The Afghan Hound is a very old breed. In fact, some authorities maintain that it is the oldest purebred dog in existence. (An ancient myth says that a brace of Afghan Hounds represented the canine species on Noah’s Ark.) Because the breed predates written history by a few thousand years, and because it was developed in some of the world’s most remote locales, its exact time and place of origin within the vast area that is now Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan will never be known. What we do know is that for centuries Afghans were rugged, fleet-footed hunting companions and status symbols of royals, tribal chieftains, and aristocrats in Asia’s mountain kingdoms.

Afghans belong to the subcategory of hound breeds known as sighthounds—dogs who rely on their panoramic vision and explosive speed to spot and pursue their prey.

A fixture of Eastern culture since the dawn of civilization, Afghans didn’t make their entrance on the stage of Western history until late 1800s when English officers returning from British Empire’s farthest corners introduced them to Europe. By early 1900s they were well-established in Britain’s upper class.