CKC Breed Standards for the Afghan Hound


General Appearance
The Afghan Hound is an aristocrat, his whole appearance one of dignity and aloofness with no trace of plainness or coarseness. He has a straight front, proudly carried head, eyes gazing into the distance as if in memory of ages past. The striking characteristics of the breed ? exotic, or ?Eastern,? expression, long silky topknot, peculiar coat pattern, very prominent hip bones, large feet, and the impression of a some-what exaggerated bend in the stifle due to profuse trouserings ? stand out clearly, giving the Afghan Hound the appearance of what he is, a king of dogs, that has held true to tradition throughout the ages.

Temperament
Aloof and dignified, yet gay.

Size
Height: Dogs, 27 inches (69 cm), plus or minus 1 inch (3 cm); Bitches, 25 inches (64 cm), plus or minus 1 inch (3 cm).
Weight: Dogs, about 60 lb. (27 kg); Bitches, 50 lb. (23 kg).

Coat and Colour
Hindquarters, flanks, ribs, forequarters, and legs well covered with thick, silky hair, very fine in texture; ears and all four feet well feathered; from in front of the shoulders, and also backwards from the shoulders along the saddle from the flanks and ribs upwards, the hair is short and close forming a smooth back in mature dogs - this is a traditional characteristic of the Afghan Hound.

The Afghan Hound should be shown in its natural state; the coat is not clipped or trimmed; the head is surmounted (in the full sense of the word) with a topknot of long, silky hair ? this also an outstanding characteristic of the Afghan Hound. Showing of short hair on cuffs on either front or back legs is permissible.

All colours are permissible, but colour or colour combinations are pleasing; white markings, especially on the head are undesirable.

Head
The head is of good length, showing much refinement. The skull is evenly balanced with the foreface. The occipital bone is very prominent. The head is surmounted by a topknot of long silky hair. There is a slight prominence of the nasal bone structure causing a slightly Roman appearance, the centre line running up over the foreface with little or no stop, falling away in front of the eyes so there is an absolutely clear outlook with no interference; the under jaw showing great strength, the jaws long and punishing. The nose is of good size, black in colour. The mouth is level, meaning that the teeth from the upper jaw and lower jaw match evenly, neither overshot nor undershot. This is a difficult mouth to breed. A scissors bite is even more punishing and can be more easily bred into a dog than a level mouth, and a dog having a scissors bite, where the lower teeth slip inside and rest against the teeth of the upper jaw, should not be penalized. The eyes are almond shaped (almost triangular), never full or bulgy, and are dark in colour. The ears are long, set approximately on level with outer corners of the eyes, the leather of the ear reaching nearly to the end of the dog?s nose, and covered with long silky hair.

Neck
The neck is of good length, strong and arched, running in a curve to the shoulders.

Forequarters
Shoulders long and sloping and well laid back. Shoulders have plenty of angulation so that the legs are well set underneath the dog. Too much straightness of shoulder causes the dog to break down in the pasterns, and this is a serious fault. Forelegs are straight and strong with great length between elbow and pastern; elbows well held in; pasterns long and straight; forefeet large in both length and width; toes well arched; feet covered with long thick hair, fine in texture; pads of feet unusually large and well down on the ground.

Body
The backline appearing practically level from the shoulders to the loins. The height at the shoulders equals the distance from the chest to the buttocks. The brisket well let down, and of medium width. Strong and powerful loin and slightly arched, falling away towards the stern, with the hip bones very pronounced; well ribbed and tucked up in flanks.

Hindquarters
Hindquarters powerful and well muscled with great length between hip and hock; hocks are well let down; good angulation of both stifle and hock; slightly bowed from hock to crotch. The hind feet are broad and of good length; the toes arched, and covered with long thick hair. All four feet of the Afghan Hound are in line with the body, turning neither in nor out.

Tail
Tail set not too high on the body, having a ring, or a curve on the end; should never be curled over, or rest on the back, or be carried sideways; and should never be bushy.

Gait
When running free, the Afghan Hound moves at a gallop, showing great elasticity and spring in his smooth, powerful stride. When on a loose lead, the Afghan can trot at a fast pace; stepping along, he has the appearance of placing the hind feet directly in the footprints of the front feet, both thrown straight ahead. Moving with head and tail high, the whole appearance of the Afghan Hound is one of great style and beauty.

Faults
Sharpness or shyness. Lack of short-haired saddle in mature dogs. Coarseness; snipiness; overshot or undershot; eyes round or bulgy or light in colour; exaggerated Roman nose; head not surmounted with topknot. Neck too short or too thick; an ewe neck; a goose neck; a neck lacking in substance. Front or back feet thrown outward or inward; pads of feet not thick enough; or feet too small; or any other evidence of weakness in feet; weak

Purebred dog”, What exactly does that mean?

www.pijaccanada.com association receives a number of calls every year dealing with the issue of what constitutes a purebred dog. This very important issue is addressed through the following government publication. The sale of purebred dogs in pet stores, is addressed in the document published by the Canadian Kennel Club and available through our office. This document is entitled: “Guidelines for Canadian Pet Stores – The purchase, sale and registration of purebred dogs”)

I felt it was appropriate to bring to your attention the following information found in this brochure, in order to help clarify some of the misconceptions we hear and help prevent bad experiences for both the seller and the buyer. Breeders, agents and buyers have a responsibility to be aware of their rights and the role they have to play in this exercise.

In Canada the definition of “Purebred” can be found under the Animal Pedigree Act and appears as follows:

“ Purebred”, in relation to an animal of a distinct breed, means an animal that is a purebred of the breed as determined by the By-laws of the association authorized to register animals of that breed.

The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) is the largest association incorporated under the Animal Pedigree Act, authorized to register certain distinct breeds of purebred dogs.
The definition of “purebred dog” appears as follows in the By-laws of the Canadian Kennel Club:

“Purebred dog” shall mean a dog registered, or eligible for registration, with the Canadian Kennel Club.

In light of this information, here are a few statements that we feel need to be made:

A puppy born in Canada and advertised as “purebred” means it is either already registered or suitable for registration within the six months following its sale. Otherwise, it is not nor will it ever be a purebred dog!
Advertising a dog without the proper registration papers as “purebred” is illegal.
A Canadian born dog, to be eligible for registration, must have permanent identification prior to leaving the home of the breeder. If somebody offers you a “purebred” dog without the proper permanent identification (CKC approved tattoo or microchip implant), this dog can not and will not ever be a purebred dog.
For those of you interested in offering purebred dogs for sale, PIJAC Canada recommends the following:

Make sure to note the presence of one of the two recognized forms of permanent identification on the dog your are interested to purchase. This can be either a CKC approved tattoo or a microchip implant.
Make sure that the sequence of characters appearing on this form of permanent of identification corresponds exactly to the sequence on the written documentation that must accompany the animal you are interested in purchasing.
Remember

When selling a dog, make sure your written documentation supports the advertising claim you are making. Never refer to a dog as “purebred” when you do not have proof of registration (proper papers and recognized form of permanent identification). Indicate clearly on your sale’s contract if the animal in question is or isn’t a purebred. Take the time to go through the contract with your client and explain it to them clearly.
It doesn’t matter if the dog in question looks purebred, without the proper identification and registration, he will never be. Very often, the complaints we receive could have easily been avoided if the situation had been explained clearly and the proper written information had been included in the package presented to the buyer.