"Afghan Hounds" by D Caroline Coile is an introduction to this peculiar breed of dogs, originally a sighthound from Afghanistan used by nomads to hunt everything from hares to gazelles. In the modern West, the Afghan Hound is considered a fashion accessory for the rich and the famous. It *can* become a good pet, but only with some difficulty.
In many ways, Afghan Hounds resemble cats more than dogs. They are independent-minded, can be slightly indifferent towards their owners, and are prone to run off on their own - or leave you entirely. Their home destruction sprees are legendary. Unfortunately for inexperienced owners, Afghan Hounds are much larger than cats (or most dogs). And yes, you have to groom them almost every day to maintain that chick coat.
I guess you can say that Afghan Hounds are dogs on the catwalk!
During the 1970's, Afghan Hounds were all the rage in the United States, which usually ended in disaster for both owners and dogs. If you ever considering buying one of these accessory dogs, and don't know anything about the breed, read this little book first! The book is very basic, but hopefully it will motivate you to buy a Dachshund instead. Or even cat.
"Afghan Hounds" contain information about temperament, puppies, recommended activities, grooming, potential medical problems, etc. At one point, the author tongue-in-cheek proposes that those who love Afghans but hate to groom them, should consider getting a Saluki instead! The colour photos are excellent, and occasionally resemble those found in fashion mags. Ten Afghans on the stair cases of a lush Beverly Hills mansion is *not* natural. Something tells me that photo was staged, LOL.
All books in this series are basic-basic, and some are frankly boring or badly edited, but "Afghan Hounds" is one of the better ones. The author's own anecdote about her family's Afghan is priceless.
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