Why Afgan Hounds may choose to ignore you.

I am creating a series called, “A Breed A Week” of paintings of all the breeds of dogs and write something about their temperament and history. I am starting with the Afghan Hound and will be going through the alphabet which will take me well in to 2014. Be sure to stay tuned for your Breed of Dog. The Afghan Hound is one of the oldest breed of dogs. They have lasted for thousands of years most likely because they have ignored humans. Since the Afghan can be “cat like” in their tendencies, they may not be slaves to their masters like other dogs. They are independent with a strong pack alliance and prey drive, which no doubt has helped them to survive for so long. If the Afghan occasionally ignores your command, it is because they did it on their own…. not relying on humans for food. The Afghan Hound stands 24-29″ tall with a long fine coat that may be any color. Black markings are desired on the face over white. They may have a Manchu mustache called “Mandarins” which I find charming, so I included it in my painting. Although the temperament can be aloof, the Afghan can be happy and clownish when at play. The Afghan also has good reasoning skills which makes it do well as an intuitive therapy dog. Stayed tuned next week for the next Breed, Airedale Terrier. Thanks for reading!