Azawakh

The Azawakh is a sighthound dog breed from Africa. Morphology is very similar to that of the Middle Eastern and South Indian sight hounds, all swift, high-bred coursing hounds, although there are several obvious differences. For example, a short, flat back combined with long legs place the hips higher than the withers. The Azawakh is almond eyed and thin. It moves with a distinctly feline gait and can be found in a variety of colors as well as varying degrees of refinement, though format is basically constant. The standards call for a hound from 33 to 55 pounds ; its height is 24 to 29 inches... . The coat is very short and almost absent on the belly. Its bone structure shows clearly through the skin and musculature. Its muscles are "dry", meaning that they lie quite flat, unlike the Greyhound and Whippet. In this respect it is similar in type to the Saluki. In Africa, Azawakh are found in a variety of colors such as red, blue fawn , grizzle, and, rarely, blue and black. The Azawakh in its native land also comes with various white markings including Irish marked and particolour .
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