Afghan Hound

This breed is aristocratic in appearance. It is tall and lean with a long silky coat. This coat requires daily brushing and grooming.

Originally this dog was a hunter, now the elegant animal is more popular as a show dog.

It has a reputation of lacking intelligence, but the ones I have known are far from it. Perhaps the misconception comes from the fact that it tends to be aloof. Don't be surprised if the dog "chooses" not to obey your commands. They are very independent. When he is in the mood however he can be very playful, in spite of his dignified appearance. From that description you might get the impression that the breed is almost "catlike". Actually, that's pretty accurate.

This is a fairly large dog, usually tipping the scales at between 45 and 60 pounds and standing 2 to 2 1/2 feet tall.