specialist nature - they don't suffer fools gladly - get heavy handed or in their opinion, unnecessarily harsh and  you will know about it, they are SHARP and their feelings are easily hurt, their trust is easily broken.

Also not a breed that are easily let off the lead, which is something to consider - they CAN go off leash but you need a big secure space, as in several acres big, not a tennis court sized area! They are much more likely than other breeds to take notice of birds and squirrels as well as prey on the ground so you have to be super vigilant!

Although the coat can be long on the legs I have never seen the body hair to the ground, show animal of otherwise, certainly nothing like the show Yorkie. All my show friends who have them certainly do not stop them romping around including mud and beach although they are hounds and as such can be difficult with recall.

I was talking to one lady at a show years ago (we both had kids in junior handling) and she told me they are allowed to be dogs all week and on Friday night they are bathed and coats kept protected for the weekend (assuming we aren't showing on a Friday I assume).

The old groomer where I used to live had afghans, as you'd expect from a groomer they were always in excellent condition and it was a pleasure to see them out and about.

Not a breed I'd have though, unless they had the original coat type (very short!) - being an ex-groomer myself I'm too picky lol, I'd be brushing them all day!  I'm finding the BC hard enough to resist brushing constantly, and I've chopped of half her knickers and tail and she'd munch me if I did it too much :-P

get ya with (her elbows are ridiculous!) this is where cowboy magic is a godsend.... ;)

Many years ago one of my friends had an Afghan, they are stunning dogs the ultimate dog for grace and it is no wonder that nobility always enjoyed having them around you can't help but be drawn to them they certainly have the wow factor.

As already said they can be aloof, but temperament wise friendly and good around other dogs.

If you don't like grooming stay away from this breed they need daily grooms and professional care it can be very expensive, something to think on, not to mention when they toilet if the coat is left long, obviously pee gets caught on the coat and it needs cleaning.

Ailments to look out for are:  
Necrotic myelopathy, causing respiratory paralysis.
They can be highly sensitive to chemical preparations like anesthesia, cortisone.

As always good breeders need to be sourced.

As adults all told they need approx 2hrs a day in exercise as pups/adolescents that also includes pavement walking to make sure that the bone structure develops evenly and correctly. They look quite gormless as pups. :-D

They are beautiful, but you have to be dedicated re: the grooming not something everyone enjoys, myself I just love looking at them.......... :-)

Years ago, when Crufts coverage was still on the BBC they had a pre show film about Afghan Hounds.  My one abiding image from this is of them being put into drying machines and my daughter having a panic as she thought they were being loaded into ovens!

I remember a house I used to ride past regularly that always had at least 2 of these beautiful hounds who would follows the horses along the perimeter of their garden then shove their heads through the end hedge to watch us til we were out of sight.  I often wondered what they looked like after that as it always brought to mind the expression about being "dragged through a hedge backwards".  In retrospect I realise this was probably a breeder or someone who showed their dogs as their coats looked superb.

Not a dog one sees very often outside of the show scene...

My Afghan Cross had the full coat.  More of a hair coat than wooly and very glossy.   I used Tesco Henna Shampoo and Conditioners on him and they kept his coat beautiful (It was my own shampoo ;) can't get it now)   It would take 15-30 minutes grooming a day to keep him knot free, using a spray made from the conditioner and some water, and a complete bath and groom was upwards of 3 hours with a hairdryer (professional human dryer)  30 minutes to just wet the coat which was quite waterproof, I cut that down by mixing a little shampoo with the water to wet him ;)

I found the quickest way to find his tangles was to go through it with a hair dryer on cool, any tangles were easy to find and remove then :)

He was very aloof with most people but with family he was more affectionate.  Extremely good with other dogs but would defend himself if needed, often surprising an aggressor by putting him on his back so fast the other dog didn't know what happened, though he never drew blood.  He was excellent with cats and kittens even if he didn't know them.

He could be a clown too, often wanting to wear my sunglasses and clearly enjoying looking over the top and then through them :)   All the local children knew him as he would queue up in the park with my daughter to go on the slide, waiting until the child in front had finished before going down himself and clearly loving it, though he wasn't that keen on the roundabout :-D

He was my dog in a million, I wish Afghans were smaller as I'd have one in a minute, but being so small myself I'd be completely "over dogged" :(

I think these hounds come into the category of " do not let off lead" unless you have your own land. A friend had one which escaped and it was 2 days before they caught it. It also chased sheep while it was loose. The owner was often in sight of her but she would NOT come back.
Louise

Thanks for all the great info! I am not considering one, as I have a pup on the way and a full house of hounds at home. MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE in about 6 or 7 years lol but even then it's a big maybe. My only concern would be the grooming, having a short haired no nonsense breed, i would need a fair bit of training to get used to their coats but I'd have to learn as if I got one, i would show him. the off lead thing is not an issue for me, or anything new as I've owned sighthounds for years. Anyway, i was more curious than anything, even in 6 or 7 years time I imagine another grey will turn my head before an afghan, gorgeous though they are :)

So how do they compare to a Saluki? Also a breed I love to watch.
Jeff.

Now I would definitely entertain a Saluki if I were to go for a sighthound type, they are so pretty aren't they? And they too move with such elegance? They don't need all that grooming, big plus phew! And they seem less aloof than a greyhound or Afghan but that may just be from the ones I have met as they are still supposed to be quite aloof and only bond with the one household member.

Exercise is still the same as the Afghan and they are one of those breeds which prefer company, IMO I don't think they do well on their own.

It's strange how that little bit of silky hair and feathering gives them such a different look to the Whippet and Greyhound, very pretty dogs. :-)

Aaahh, memories. I bought an Afghan with my first months wages for the princely sum of 30 guineas. I still have her KC reg card (hand typed!). I was a teenager and was clueless about training or grooming so that was non existant and my mum used scissors on her knotty bits.

She hated being walked on the lead so as a pup I remember carrying her in a big straw shopping basket. She was a totally scatty dog but I loved her and she sat in the front passenger seat of my Hillman Imp, we were both blonde then! She was an escape artist and when I let her off over the park she'd make for the nearest car with an open door and hop in.

She was very healthy and lived til she was 14. I too still hanker after another one and think I would enjoy the grooming now.

Aww that's a lovely story,Wolfi!

Funny enough the only sighthound I probably wouldn't entertain is a saluki. I like my low intensity greyhounds, saluki's are built for endurance and can go all day......... my babies sprint, at top speed, for a bit and then retire to the sofa. bliss!