Looking Around With Lee – A Discussion About Afghans

By Lee Canalizo

This month I have chosen a breed near and dear to me. Those I asked all have at least a half-century each of actively breeding Afghan Hounds. I will mention “we” all seem to share the same concerns that are impacting our breed and this is your opportunity to enlighten your awareness in order to be a better breeder or judge of the Afghan Hound.

Preface: the following breeders have been actively involved with the Afghan Hound for forty or more years! Some are still in the ring, some are judging, while some own pets but all are in- volved in what happens to this unique breed. I include myself in this group, as I no longer own an Afghan but intellectually and emotionally I am still an Afghan person!

These were the three questions I asked respondent to answer:

1. Have We Changed The Make And Shape Of The Afghan Hound?
2. What Do You See In The Present Day Afghan That You Did Not See In The Breed Forty Years Ago?
3. What Did You See In The Afghan Hound Forty Years Ago That You DO NOT See Today?

Sandy Frei
Stormhill Afghan Hounds

Answer 1. Yes, we are changing the make and shape of the Afghan Hound today. We are seeing longer bodies in search of the almighty side gait.

Answer 2. There are some very nice dogs being exhibited today that fit the standard nicely. On the positive side,
I think tem- peraments are better, heads and eyes are prettier, coats are silkier. On the negative side, there are heads lacking underjaw and some lacking Roman noses. Many dogs are lacking that King of Dogs presence that is called for in the first paragraph of the standard under General Appearance. There are many dogs that lack bal- ance both standing and moving. You see many dogs that have lit- tle front reach and a lot of rear kick. There are dogs that move with sloping toplines. Also, we are seeing sickle hocks.

Answer 3. Many of the dogs of forty years ago had that King of Dogs presence which we don’t see much of today. The dogs then were better balanced both standing and moving. They also had nice spring in movement.?

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Posted by Alex on Oct 24 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.