Afghan Hound Specialty Show……

Afghan Hound Specialty Show……

Today I had planned on a DIY project, but this Easter weekend I drove to Richmond for the Richmond Afghan Hound Specialty Show where there were two judges on Saturday, one from Scotland, and the other a friend of more than 25 years, K.C.

I met K.C. and R.M. when they came to me looking for an American Cocker to show, as they had seen some of my dogs in the show ring. I bred rather infrequently and only when I knew it was improving the breed. I rarely sold anything to others to show, preferring to keep what I wanted and selling the others to waiting pet homes where I knew they would be a part of the family. Most of the pet folks I already knew. I had this beautiful 6 month old puppy that I had little doubt would finish her championship easily, but I had my heart set on her brother, and frankly, didn’t really need another bitch (what female dogs are referred to sex wise, the males are dogs), but I knew she was a really, really special one, especially in personality. Both these folks had shown Afghans, but were looking to show something a bit smaller, had experience in the show ring, and I just liked them.
Anyway, they came, and “Laura” would not move on the leash for them, which didn’t surprise me. I told them, I leash broke her as a baby, then I don’t mess a whole lot with them during teething, but they soon remember the training with a little work. I spend more time getting them socialized and learning to like being groomed. All my dogs spent time in the house, so that if I ever placed them, they transitioned without a problem.
Well, K.C. & R.M. thought I was feeding them a line, so they left. It didn’t really matter to me. A couple of weeks later they came back, and bought her. I became their mentor in Cockers, and there began a long friendship. Oh, and “Laura” not only finished her championship easily, but had a top show career, and was the dam to champion offspring. They also continued in Afghan Hounds successfully, and thus K.C.’s judging assignment. R.M. could have been an Interior Designer if he wanted to.
There were some beautiful Afghan Hounds at this show, beautifully presented, including one top ranked Nationally. I have had two Afghan Hounds myself, including Carter that I will introduce to you in another post, along with a shaggy called Whitley. I just have to share some photos of these lovely dogs. It was a fun day, especially being able to catch up with dear friends on a beautiful sunny spring day.

Below are candid photos that KBJ and I shot during the day.


Afghan Hounds are to be shown au natural……lots of coat to care for, but what a beautiful picture they present. This is a sight hound, one of the oldest breeds, and genetic testing has traced them to the wolf with very little divergence. Often called the “King of Dogs”, they are handsome, elegant, independent thinkers, as well as funny, even goofy, and very sweet.

Some of the photos are a bit blurry, because when an Afghan Hound steps out, you had better to ready to move, and fast! They float across the ground, but they also cover a lot of ground really fast, and the light was not conducive to the kind of photos that do them justice, or the clarity I expect in my photos, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.

 

The beautiful Ch. Criston Enchanted......call name "Rachel", the #1 Afghan Hound bitch in 2012. She was at this show and took my breath away.....again. You go girl!

The beautiful Ch. Criston Enchanted……call name “Rachel”, the #1 Afghan Hound bitch in 2012. She was at this show and took my breath away…..again. You go girl!


The Afghan that stole my heart was a dog from the Veterans class. The old timers always tug at my heart strings. This fella was 10 years young and trotted around the ring with the best of them. What makes me so delighted, is this boy is a certified Therapy Dog, visiting hospitals and nursing homes offering what dogs do best……unconditional attention and affection. When given by the usually more aloof breed such as this, it is truly offered as a special gift. Tears welled when he received the well deserved honor due him as a veteran. Ch. Sandscript’s Whisper N the Dark.

 

Almost his entire muzzle is now gray.........

Almost his entire muzzle is now gray………


He may be 10 years old, but he moved like a young dog and was so excited to be in the ring again.......Still does Therapy Dog work every week.

He may be 10 years old, but he moved like a young dog and was so excited to be in the ring again…….Still does Therapy Dog work every week.


The show begins with K.C. judging the puppies. Leeloo is the sister to my Afghan Carter.



Look at the handler’s face. She & her Champion Afghan bitch are having fun, and it showed in the way she moved.







The handler offers the dog a treat to get their attention. It is usually liver, which they love! Some dogs prefer hot dogs or cheese.





Afghan Hounds come in many colors and sometimes in a litter you might be surprised by what appears. If a color is carried for generation recessively, it can be exciting to whelp an unexpected color.





This Afghan Hound just put the weight of his head in the handler’s hand and got some head scratching while the judge was examining him. You can barely see the judge’s hand on the shoulders.



This dog was a sight to behold moving around the ring with his shiny coal black coat. You can almost envision them running in the desert, perhaps next to an Arabian horse.


If you look, you can see the handler is behind the dog. Most Afghans love to show and the owner or handler has to keep up, because running around the ring is fun and these dogs can cover a lot of ground!




The Afghan here is one and the same as the one in the first photo – “Rachel”. She is incredibly sweet, loves the show ring, and is gorgeous, deserving every win she has gotten, including one of the top honors at this show.




This was part of the lineup for Best of Breed at the end of the show. An impressive sight to watch them all go around the ring at once waiting for the judge to point to the Best of Breed.


All in all, a fun day. Always wonderful to catch up with friends………..if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will try to answer for you. Although the Afghan’s are not interior designers (unless it counts that they can be seen rearranging pillows around for their personal comfort) or DIY’ers (unless it counts that they can find and open treat containers), they have incredibly talented owners, many who are designers, artists, DIY’ers, and just downright interesting folks. Thank you for stopping by. cheers, charisse

 

Comments

  1. Wonderful ,Cie . What graceful beauties.
    Thank you for sharing !

  2. Loved the dog show…the afghan’s in all their splendor was so exciting to view. Wish I was still young and able to show but then I think of those early wake-up calls and all the prep work just to get your dog ring worthy. Think I’ll stay retired but thanks for the trip down memory lane in the world of dog showing.S

  3. What wonderful pictures of absolutely gorgeous dogs and bitches. I feel the same way about Shetland Sheepdog s. Will be attending a specialty soon. Thank you.

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