Page 32 - ShowSight Presents- The Afghan Hound
P. 32
JUDGING THE AFGHAN HOUND
The Afghan Hound. The Dog That Noah Knew. The King of Dogs.
A great Afghan Hound will quickly yet gradually fill the voyeur
with awe, humbleness and respect because of its unrivaled beauty, its strength, the intrinsic pride and certain vulnerability.
The judge should first look at the dog as one would look at a painting. The Afghan Hound should convey a digni- fied and distant demeanor. This is a breed like no other. The judge should see a dog framed in a square build, of great elegance, strength and balance. On this initial view of the dog, the judge should easily identify certain distinctive breed characteristics apparent at this time; exotic expression, the crowning glory of a silky topknot, peculiar coat patterning, very prominent hipbones and a first impression of an almost over angulated rear assembly; an illusion cre- ated by the draping of coat. The last named distinguishing characteristic is the unusu- al large foot of the Afghan Hound which sometimes may be visually hinted at by the hair covering it but certainly will be found during the manual examination.
A proper and knowledgeable assess- ment of the Afghan Hound must include
By Harry Bennett Afghan Hound Club of America Judges Education Coordinator
a manual examination as with any breed of dog covered in hair. Before we get to this, it needs to be clear that, like most rulers, the Afghan Hound has a lot of rules.
The Afghan Hound has been getting its way for over 4000 years and so there are some aspects to work around to make this a good experience for everyone involved.
I cannot tell you not to smoke, but if you do, understand that the Afghan Hound has a keen and inherent sense of “Burning Bushes”. Where there is smoke there is fire. The Afghan Hound knows he is highly flammable. It is recommended that you wash your hands prior to judging the breed to remove any trace of smoke. Please also wash your hands after having judged a breed which produces excessive saliva or the Afghan Hound will quickly show offense to that. The use of heavy perfume or cologne may send an Afghan Hound spinning. Wearing a hat may cause an interruption in the Afghan Hound’s acceptance of your approach. It is under- standable that weather may govern what the judge wears but please know that the more you look like an alien being from outer space and the less identifiable you are as a human, the more contrary the Afghan Hound will be. It is also recommended that there is no talking by the judge when
going over a dog. The Afghan Hound isn’t interested in being your friend. In fact, oral familiarity may often bring a certain suspicion and adverse reaction from the dog. There is more on this subject but that is a separate article in itself.
The Afghan Hound may be presented with OR without the propping of its tail. This comes under the jurisdiction of the exhibitor. This is determined by how the best and steadfast stack will be maintained.
A proper approach to examine the Afghan Hound is important. This will set the mood for a successful examination. The Afghan Hound does not like to be pushed, or rushed into a situation. As best trained as one of these dogs may be, it must be understood the procedure of a stranger touching the creature is a compromise. The exhibitor should always be allowed the time to have the dog stacked and ready for the judges approach. The judge should move with confidence but with no aggres- sion. Be deliberate and not hesitant. Any reluctance may arouse the dog to think he has the upper hand.
When approaching the Afghan Hound from the front, take note of a dog stand- ing proud on front legs like two columns. Always approach the head with hands from underneath. Never reach toward
“...EXOTIC EXPRESSION, THE CROWNING GLORY OF A
SILKY TOPKNOT, PECULIAR COAT PATTERNING, VERY
PROMINENT HIPBONES AND A FIRST IMPRESSION OF
AN ALMOST OVER ANGULATED REAR ASSEMBLY;
an illusion created by the draping of coat.”
