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LargeHound Group

Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound is an ancient sighthound from the mountains of Afghanistan, used for coursing gazelle, wolf, and leopard.

Calculate Afghan Hound age
Lifespan11.1 yrrange 10–12
SizeLargeHound Group
Weight50–60 lb22.7–27.2 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound is an ancient sighthound from the mountains of Afghanistan, used for coursing gazelle, wolf, and leopard. The long flowing coat evolved as cold-weather protection at elevation; modern show coat lengths exceed functional working coats considerably.

Aging

How Afghan Hounds age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 11.1 years (n=618). Hereditary myelopathy (Afghan Hound-specific) is the defining neurological concern with juvenile-onset paralysis; hypothyroidism (OFA moderate) and cataracts are secondary late-life issues.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 11.1 yr · range 10–12Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues6 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
50–60 lb(22.7–27.2 kg)
Height
25–27 in(63.5–68.6 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
BlackBlack & TanBlack & SilverBlueBlue & CreamCreamRedSilverWhite
Temperament

Temperament

How Afghan Hounds tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

aloofdignifiedindependentathletic
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Afghan Hound physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.