Grooming your Afghan hound at home
The Afghan hound is one of the most beautiful breeds of dog, largely thanks to their incredibly distinctive long, flowing coats that fall in waterfalls and fringes along the whole body, including the head, legs and tail. The breed originates from the cold, mountainous territories of Afghanistan, and is known to be one of the most ancient of dog breeds recognised today. They fall under the sighthound breed grouping, and were first imported to the UK during the 1920’s, where they soon gained a significant following of enthusiasts, thanks again to their distinctive and very beautiful coats.
This too is one of the main appeals of ownership of the dog, but the distinctive coat of the breed can certainly be classed as needing relatively high maintenance in order to keep their coats in good condition. In order to deal with this, you will either need to schedule regular visits to the grooming salon as well as providing daily coat care at home, or commit to taking care of all of your dog’s coat care needs yourself! This is something that is often overlooked by the first-time Afghan hound owner, and the amount of coat care required should not be underestimated!
In this article, we will look at the basic essentials of caring for the coat of the Afghan hound, and how to keep it in good condition at all ages. Read on to learn more.
How much care does the coat of the Afghan hound require?
It is wise to schedule your dog’s coat care into your regular routine, so that you can keep on top of what is required and avoid any problems! It is of course much easier to maintain the coat and avoid issues than it is to deal with a messy, tangled coat further down the line.
You should ideally brush your Afghan hound on a daily basis, which will take around ten minutes per day if the coat is in good condition, but if this is not possible, never let your dog go more than a few days without paying attention to their coat! They also require a more intensive grooming and possibly trimming every four to six weeks, which can be taken care of at home or scheduled with a local dog grooming salon.
Finally, the breed also requires bathing every couple of months too.
Tools for caring for the Afghan hound coat
You will need a fair amount of grooming equipment to take care of the Afghan’s coat, and investing in the kit below will make your job that much easier!
- A gentle pin brush
- A slicker brush
- A comb
- A matt splitter
- A hair dryer
- A suitable table that your dog can stand on at a comfortable height to allow you to groom them thoroughly
- Suitable shampoos, conditioners and coat conditioning sprays for your dog; exactly what products are best for your dog will depend on the texture of their coat, which can be rather variable and is something that you will need to establish through trial and error!
Grooming the coat
When it comes to taking care of your dog’s daily grooming requirements, have all of your kit ready to go before you lasso your dog! Providing that you get your dog used to being groomed from an early age and always speak positively to them and do not hurt or scare them, grooming should not be problematic, and most Afghan hounds very much enjoy it.
Begin by using your fingers to remove any surface burrs or debris, and then pick up your comb and tackle any tangles carefully, using your fingers and the comb in combination. Work from the ends of the hair up to the roots, be patient, and never tug or pull on the coat.
When you have removed tangles and any debris, use your pin brush to brush out the length of the coat, working from the root to the tip and stopping immediately at any sign of tangles, which should again be worked out by hand.
Don’t forget to groom the hair on the legs and stomach, and be aware that these areas can be more sensitive, and may necessitate the use of a very soft, gentle brush.
Then, use your slicker brush to straighten out and smooth the coat, working carefully around the head and eyes.
Check your dog’s back end to make sure that it is clean, and ensure that no muck, grit or debris have gotten stuck between the toes.
When it comes to bathing your dog, remove tangles and surface muck first, and when the dog has benefitted from the use of conditioner, work out any stubborn areas and use the added smoothness to straighten the coat. It is of course vitally important to wash shampoo and conditioner from the coat properly, and also to dry your dog thoroughly, which is why a powerful but not too loud hair dryer comes in very handy!
