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Appearance, Impression
" As
fast as wind, durable as a camel and beautiful as an Arab horse ... these
few words could briefly describe a charming Azawakh."[Eva-Maria Kramer].
Already at the first glance they'd catch one's attention. They're tall,
slender, and elegant. This crowned by grace words simply cannot describe
and there you have a beautifully harmonious Azawakh. They have
exceptionally long legs, and a long, thin tail.
They
would immediately cast a spell on you with their beautiful, dark,
big-almond-shaped eyes of deep and ever alert look. On average Azawakhs
reach the height of 60-70cm (females: 60-70cm; males: 64-74cm). The most
popular colours are all shades of brown, ranging from light beige, through
sandy up to dark
brown; all colours from yellow to red and brindled (striped), all with
mandatory, distinctive white markings. In Europe one can rarely spot
gray, blue, particoloured, all-white, black, or blanket dogs. This
situation at large is conditioned by requirements of FCI standard, which
does not recognize those rare colours, despite their fairly frequent
occurrence in Africa.
Azawakhs are slender and their thin skin, covered with soft and short hair,
allows "anatomy lessons" as Corine Lundqvist:
 ,
Owing to their looks, Azawkhs might appear lofty. As a matter of fact,
they are very alert, timid, and distrustful. When confronted with
strangers, or when they find an unknown object on their way, Azawakhs are
likely to jump aside and run away barking. They display interest but
prefer to stay distant. Their behaviour, resilience, and reflection should
be associated with big, wild cats, rather than dogs…
For ages Azawakhs have inspired artists. Their images appear on ancient
drawings, sculptures, and coins. Their delicate physique can be misleading,
however. Azawakhs are strong and durable dogs, well adjusted to live in
difficult conditions of a desert, where the temperatures at nights drop
well below zero and reach close to +50oC at the daytime. They can make
their living with small portions of food, though atavistically they're
always hungry. They seldom hurt themselves. If they get hurt or wound
themselves, they recover fast.
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