Afghan Hound - Grooming

The long, thick coat demands a great deal of attention. When showing there is a must to bath once a week. Do not brush in-between baths in order to keep coat long and shiny. Brushing a dry coat will damage the coat and even make it more easily matted. Weekly baths are not as important if your Afghan is a pet and will not be shown, but doing so will make the coat less matted and will save you time in the end. Many wear snoods indoors to protect their ears from food bowls. A special air-cushioned brush or pinbrush is useful for grooming. This breed is an average shedder.

The long, silky beautiful hair of the Afghan Hound requires regular, daily grooming to keep it in top shape and free from knots and tangles. To keep an Afghan Hounds coat in good shape it will usually take a commitment of several hours of grooming time per week. The breed is never clipped or trimmed on the body or head for show, although the leg cuffs may occasionally be trimmed for show.

Typically an Afghan Hound being used as a show dog will be bathed at least once a week, however those that are used as pets will not require bathing this frequently. When grooming a pin brush and a wide toothed grooming comb is usually all that is required. A misting bottle filled with water or water with a few drops of dog hair conditioner or detangler mixed in is a great way to help detangle the coat and stop the coat from tangling back up after brushing. Unlike many breeds the Afghan Hound should be fully bathed before grooming if the coat is soiled, dirty or very matted. Trying to dry groom a coat will lead to more tangles and hair breakage that will significantly damage the appearance of the coat.

The coat should always be groomed from the area closest to the skin to the ends of the coat, not from the ends to the roots. Most owners will use a hairdryer to blow the thick coat aside to get to the area next to the skin. Other people choose to simply take their Afghan Hound to the groomer every two weeks for a complete bath and grooming. In addition a "snood" or hood can be used to protect the long hair on the Afghan Hounds ear's from getting into their food and keeping the hair around the head clean.

The commitment to grooming is essential for families or individuals thinking about choosing an Afghan Hound as a pet. These dogs cannot maintain their beautiful coats without regular, time consuming brushing and grooming. Understanding the commitment to grooming and the ongoing requirement is critical.