Afghan dog - Dennis Hennesey - Framed Print - 11" x 14"

The Afghan Hound is a hound that is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed was selectively bred for its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan.

The Afghan Hound has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th Century. It is most closely related to the Saluki.

Today's modern purebred breed of Afghan Hound descends from dogs brought to Great Britain in the 1920s which King Amanullah of the Afghan Royal Family gave away as gifts.

Once out of Afghanistan, the history of the Afghan Hound breed becomes an important part of the history of the very earliest dog shows and The Kennel Club (UK). Various sighthounds were brought to England in the 1800s by army officers returning from British India, Afghanistan, and Persia, and were exhibited at dog shows, which were then just becoming popular, under various names, such as Barukzy hounds.

One dog in particular, Zardin, was brought in 1907 from India by Captain Bariff,[6] and became the early ideal of breed type for what was still called the Persian Greyhound. Zardin was the basis of the writing of the first breed standard in 1912, but breeding of the dogs was stopped by World War I.

The spectacular beauty of Afghan Hound dogs caused them to become highly desirable showdogs and pets, and they are recognised by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world.