I was inspired by the Saluki standard article to put some 'old' Afghan photos next to the some 'new' Afghan photos. All the new ones, to my knowledge, were photographed within the last five or six years. All the old ones are from before 1950. I did this quickly and did not go through a zillion different photos so I don't think it could be considered a representative sample, more like a lark. I had a bit of a difficult time finding corresponding photos, because the modern show stack is very extreme and unnatural. You kind of have to look through the hair and line up the angles of the legs. I also removed the color so that wasn't distracting. Link to the AKC Afghan hound standard.

















The bitch on the right in the last photo is a modern Afghan from Afghanistan, I think she's in Germany now.

Oh dear definately looks as though the hair driers have been at work - current breed sponsors GHD??

Seriously though i find it disturbing that show standards can affect a breed so intrinsically. The dogs are originally bred for a purpose and although many no longer actively work for that purpose it seems a shame that the breed standard is more influenced by the show ring.

Why oh why do they make them stand like that? What is the obsession with a straight silky coat? The second one down looks ridiculus.

What would Afghani hunters think? :(

I have just uploaded a video clip of a dog in the early 1900s featuring an Afghan hound, it looks like a real functional dog these stood like this don't even look real. I'll post it as soon as you tube clear it.

Video clip of dog show featuring Afghan hound early 1900s.

I don't think they're supposed to look like real or natural dogs. From the fussing needed to grow the huge coats to the extreme stacking posture to the breeding choices made to produce a dog with extreme conformation (long necks, over-angulation), these are 'made' dogs. They aren't really any different than if you grew one in a vat of goo in a laboratory.

That video is very interesting, the Afghan looks a lot like some of my halfghans, only more hair. Beautiful dog. All of those dogs in the left hand column, BTW, 'meet the standard.' Most of them were champions in their day.

I am always reminded of Inigo in the Princess Bride, when I hear 'breeding to the standard.' When the little bald guy keeps saying "Inconceivable!", Inigo says, "I do not think that means what you think it means." Or something like that.

'Breeding to the standard' does not necessarily mean 'breeding dogs that will win at dog shows.' Likewise, 'breeding dogs that win shows' does not always equal 'breeding dogs that meet the standard.' Except for a few points, the AKC standard for the Afghan hound is perfectly serviceable, and 'breeding to the standard' will produce moderate dogs that have no problem doing what they were originally bred to do. (Instinct is a different story.) I cannot fault the standard for the choices of breeders to produce extreme dogs.

I don't know how it is in the UK, but here in the US we are seeing a lot of legislation aimed at stopping the breeding of dogs. Typically there will be some exemption for 'show dogs' which is nearly impossible to get. If you keep mixed breeds or a breed not recognized by a major registry you are shit out of luck. The people who propose these types of laws do not distinquish between show breeders and pet breeders and working dog breeders. All breeders are the same to them. Still, every time one of these laws is proposed, the show breeders come out of the woodwork to claim such a law cannot work because it won't get rid of those 'other breeders,' the pet breeders, the so-called 'backyard breeders.' This kind of stupid bigotry makes my blood boil. I hate to see it stated that 'only titled dogs' should be bred. (Genetically it makes no sense either. Want that gene pool to keep shrinking? Keep up with that sort of thinking.)

I don't have a problem with show breeders. If one wants to do that, fine, whatever floats your boat. I've shown my own dogs (not the Afghans!) in the past and will likely do some showing in the future. But don't condemn people that choose to breed dogs that don't meet YOUR interpretation of the standard. IMO, it's bad for the dogs and the breed.

Sorry, nattering on again ;)