Azawakh  

  HISTORY 

         Though dogs are descended from the wolf, some believe Sighthounds may be descended from a branch collateral to the dogs and that they may be as ancient as wolves. Such characteristics as their morphology, their heart volume, as well as their higher rate of red corpuscles, their annual rhythm of mating periods and reproduction or their behaviour which is so idiosyncratic, come to support this theory.The Azawakh, like the Sloughi, the Saluki and the Afghan hound, is very probably of oriental origin. He has been living for thousands of years with populations of nomad breeders of Berber origin, the Tuaregs and their vassals, who may have migrated from Asia, in the southern Sahara, called the Sahel, in Africa. As he lives with populations of cattle-breeders, his function is to protect the cattle, the members of the community and the camps against predators and intruders. He growls and howls to warn against intruders and prevent the latter from coming any closer. Should they insist and come to close, the Azawakh will charge them and harry them away.The Sahel hound, as a hunting partner, has always taken part in sight-hunting, especially of gazelles. He hunts in packs, taking relays so as exhaust his prey, then bumping it down with his hindquarters when he get to its level. The Azawakh’s habitat covers an area as vast as France and lies in the Niger Basin which includes the Azawakh valley, covering 3 post-colonial states: Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Geographic barriers, as much as social demarcations against other colonial areas, or the nomadic way of life spreading out populations over huge distances, have so far prevented any cross-mating of the desert hound. The first Azawakhs to be brought to Europe in the 70s by some French and Yugoslavian expatriates were readily assimilated to Sloughis, whom they resemble very much. However, their indeniably different characteristics eventually led the FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale), under the leadership of France, to give the ‘Azawakh Hound’ breed official recognition in 1981. There have been about 500 registrations of Azawakhs in France since then.

General Appearance      Particularly leggy and elegant, the Azawakh sighthound gives a general impression of great fineness. His bone structure and musculature is transparent beneath fine and lean tissues (skin). This sighthound presents itself as a rangy dog whose body fits into a rectangle with its longer sides in vertical position.

Behavior and Temperament Quick, attentive, distant, reserved with strangers and may even be savage, but he can be gentle and affectionate with those he is willing to accept.

            

Important Proportions Length of body/height at withers: 9:10. This ratio may be slightly higher in bitches.
Height of chest/height at withers: about 4:10.
Length of muzzle/length of head: 1:2.
Width of skull/length of head: 4:10.

Head: Long, fine, lean and chiselled, rather narrow, without excess.

Cranial Region: The skull is almost flat, rather elongated. The width of the skull must definitely be inferior to half the length of the head. The directions of the axes of the skull and the muzzle are often slightly divergent towards the front. The superciliary arches and the frontal furrow are slightly marked. On the other hand, the occipital crest is clearly protruding and the occipital protuberance marked.

                 

Facial Region   Nose: Nostrils well opened. The nose is either black or brown.
Muzzle: Long, straight, fine towards the front without exaggeration.
Jaws: Long and strong.
Cheeks: Flat.
Teeth: Scissor bite.
Eyes: Almond shaped, quite large. Their color is dark or amber. Eyelids are pigmented.
Ears: Set quite high. They are fine, always drooping and flat, quite wide at the base, close to the skull, never a “rose ear”. Their shape is that of a triangle with a slightly rounded tip. Their base raises when the hound is attentive.
Neck: Good reach of neck which is long, fine and muscular, slightly arched. The skin is fine and does not form a dewlap.

Gait - Movement Always very supple (lissom) and with particularly high action at the trot and the walk. The gallop is leaping. The Azawakh gives a great impression of lightness, even elasticity. The movement is an essential point of the breed. Skin Fine, tight over the whole body. Coat  Hair: Short, fine, down to none on the belly.
Color: Fawn with flecking limited to the extremities. All shades are admitted from clear sand to dark fawn. The head may or may not have a black mask and the list is very inconsistent. The coat includes a white bib and a white brush at the tip of the tail. Each of the four limbs must have compulsorily a white “stocking”, at least in the shape of tracing on the foot. Black brindles are tolerated.
NOTE:The American Azawakh Association recognizes all colors which occur naturally in Africa. These include the above colors along with white, black, grey, blue, brindle, grizzle, parti-color, and all shades of brown to include chocolate.

Size and Weight   Height at the withers: Dogs: between 64 and 74 cm. (25-29 inches)
Bitches: between 60 and 70 cm. (23 1/2 - 27 1/2 inches)
Weight: Dogs: about 20-27 kg. (44-55 lbs.)
Bitches: about 15-20 kg. (33-44 lbs.)

Faults Any departure from the foregoing should be considered a fault and the seriousness of which shall be penalized in exact proportion to its degree.

General appearance: heavy

Body too long

Wide back skull

Prominent stop

Hipbones placed distinctly lower than withers

Significant flesh coloring/depigmentation

Eliminating faults    Lack of type (in particular translating as a recent crossing with another breed)

Size deviating from more than three centimeters (a little more than an inch) from the norms of the standard.

Prominent non-accidental anatomical deformation.

Non acquired disabling anomaly.

All spotted crippling defects.

Ribs curving in reverse at the bottom of the chest which gives the aspect of a “violin case”.

Overshot or undershot bite.

Harsh or semi-long coat

Coat not identical to the standard

Absence of any white marking at the extremity of one or more limbs.

Light eyes; ie. bird of prey eyes.

Timid character, panicky or aggressive to the point of attack.

Faults    Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note **  Male animals should have twoo apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. 

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