Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed: Afghan Hound
We always love getting emails from our customers & readers asking us to feature their dog or favorite breed for our Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed blog series every Thursday. As always we are honored to oblige. We are excited to spotlight the Afghan Hound.
Height: 24-28 inches (Male: 26-28 inches tall, Female: 24-26 inches tall)
Weight: Male 60-64 lb., Female: 58-62 lb.
Coat: The long, fine hair of the Afghan hound is shiny and silky to the touch. Though it is fine, Afghans have a thick covering of fur and many describe the texture as very similar to human hair.
Color: Fawn,Gold,Brindle,White,Red,Cream,Blue,Gray,and Tricolor
Appearance: Afghan Hounds are “The Aristocrat” of the dog world, carrying themselves with dignity and poise at all times. They are tall and lean, with long, narrow heads, high hipbones, long curling tails and a silky topknot that are unique to the breed. Their long, flowing hair covers their entire body, except for the face, and is truly a sight to behold when properly groomed. Afghans have almond-shaped eyes, which the AKC states, “gaze into the distance as if in memory of ages past." This breed comes in just about any color of the canine rainbow, so dark colored Afghans are just as common as light colored Afghans.
Temperament: Despite his glamorous reputation, the Afghan hound is a hunter at heart, bred to chase down game over rugged terrain. While he maintains his regal bearings inside, he needs a daily chance to stretch his legs in a safe area. His worst trait is a reluctance to come when called. He will chase small animals outside; inside, he will coexist peacefully. The Afghan Hound is gentle with children and described by some as 'catlike'. He is independent yet sensitive and not overly demonstrative. He can be reserved with strangers; some can be timid. He has a clownish side.
Afghan Hounds are very loving, affectionate and sweet-tempered dogs. They are very responsive to calm talking and commands. They carry themselves very elegantly and with grace. Though they are somewhat aloof, they are a bit standoffish with strangers. They crave affection and attention from their families and can be trained to tolerate children, though they do best with older children. Housebreaking this breed can be an arduous task but it is possible with time and effort put into the dogs.
Health: The Life expectancy for Afghan Hounds is 12 years and 18 years if the dog is taken care of. Major health issues are allergies and cancer. They are hypersensitive to pain. Even simple, common injuries can cause them great discomfort. Afghan hounds are also among the dog breeds most likely to develop chylothorax, a rare condition which causes the thoracic ducts to leak, allowing large quantities of chyle fluid to enter the dog's chest cavity. This condition commonly results in a lung torsion (in which the dog's lung twists within the chest cavity, requiring emergency surgery), due to the breed's typically deep, "barrel"-shaped chest. If not corrected through surgery, chylothorax can ultimately cause fibrosing pleuritis, or a hardening of the organs, due to scar tissue forming around the organs to protect them from the chyle fluid. Chylothorax is not necessarily, but often, fatal.
Is your dog barking for his or her time in the spotlight?
If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email with the subject “Spotlight My Dog”. If you are submitting your very own dog don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic and a short 2-3 sentence bio about your canine buddy.
There is a growing pet epidemic on the raise. What is it you say? Each year thousands of dogs and cats suffer from accidental poisoning from the ingestion of household cleaners, plants, medications, common foods and pesticides. There is a lot of truth to the proverb "curiosity killed the cat" but we can't forget that dogs often fall victim.
We always love getting emails from our customers & readers asking us to feature their dog or favorite breed for our 
On the first day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
