Afghan Sheepdog

Since the Afghan Sheepdog is a new breed, their history is not well known. What is known is that the Afghan Sheepdog was bred between an Afghan Hound and a Belgian Sheepdog in Afghanistan to try to get the best of both breeds in one dog. The history of the Afghan Hound dates back to the sighthounds of ancient Egypt who were used by Nomads to hunt gazelle and rabbits for food. However, they were not acknowledged by the American Kennel Club (AKC) until 1926. They are originally from the Afghanistan Mountains where they were protected from the cold by their thick coat and high energy. They spent many years living isolated in the mountains before being recognized as excellent sighthounds. The Afghan Hound was first known as the Persian Greyhound or Barukhzy Hound in the 1900s when they came to England. The Belgian Sheepdog was previously known as the Groenendael, which was used for guarding and herding. In fact, at first, they were known as the Continental Shepherd, later to be listed under many different names such as the Hollander Herder, German Shepherd, Briard, Beauceron, Malinois, Tervuren, and Laekenois. They are traced back to the 1800s but were not officially recognized by the AKC until 1912. The name Groenendael came later, after the kennel that bred these dogs since 1893. In WWI, Belgian Sheepdogs were used as draft dogs, messengers, and sentry after being successfully used as police dogs for many years.