| Afghan hounds are tall and elegant dogs with long, | | | | week and bathed up to twice a week for show |
| flowing coats. They were originally developed in | | | | dogs, and every two weeks for family pets. The |
| Afghanistan in the 19th century as hunting dogs. | | | | breed has a dual coat of a thicker undercoat and a |
| They were used to hunt large prey over rough and | | | | silky overcoat. The coats are essentially two |
| unstable terrain. This may seem contradictory to the | | | | different types of hair and need to be brushed |
| current perception of the breed as one of the most | | | | separately. If you only brush the outer coat, your |
| pampered pooches. | | | | dog will develop mats. A pin brush will penetrate the |
| Afghans require a lot of grooming maintenance to | | | | undercoat sufficiently and smooth the outer coat as |
| keep their long silky hair in top condition. Even if you | | | | well. |
| don't have a show dog, a clean and healthy coat will | | | | Before bathing an Afghan, brush the dog thoroughly |
| enhance your pleasure of owning this graceful breed. | | | | and remove any mats present. Use your fingers to |
| Hair is the signature feature of the Afghan and, when | | | | search for mats behind the ears and in the armpits |
| properly cared for, it brings drama and elegance to | | | | of the dog. If you are bathing your dog yourself, you |
| the Afghan's every move. | | | | may find a raised tub with a hand sprayer will make |
| The natural sate of an Afghan coat does not require | | | | the job much easier. |
| you to clip or trim the dog's hair. The long, silky coat | | | | When you apply the mild shampoo, make sure to |
| occurs naturally, but this does not imply that the coat | | | | work it into the coat well but never rub or scrub the |
| is maintenance-free. The keys to keeping an Afghan | | | | dog's skin. Rinse well until the water runs clear and |
| coat beautiful are regular bathing and maintenance | | | | then apply a cream rinse. Afghan coats benefit from |
| grooming. | | | | the cream rinse and the treatment makes their |
| Afghan puppies require little grooming as they have a | | | | overcoat silky, shiny and tangle-free. |
| short, plush coat of hair. At this age, daily brushing is | | | | Afghans are a breed that must be blown dry. Allow |
| more for getting the animal used to grooming than | | | | your dog to drip dry for about an hour on towels. |
| for necessity. Between 9 months and 2 years of | | | | Brush from the skin out and allow the blow dryer to |
| age, | | | | part the dog's coat. Most owners start at the head, |
| Afghans begin to shed their puppy coat and the silky | | | | and work their way back to the tail of the dog. |
| adult coat begins to grow in. Daily brushing is an | | | | Another important part of Afghan maintenance |
| absolute necessity during this period to remove the | | | | grooming is using a "snood." These protective |
| old puppy hair. Skimping on brushing will result in | | | | tube-like head covers keep the dog's long ear fringe |
| unwieldy mats of the puppy coat tangled with the | | | | out of the way when it is eating. Snoods can also be |
| new growth adult coat. | | | | used to protect the coat quality of the head and |
| Adult Afghans only need to be brushed three times a | | | | ears of show dogs. |