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The Afghan Hound is a rare, ancient, and beautiful breed that is sure to turn heads. When you combine it with the friendly and popular Golden Retriever, what do you get? Certainly not a hypoallergenic breed!
However, you might absolutely love the personality traits and physical characteristics that come along with this hybrid breed. In this article, we’re going to explore what characteristics you can expect in this particular combination so you can see if this hybrid is right for you.
Breed Overview
Colors:
White, blue, silver, red, brown, gray, black
Suitable for:
Active families, experienced owners
Temperament:
Mannerly, quiet, loyal
The Afghan Hound is a poised, refined dog with ancient roots that date back thousands of years. The Golden Retriever is a newer breed, but definitely one that took the world by storm. Not only are they fantastic hunting companions, but they also make the most amazing pets!
The Afghan Hound tends to be more aloof, but it will mix with the friendly, bubbly nature of the Golden Retriever, really balancing things out.
Afghan Retriever Characteristics
Afghan Retriever Puppies
When you get an Afghan Retriever puppy, you probably want to know exactly what to expect when you bring them home. These little dogs might be shy at first, but they’ll quickly warm up to their companions.
A little on the reserved side, the Afghan Retriever might look at the world with cautioned but excitable curiosity. These little dogs will likely be a little relaxed, but love romping around! Even as puppies, they will need routine brushing because their hair will be quite long and fluffy.
Plus, it’s just best to acclimate your little one early on. Because both parent breeds are exceptionally intelligent, obedience should come with ease. When you start potty training, the Afghan Retriever should pick it up pretty quickly.
As far as socialization, it is incredibly important to acclimate them early on. They might pick up the aloof nature of the Afghan Hound, making them more reserved toward strangers and other pets. However, with a bubbly side of the Golden Retriever, they will come out of their shell with enough coaxing.
Afghan Retriever Origin & History
The Afghan Hound is such an old breed that no one quite knows exactly where it originated! The old belief was that the Afghan Hound came from Egypt, but there is really no scientific backing for this. The breed likely developed as a hunting dog in the hills of Afghanistan. One thing we know for sure is that it is one of the oldest dog breeds to exist, and one of the coolest!
The Golden Retriever has both English and American variations. So, you might be surprised to find out that these dogs originated in Scotland! They were used as hunting retrievers that helped folks track and retrieve their kill.
So, as you can see, these two come from very different roots, making them super unique in their own right.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Afghan Retriever
When you combine these dogs, you’re going to get a heck of an intelligent animal! Their temperament will vary, as the Afghan Hound and Golden Retriever have different personalities.
The Golden Retriever tends to be extremely outgoing, affectionate, and a friend to all. The Afghan Hound, on the other hand, takes a more relaxed approach to life, carefully selecting the people they choose to get close to. Because of their choosy nature, it might impact the way they feel about those around them.
That doesn’t mean that in any way the Afghan Hound is aggressive, just simply more selective about who they spend their time with. An Afghan is much more likely to be completely indifferent rather than feeling aggression or any other emotion towards a stranger.
However, when you combine them, you will likely see a pretty good balance between the two breeds.
Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪
The Afghan Retriever should be exceptionally good for growing families. Since these dogs combine many different characteristics that make them family-friendly, they will do well with children and even older adults!
Golden Retrievers are often tasked for roles of emotional support and service, making them highly intuitive and extremely invested in their family. An Afghan Hound is loyal to a fault to their owners, even if they don’t take the same affection towards strangers.
When you combine these two dogs, you are going to get an irreplaceable family member for years to come. If the dog takes after its Afghan parent, it will still need plenty of routine exercise, but they might even be suitable for adults or folks with a little bit of limited mobility.
If you give them enough exercise, they also acclimate to apartment living or city dwelling.
Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets? 🐶 😽
The Afghan Retriever should get along very well with other canines in the home, especially if they are raised with them. If they are full-grown adults, it might take them longer to warm up to a new family member, but they should with time and patience.
When it comes to smaller animals, they usually do very well when they are raised alongside them, but they don’t always need to be trusted around certain pets such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and even cats, without supervision.
Things to Know When Owning an Afghan Retriever
Food & Diet Requirements 🦴
The Afghan Retriever will need a high protein, good quality recipe that can keep up with their growing bodies. As puppies, they will need a puppy chow that is full of all the necessary nutrients to help them grow. You can look for helpful ingredients like DHA, EPA, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
While wet, kibble and dry food are still viable options for most pet parents, the nutrition market is changing drastically. Many more people are gravitating towards fresh or raw food options for their dogs. Fresh food typically comes from a subscription-based service that delivers special tailored recipes right to your door.
They arrive on a timed basis, so your dog never goes without, and they create canine-specific formulas to potentially extend the lifespan of your particular pup. Raw and homemade diets can be a little bit tricky, and we highly recommend doing so under veterinary supervision.
Since raw food can transmit different bacteria like salmonella, it is important to make sure that you are storing it correctly. If you make homemade options, you must get your recipe checked over by a vet to make sure you are including all of the necessary nutrients. Your dog needs to stay healthy.
Exercise 🐕
The Afghan Retriever will definitely need their fair share of exercise! Afghan Hounds are originally site hounds, meaning they are extremely keen on their environment. Golden Retrievers were tasked in areas of hunting, making them very observant of their surroundings.
They will love games that will challenge both their senses of sight and smell. You can formulate extravagant scavenger hunts, and all sorts of other fun adventures! Both dogs love the outdoors, so your pup will likely love exploring outside and look very forward to their daily walks.
On average, the Afghan Retriever should get approximately an hour of sound exercise per day.
Training 🎾
These dogs should be highly receptive to training. Both breeds are incredibly intelligent and eager to please, making them awesome candidates for both basic and advanced learning. The Golden Retriever is notorious for their capabilities because they are very easy to work with and highly motivated by positive reinforcement and treats!
The Afghan might be a little more difficult to work with because they tend to be more reserved and off themselves. However, when you combine the two traits, you will likely get an extremely exceptional animal that you can work with, with no issues.
However, if you are a novice owner, you might find it a bit more complex. For this reason, it might be in your best interest to seek out a professional trainer. Professional trainers can teach anything from basic obedience to advanced learning. So, you would talk with them about your goals, and they would create a training plan accordingly.
Grooming ✂️
You definitely won’t be able to cut corners when it comes to grooming. The Afghan Hound is known for their long, lustrous coat, and the Golden Retriever has a medium length, frilly coat as well. Both dogs shed continually year-round, so you will need to pick up the habit of daily brushing.
We mentioned earlier in the article that you should start when your dog is a puppy so they are acclimated to the process. They don’t need any fancy haircuts; a trip to the groomer will get them smelling and looking their freshest.
Health and Conditions ❤️
Health can be a little iffy with this combination. Golden Retrievers are notorious for having some pretty significant health issues. The Afghan Hound also has a couple of genetic possibilities that are rare but significant in the breed.
When you combine the two, they could take on any genetic malfunction or congenital abnormality from either breed. To get ahead of any developing health issues, it’s always best to take them to their routine vet appointments.
During the first year of life, your puppy will be at the vet quite frequently. Your vet will need to monitor their growth, make any changes, and add any suggestions on the development process. They will need to be spayed or neutered between 4 and 6 months of age.
They will also need to be microchipped, if you choose to do so. After the first year, you should take your pup for a routine visit so they can observe their weight and overall health.
Male vs Female
Typically, males are larger than females in just about every dog breed. However, since this is a hybrid, it isn’t necessarily always true.
Since there is a slight difference in height and weight between the Afghan Hound and the Golden Retriever, the pups can pick up features from the breed based on genetic factors, not necessarily sex.
As they age, females will go into heat cycles if they are not spayed or neutered. This causes bleeding and a slight change in behavior. Males start exhibiting marking or territorial behaviors around this age as well. Vets recommend that you get your dog spayed or neutered between 4 and 6 months of age, but each vet is different.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Afghan Retriever
1. The Afghan Hound is a sighthound.
The Afghan hound is a type of sighthound, which means they have impeccable vision. This is why they were often used for hunting.
2. Golden Retrievers have webbed feet.
If you’ve ever known a Golden Retriever, you might have seen just how much they love the water! What’s interesting is that this particular dog breed has webbed feet to help them navigate through the water!
3. An Afghan Retriever’s coat can vary among dogs.
Your Afghan Retriever’s coat may look different than another dog’s. Afghan Hounds are typically golden-brown in color, but a Golden Retriever’s coat can vary from blonde to gold to almost brown. So your Afghan Retriever could have any one of these coat colors.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve learned a little bit more about the Afghan Retriever, you can make a decision based on the information you have about whether this breed is right for you. We highly recommend meeting a puppy or dog prior to committing so you can get a feel for the situation.
Remember that each puppy is going to be different, and they can take on personality traits of either parent, or a combination of both. Keep in mind that you might find this breed at a rescue or shelter. If you do, you can choose to adopt and give a pup a chance at a better life.
Featured Image Credit: (L) Irma07, Shutterstock | (R) Emil Priver, Unsplash