Azawakh

Overall description of the breed

The Azawakh, a dog with a history dating back millennia in Africa, has been a faithful companion to the Tuareg tribes of the Sahel for centuries, primarily as a hunting dog and guardian against wild animals. The Azawakh Greyhound stands out for its exceptional speed, capable of reaching speeds exceeding 65 km/h in seconds, enabling it to chase incredibly fast prey, including gazelles.

This brave dog is highly esteemed by the nomadic Saharan peoples for its courage and intelligence. It never backs down from danger and plays a crucial role in protecting villages from hyenas, jackals, and even lions.

Although it is relatively uncommon outside of this region, the Azawakh made its way to Europe in the 1960s thanks to ethnologist Gervais Coppé, who brought back two puppies to his French residence. In 1968, the first litter of Azawakh puppies was born in France, marking the beginning of its spread across the entire European continent and North America.

The Azawakh was officially recognized by the International Canine Federation on June 3, 1980, then by the UKC (United Kennel Club) in 1993, and finally by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 2019.

The Azawakh Greyhound boasts a unique, graceful, and incredibly sleek morphology while retaining robust musculature and a solid bone structure. Its appearance is light, with a confident and noble gait. Its body is rectangular in shape due to its height at the withers being less than its total length.

With long legs, it exhibits typical greyhound features, including muscular thighs, a deep and narrow chest, a well-developed chest, and a well-raised abdomen. Its neck is quite long, making it an exceptional runner and sprinter.

Its head and muzzle are closely profiled in a triangle, with a slight stop and large oval-shaped eyes. Its ears are thin, flat, and triangular, with tips falling at the level of the maxillae. Its coat is very short, dense, and tight, with colors ranging from various shades of fawn, with or without black brindling.

The Azawakh Greyhound is known for its tenderness, gentleness, and reserve. It is wary of strangers and tends to be protective of its owners. Due to its long history as a hunting dog, it has a strong predatory instinct, making early socialization with small animals essential to temper this trait.

It is a pleasant and loyal companion, although it can be stubborn at times. Its training should be conducted by an experienced trainer to ensure its balance. It is energetic and needs to expend its energy daily to be fully content, but once its excess energy is released, it becomes peaceful indoors.

Rather independent, it prefers the company of adults over children and enjoys tranquility, avoiding noisy environments. Calm, endearing, and affectionate, the Azawakh is an ideal choice for greyhound enthusiasts.

As adults, males weigh between 20 and 25 kg (44 to 55 lbs), while females weigh between 15 and 20 kg (33 to 44 lbs). Their height at the withers varies from 64 to 74 cm (25" to 29") for males and 60 to 70 cm (23" to 27") for females.