Overview of Afghan Gait:

Everyone in Afghans is convinced of the importance of gait, but very little importance is placed on the "spring" or "elasticity" characteristics of the Afghan gait. We’ll look at descriptions of Afghan movement, the functional reasons for the spring, determine analytically by use of video what this unique movement is and how to look for it.

1. Is the gait unique – if so, what is the unique quality?

   Unlike many of the sighthounds such as Whippets, Greyhounds, and Borzoi, who are released to run down the game after the quarry is sighted, Afghan Hounds hunted independently, covering large areas at a trot to sight the game, then pursuing and killing it. This independent sighting of the game required the high head carriage for maximum survey. The ground over which this trotting search was conducted in Afghanistan is extremely rugged, so a light-footed, springy trot proved optimal, both for clearing the roughness, as well as providing a slightly higher view for the dog.

   The late Connie Miller, US author of "The Complete Afghan Hound" termed this springy trot with high-carried head the "Reconnaissance Gait". Ann Mathers (Metewand Afghans in Ireland) authored a very comprehensive article in the 1994 "Think Afghan" the official publication of the Afghan Hound Association (UK). At the end of a very clear exposition on Afghan movement she states, "Heavens! What a lot of words to say that an Afghan should move smoothly and with spring, showing flexibility, reach in front and drive behind."

   Will Hally, who judged Afghans at Crufts in 1927, the first year classes for Afghans were offered wrote in 1941:

   The orthodox hound action would not take the Afghan very far "over very rough and mountainous ground, a country of crags and ravines"; It therefore has an action which

   Is unique and is possessed by no other canine breed. The standard description is a "springy gait" and that is a high-stepping action – not the extreme of the hackney, but sufficient to carry the dog over very rough, rock-strewn ground, where the going is uneven at every step. The Afghan in not a short-stepper by any means, but in comparison with other hounds and other working breeds, it is very decidedly a high-stepper".

   I would like to propose that "springy" is not synonymous with "high-stepper", and propose that comparing the Saluki gait, which is decidedly "high-stepping" with the Afghan gait, which is "springy" or "elastic" supports this position.

    

2. Gait descriptions in standards and descriptions

So just what is this unique, functional, and beautiful gait? Clearly it can be seen best from the side view, but we must not confuse the vertical component of gait with what is popularly described as "Good Side Gait" which is typically concerned with the Afghan’s reach in the front, its drive from the rear, and the balance between the two.

"Smooth-Spring-Elasticity" (coupling the descriptors from the standards) is determined from the vertical movement of the dog’s entire body. Typically, what happens to the topline and head during a gait cycle can be used to represent this vertical movement. Clearly this entire top surface needs to be used, since motion of a point on the topline would not properly describe any "hobbyhorsing" or "head-bobbing" motion

We’ll describe the three general classifications the vertical component of a dog’s gait.

a) Flat motion – Flat moving dogs show little cyclic vertical movement during the trot. The gait is very smooth, but there is no elevation of the dog during the gait cycle, in fact, the entire dog is the same height or lower in action than when static (Fig 1). This movement is typical of most breeds. The most extreme example is probably that of the German Shepherd.

b) Bounce – Bouncy movement is just that. It has a pronounced vertical component, which at its highest is higher than that of the static dog, but at its lowest point, is approximately at the level of the static dog, or lower (Fig 2). This movement is often seen in Afghan puppies, and is certainly proper for that age. In adult dogs, it is indeed "springy". But certainly isn’t smooth.

c) Float – This term is not used in Afghan standards, but in our opinion should be. I refer again to Barbara Skiltons felicitious phrase – " .. they floated over the ground with smooth, effortless, ground-coverng gaits." Analytically, the gait is a "smoothed bounce", in that the entire dog elevates, as shown by the entire top surface of the dog in action appearing to be higher than when the dog is static. Unlike the Bounce, however, the low point of the vertical movement is higher than that of the static dog (Fig 3), and there is much less vietical distance from high point in the gait than in the low point. This is the motion, that like pornography, is hard to describe, but you know it when you see it!