Afador Dog Breed

Below are details and specs for the Afador dog breed.

Afadors are medium-sized dogs weighing from 60 to 70 pounds. Although both sexes have a height from 25 to 30 inches, males are usually longer at about 22 to 27 inches and females are 22 to 24 inches. This may not seem like much, but the slender body of the Afador makes that seemingly small difference somewhat significant.

Your Afador may be aloof and very calm (most of the time!) if she inherits more from her Afghan Hound side, but can be overly sweet and far more playful if she has more Labrador Retriever characteristics. They can be difficult to train as they are headstrong, and they have a powerful hunting instinct which can be easily triggered when outdoors and small animals are present. In any case, they are very intelligent from birth, extremely brave and a bit wary of strangers. Afadors will love kids but prefer older, less excitable kids as they, too, are easily excited. Nevertheless, they are very loyal and age of the family members makes no difference when it comes to being both watchdog and guardian.

The Afador is not for everyone — especially those who prefer to have low- to medium-maintenance dogs. With their silky, fine and relatively long hair, daily grooming and face maintenance (checking and gently cleaning the eyes, ears and teeth) is a must; with all the energy they have ever-ready to burn, a lot of daily exercise is no less important. They have a low threshold to pain and will probably need more veterinary care than most dogs. It should be noted that while they don't have many health concerns, those that can be expected are joint problems and eye ailments; your Afador should have a life expectancy of about 10 to 12 years.

While they may have somewhat long hair on their bodies, the facial hair is usually short, and they may have a bit of a dark mask. Common coat colors are beige, red, white, black and gray. Cool climates are best for them.

The Afador is a rare and new hybrid, and this means that there is a lot of risk in owning one of these dogs. Little is known about these dogs, and there is little call to learn much about them let alone the time to do so by those who have the means. While there is a good bit known about the two breeds used to produce this mixed breed, that doesn't mean that all can be known about the Afador.

Here are some possible health problems that the Afador might experience:

• Bloat
• Diabetes
• Hemophilia
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Retinal dysplasia
• Subaortic stenosis
• Fanconi syndrome
• Entropion cataracts

The lifespan for these dogs is expected to average around 10 to 12 years.