The Dutch AHWC-committee started working on the content of the congress program. It is our aim to offer a varied agenda covering 'was' and 'is' topics. Considering the statements of past congresses we will dedicate a fair portion of time on the SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the breed.
In the coming time we will, for your information, add foreseen and confirmed topics to the below list, timely resulting in a final congress agenda.

• The congress committee is pleased that Mr. Ulf Jorgensen from Denmark will act as moderator during the congress. As chairman of the global Afghan Hound World Congress committee and longtime congress participant, he knows the ins and outs of our congresses and will guide the audience from speaker to speaker. No doubt that he will also play the important role of timekeeper and we look forward to his performance.



• The congress opening speech will be given by Dutch author and columnist Ms Elfie Tromp who was surrounded by Afghan Hounds all of her live. She will take us into her vision about our passion for Afghan Hounds and the attraction to this extraordinary breed.



• What is the greatest importance for sighthounds? Yes, being able to typically move!
  Terrence Wilcox from Australia has, since almost two decades, a special interest in the movement of the Afghan Hound. True Afghan Hound gait in various forms is what he will present during this congress. Using the features of digital video, the audience can experience the visualization of how Afghans make use of their unique construction and understand the functional mechanisms. Besides images, the theoretical fundament will -of course- have a place in this presentation.



• Towards the end of last year, the congress organization committee agreed to undertake an effort to combine the various existing breed standards of the Afghan Hound into one, clear manual. This manual would provide an explanation of the standards and -for relevant clarification- drawings should be added. The manual should, after completion, be published on the AHWC World Website and thus available for breeders, owners, fanciers, judges and other interested parties. The question for participants in a working group who should develop this manual was sent out and several persons responded positively.
  
  The purpose of this initiative was in fact simple: during many of the past congresses, attention has been requested for a correct explanation of the Afghan Hound standards. Often has also been stated that judges should have a better eye for the Afghan Hound and it became apparent that many judges incorrectly interpret (parts of) the standard. This wrong interpretation can result in exaggeration and extremities and our beautiful breed is not helped with this. The visualization working group started working and although it appeared that, for various reasons, it is not an easy task, the working group coordinator Gisela Jansen and group member Pamela Bennett will inform the congress about the status of the project.



• The presentation by doctor Jan-Gerd Kresken with the title "Hereditary heart diseases in Afghan hounds - an expert status report" gives an overview about the hereditary heart diseases which have an relevant impact on breeding purposes.
  What is known about the heritability of heart diseases in dogs with focus on Afghan Hounds. What does literature tell us about the most often seen diseases in this breed. Special focus is on mitral valve disease (MVD), stenosis of great vessels (AS, PS) and dilative cardiomyopathy (DCM).
  The Collegium Cardiologicum built up world’s biggest database on heart disease examinations including breeding dogs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
  Results and conclusions from a study on Afghan Hounds over 3 years will be presented.



• In the 1800s when dog breeding, as a hobby, became popular, kennel clubs created stud books to manage registration and compile pedigree records. Limiting registration of dogs to the progeny of registered parents effectively created a genetically closed gene pool and this is the basis of the notion of the "purebred" dog.
  In case of the Afghan Hound, native dogs were brought to the UK, selective breeding began and the descendants became the first members of the newly recognized breed. From this point, the genetics of the population were shaped by the decisions made by breeders who selected for the desired traits for type. In fact, this early breeding largely dictates the genetic trajectory of the breed into the future, so understanding these genetic foundations and the breed's history will help us make sense of what we have in the breed today.
  Carol Beuchat is going to show how the history of the Afghan Hound has shaped its genetics and produced the dogs we have today. We will also look at how breeding decisions, made today, will determine the genetic trajectory of the breed in future generations, both by making the best possible use of existing genetic diversity and also how we could improve diversity through the introduction of new founder dogs from the country of origin. Finally, we will discuss how to choose breeding strategies that will insure a healthy breed into the future.



• 3 CONTINENTAL WEST-EUROPEAN PIONEER KENNELS IN FOCUS.
  For those who did not know yet, 2018 guest country of the 10th Afghan Hound World Congress, the Netherlands, was the first continental country in Europe where Afghan Hounds appeared. In 1927, two years after Sirdar of Ghazni came to England and six years after the Bell-Murray imports, the first Afghan Hounds were imported into the Netherlands.
  
  BARUKHZY.
  The parents of one Mr. Han Jüngeling, aged 17 years and later worldwide acknowledged sighthound judge, granted him to import two Afghan Hounds, both Bell-Murray type, in 1927. Later that same year he imported the first Ghazni. A few years thereafter more Ghazni (type) companions were welcomed in their Barukhzy's kennel. Most of the offspring stayed in the Netherlands. The meaning of this kennel cannot be overlooked and therefore one of the three in this pioneer overview. Not just because the owners, Mr. Jüngeling and his mother imported the first Afghan Hounds into the Netherlands, they also created a strong Ghazni-type strain, also quite a few black & tan and sold the powerful Afghan dog Barukhzy's Khan to Ms. Eta Pauptit who used him as founding father for her 'van de Oranje Manege' kennel. Barukhzy's last Afghan Hound litter was born in 1967.
  Mr. Willem Buitenkamp from the Netherlands will present this kennel to the congress.
  
  VAN DE ORANJE MANEGE.
  Say 'van de Oranje Manege' (VDOM) in the Afghan Hound scene and many eyes start shining. This Dutch kennel started in 1938 and had from the very start an exploding success. Ms. Eta Pauptit had an eye for the breed and a long range of winning dogs was the result. One after the other splendid dog came to the most prestigious European shows and took the wins. She had, as horse fancier and successful amazon been busy with animals already and breeding dogs was a natural continuation in her life. Dealing with this exotic breed with its special personality was quite well entrusted to her. The 'van de Oranje Manege' breeding was so consistent that years later, even until now, people still speak about the VDOM-type. Eta Pauptit stopped breeding Afghans in 1971 but her heritage is great. In the Netherlands 'El Kharaman' of Mrs. Grevelt-Kruize continued her work mostly and the VDOM-exports to many countries in the world can still be detected in their pedrigees.
  Mr. Ed Grevelt also from the Netherlands will present this kennel to the congress.
  
  VON KATWIGA.
  The most influential German kennel is without doubt 'von Katwiga', established by Mrs. Erika Rödde. She was, by the way, a panel speaker during the second world congress in San Diego in 1995. However, 'von Katwiga', situated not far from the Netherlands, had surely a certain importance for the Dutch Afghan Hound world. Erika Rödde's stud dogs were used for breeding and also quite a few of her pups found their way to Dutch fanciers. The first Afghan Hound from old German lines entered the Rödde home in 1956. The year after, Erika and her husband visited Eta Pauptit, resulting in a firm surrender for this type. Think of an interesting chain here: 'Barukhzy' produced the founding father of Eta Pauptit's kennel, who -in turn- produced the founding mother of 'von Katwiga', because in 1960, after a year waiting, Erika Rödde acquired Yasmin van de Oranje Manege who's litters (the first in 1963) were the solid foundation for further breeding of her beloved type. More than a hundred definitive champions were bred by Mrs. Rödde, as of 1996 together with daughter Silvia who then became co-owner of the kennel. Their breeding stopped in 2010.
  Mrs. Wilfriede Schwerm-Hahne from Germany will present this kennel.



• Which country would be more suited to observe their developments in the breed than the United Kingdom. Sources clearly indicate that the UK was the first western world country where Afghan Hounds showed up.
  We all know about Ghazni and Bell-Murray; it happened there, followed by the first breed standard. Since then we came a long way.
  Almost a hundred years after the first structured imports will breeder/judge Lesley Busby give an update of the Afghan Hound scene in the UK. It will cover a look back and ends nowadays in the twenty-first century.



• What would an Afghan Hound be without its typical and wonderful head. It combines function and beauty whilst indicating the irresistible noble and proud appearance. The head catches ones eye and character and spirit are expressed in the look, the spectator will receive.
  The standard describes it nicely but there is more to say about this determining body part.
  Regina Tromp-Pruyn will lead the audience on a trip from nose tip to neck and explain the how and why's. In her own words: "It's time to face the face."



• Afghan Hounds are spread all over the world. In certain parts there is a lot of information and knowledge available but for other parts this is not always very obvious. It is nevertheless very interesting to learn more about what's happening with the breed in the more remote countries.
  Jaime Ganoza from Peru and involved in Afghan Hounds for many years will inform us about the breed in Latino América which includes South - and Middle America and Mexico.



• Applications for the following congress are open and if more than one comes in, the congress will discuss the bids and make a decision.


More details to follow.