why is the aghan hound not a popular dog?

They look, so pretty to me. But, I never see questions about them on here. I see there in intelligence rating is low on a description of them on the net. Is this true?

    why is the aghan hound not a popular dog?

    They look, so pretty to me. But, I never see questions about them on here. I see there in intelligence rating is low on a description of them on the net. Is this true?...
    Dog Breed Discussions : why is the aghan hound not a popular dog?...

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    • why is the aghan hound not a popular dog?

      why is the aghan hound not a popular dog? Dog Breed Discussions
      They look, so pretty to me. But, I never see questions about them on here. I see there in intelligence rating is low on a description of them on the net. Is this true?

      why is the aghan hound not a popular dog?

      why is the aghan hound not a popular dog? Dog Breed Discussions
    • they're big, they're very very active, they have lots of hair, and they're not the smartest dog around... in fact, my son has a book that lists them as the dumbest dog! I know from watching a friend who has them that they're hard to train, and hard to keep in line.Personally, I prefer my cattle dog!

    • That is a very good question and one I don't know the answer to.I had heard that 20 odd years ago they where considered to be a bit on the vicious side.In saying that I consider them to be a very beautiful animal

    • Perhaps they aren't as popular as some other breeds because they are so high maintenance. I have nothing against them but wouldn't want one as a pet because I don't think I'd have the patience to keep their coat looking so nice. They are beautiful to look at though!

    • Well, as you can tell just by looking at one, the Afghan Hound is a very high-maintenance dog, especially when it comes to grooming. Failure to meet these requirements can result in your dog getting skin diseases, not to mention not looking very nice. They're also not the most trainable of dogs, and require about 2 miles of exercise a day, minimum.So, not the dog for everyone. But they are just as loveable as the next breed, if brought up right.

    • In the 1960s/70s, they were very popular. Nowadays, luckily for the breed, they are not so fashionable. As others have said, they need a lot of grooming to keep them in good condition. They are hounds, bred to run and chase prey and so are not the easiest of breeds to train.

    • The book that said they were dumb was written by a man who did not own one! He was a human psychology professor that intervewed obedience trainers and Afghan Hounds were bottom of their list for obedience competition - nothing wrong in that. Obedience competition is a performance competition where trainers work to make dogs perform on command, prefectly and repetitiously, every time. Dogs that were created for that purpose do very well - they do best. Afghan Hounds were developed by native tribesmen who wanted a dog who could think and work at a distance, and a dog that could not do this was of no use to them. They can most certainly be trained, but the method of training will be different to the methods used by the doggie drill sargeants but in the past trainers did not understand that. In fact Afghan Hounds are highly intelligent, conniving - and great fun to live with! They learn quickly, but you have to understand how their minds work, they are not robots, and if you say JUMP - they will not ask how high, they will ask why first! Yes, they ARE a high maintenance breed, and careful and thorough grooming is essential and regular brushing and bathing are necessary. This is not as difficult as you think, and the breeder of anyone getting one should help you learn how to do it the right way.

    • S. Coren is the author of "The Intelligence of Dogs", which is a widely accepted "benchmark" of dog intelligence. Unfortunately for the Afghan dog, it rates as the least intelligent. The Afghans did enjoy a brief period in which they were extremely popular as it was considered trendy to own one. Once this fad died out, their popularity waned. Why are they not a popular dog today? Possibly because they are considered to be the least intelligent of dog breeds.http://www.petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html

    • First off, I love sight hounds. I think afghan hounds in particular are beautiful, elegant, lovely dogs. They do have their peculiarities, though, and those are ones most people are unwilling to deal with. They MUST have access to a huge, fenced backyard. They need to vent their energy by all-out galloping regularly. They can be very stand-offish by nature, and can become fearful, suspicious and timid if not socialized enough.They are fine with other, large dogs, but it is instinctual for them to chase after small moving animals. That means that small dogs, cats, or worse- rabbits, tend to have a short, stressful life in a house with an afghan in it.While they ARE smart, they are often slow to housebreak, and their intelligence is along the same wavelength as cats: a very independent, what's in it for me? attitude, and they aren't particularly eager to please.And last, but certainly not least, the grooming. If someone gets an afghan, they are making a dedicated, daily commitment for the next 12 years to grooming your dog every single day. Most people aren't willing to do that. So in conclusion, while afghans are wonderful for certain people and situations, they definitely have their share of negative traits as well, and owning an afghan simply isn't practical in a lot of households.Good luck; I hope that helps!

    • Well, as the majority of breed texts imply, the breed is not the sharpest knife in the drawer!They are elegant, snooty looking , aloof, arrogant ,poetry in motion and multi other things! One has to consider the fact that they are HOUNDS, and my experience from owning hounds, is, that their aim in life is to hunt ! If you want obedience, this is not the breed for you! I showed dogs for many years and the general consensus from people that showed Afgan hounds was that " EYE CANDY" was their main attribute ,(other than hunting)! Lure coursing is something that keeps their interest.......until they figure out that the rabbit they are chasing is not the real thing.Jogging with you will help to burn off some of their pent up energy, but, you will soon realize that jogging for the Afgan is akin to you going out for a spin in your JAGUAR (auto) and holding it back to 15 mph.If you get a chill over seeing that long flowing hair conditioned to perfection, shining and draped over a reedy body and coursing around the ring......take a chance if you must. Just consider that your yard needs to be some sort of a fortress! This breed of dog is not only bred for speed....it can jump like an olympic athlete!Please keep in mind, that this is a breed of dog established to be independent hunters. They really don't need to be told to do so......... seems to me that they have an instant "on". Obedience is not their forte, they are the type of dog that will hear you say "come", but will look over it's shoulder to acknowledge it heard you, but, you know that what is bouncing around in its head is..." I'll get back to you later on that command"!Just remember that you will be spending hours and hours grooming that gorgeous hair that mats just by looking at it ( I exaggerate, but, mats form very quickly and are beastly to pick out of the soft, silky coat).I would rather groom 6 standard poodles, in show trim , than brush one Afgan hound.I would suggest that you research the genetic problems of any breed before you do anything else. Any breed that has gone through a period of excessive popularity, might have had it's genetic makeup compromised by unethical breeders.Hope this helps in some small way!

    • I was an afghan breeder and exhibitor for many years and I see red every time someone who doesn't know the first thing about afghans calls them dumb! Afghans are not highly trainable, they are very intelligent. They're a very independent breed because they hunted on their own, with no human direction. When I had afghans, I found them to be very, very quick to learn, but like all intelligent dogs, would get very bored with a lot of (in their mind) senseless repetitions.In fact, when obedience training my newfie, I worked with my first afghan just for fun. He learned things immediately and had so much fun. People who train afghans, or indeed all sight hounds, need to drop their egos at the door and be willing to use different methods that keep these dogs' attention.As for not being popular any more, that's done the breed a world of good. They were the fad dog for quite a while during the '70s with the predictable damage to temperament. I love this breed, both for their incomparable beauty, but also for their spirit, but it's NOT a breed for the typical uneducated dog owner. They make wonderful companions, mine were amazing with toddlers, but I believe they need to stay in the hands of real dog people - and by that I only mean people with a genuine love for and understanding of dogs.