Differences and Similarities between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog.

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Afghan Hound Versus Icelandic Sheepdog: Introduction

Are you thinking of getting a new pet dog, and you have narrowed down your choices to the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog? Well, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will provide you a detailed comparison of these two dog breeds to help you decide which of the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog better suits you.

We will provide you a detailed discussion and comparison of dog attributes such as intelligence, price, general health, friendliness, etc, for both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog.

Furthermore, we will let you know which one of the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog is better suited for new dog owners, for owners with kids, for owners that live in apartments, for owners with dog allergies, etc.

Importantly, we did some analysis and calculation and we obtained a number that we call the Better-Pet Score™ for both the Afghan Hound and for the Icelandic Sheepdog. The dog breed with the higher Better-Pet score is the `better` pet. We hope that these Better-Pet Scores will provide you more insight into deciding which pet to get between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog.

Our only goal here is to help you make a well-thought-out decision on your next long-term companion, be it the Afghan Hound or the Icelandic Sheepdog

Afghan Hound versus Icelandic Sheepdog: Overview

A very important difference between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog is the size difference between the two dog breeds. The Afghan Hound is a large-sized dog while the Icelandic Sheepdog is a medium-sized dog.

Furthermore, the Afghan Hound belongs to the Hound Dogs group. Hound Dogs were bred to pursue and hunt warm-blooded animals. Hounds hunt by using their good sight or their good sense of smell. Dogs that belong to the Hound Group have strong prey drives and often will stop at nothing to catch what they are pursuing.

On the other hand, the Icelandic Sheepdog belongs to the Herding Dogs group. Herding Dogs were bred for moving livestock, including sheep, cattle, and even reindeer. Herding dogs work closely with their human shepherds, and their natural intelligence and responsiveness make them highly trainable. They have high levels of energy, which needs to be channeled properly to prevent destructive behavior. Herding breeds are protective of their people and property and make excellent watchdogs. Their intelligence, agility, and activity level make them well suited to dog sports.

Afghan Hound versus Icelandic Sheepdog: Comparison Table

The table below compares the Afghan Hound to the Icelandic Sheepdog based on different important factors such as Price, Health, Kid-friendliness, etc.

When a dog breed scores higher for a factor than the other dog breed, the box of the breed that scores higher is shaded green and the box of the breed that scores lower is shaded red. When there is no difference between the breeds for a particular factor then the box is shaded gray for both pets. Also, when the factor is not important in picking a pet, or when the factor cannot be compared between two pets, the box for the factor is shaded gray for both pets

Most of the factors in the table for each dog breed are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5. “1” means “worst”, and “5” means “best”.

However, some factors such as “Price”, “Average Lifespan”, etc. cannot be on a scale of 1 to 5, so they are not on a scale of 1 to 5 in the comparison table.

Factor Afghan Hound Icelandic Sheepdog
Does NOT Drool 5/5 5/5
Easy To Groom 1/5 1/5
Potential NOT to Gain Weight 5/5 3/5
Easy To Train 1/5 3/5
Life Span 10 to 12 years 14 to 15 years
Tolerates Being Alone 2/5 2/5
Friendly Toward Strangers 2/5 2/5
Does NOT Bark or Howl 4/5 5/5
Calmness/ Low Vigor 4/5 1/5
Height 24 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder 16 to 18 inchestall at the shoulder
Good For Novice Owners 3/5 1/5
General Health 3/5 3/5
Does NOT chew on things 3/5 3/5
Dog Friendly 4/5 2/5
Does NOT Shed 2/5 1/5
Intelligence 4/5 4/5
Minimal Exercise Needs 2/5 2/5
Potential For Playfulness 4/5 4/5
Adapts Well To Apartment Living 5/5 1/5
Easygoing 1/5 3/5
Tolerates Cold Weather 5/5 5/5
Tolerates Hot Weather 5/5 3/5
Affectionate With Family 5/5 4/5
Kid-Friendly 5/5 4/5
Low Prey Drive 1/5 2/5
Tendency NOT to Wander 1/5 2/5
NOT Rambunctious 1/5 2/5
Weight 50 to 60 pounds 20 to 30 pounds
Average Lifespan 11.0 years 14.5 years
Average Price $2390 No Data
Price Range $2250 – $2500 No Data
Common Health Problems and Recommended Health Tests
  • Autoimmune thyroiditis
  • Eye Examination- minimum age 12 months
  • Hip Dysplasia
    		•
  • Autoimmune thyroiditis
  • Cardiac Evaluation
  • DNA Repository
  • Elbow Dysplasia
  • Eye Examination
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Multiple Drug Sensitivity
  • Patellar Luxation
    		•
    Popularity out of 200 Dog Breeds 105 145

    *Data from dogtime.com, OFA.org (The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), petcalculator.com, wikipedia.org

    Next, we added the scores of the factors that can be added together for the Afghan Hound in the table (that is, `Ease of Grooming` score + `General Health` score + `Calmness` score + …etc) and we compared it to the corresponding total score for the Icelandic Sheepdog. We call these total scores the Better-Pet Scores, as we mentioned earlier. We called this score the Better-Pet score because the better dog breed will have a higher score. This is because the pet will the higher score will have minimal needs and be easier to have as a pet.

    The Better-Pet score for a Afghan Hound is 78 out of 125 while the Better-Pet score for a Icelandic Sheepdog is 68 out of 125.

    Based on their Better-Pet scores, the Afghan Hound is a better pet than the Icelandic Sheepdog. So, you should get the Afghan Hound!

    Although we have done our best to analyze these two dog breeds in a very unbiased way, however, we will like to let you know that there are some dog attributes that cannot be assigned a number for comparison. We cannot put a number on how cute a dog breed is, for example. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

    Also, the dog breed that best suits you will depend on your peculiar lifestyle, your taste, and your priorities, which we do not know. So, for you to decide on which breed is right for you, read through the rest of the article to further understand both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog so that you can make your own well-informed decision on which pet to get.

    The Most Remarkable Differences Between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog

    Below is a list of where the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are most different:

  • Afghan Hounds do the things they do with very low vigor. They are not forceful. However, Icelandic Sheepdogs do things with high intensity. They can be very forceful.
  • Afghan Hounds adapt well to apartment living. However, Icelandic Sheepdogs do not adapt well to apartment living.

    • The Similarities Between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog

    The Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are very similar in certain aspects. Below is the list of where the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are most similar:

  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog do not have the tendency to drool.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog require a lot of grooming and are not very easy to groom.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog do not like to be left alone.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are not very friendly towards strangers.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are not very vocal. They have very low tendency to bark and howl.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are highly intelligent.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog require a lot of exercise. They are good for owners who like to exercise.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are very playful.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog can tolerate cold weather.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog have a high prey drive. They do not get along well with other pets.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.
  • Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog have very high energy levels. They need a lot of exercise time to release their high energy.

    • Size (Weight and Height) of Afghan Hound versus Icelandic Sheepdog

    Now, let us discuss the difference in size between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog.

    Afghan Hounds weigh 50 to 60 pounds when fully grown. Afghan Hounds are 24 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder when fully grown.

    On the other hand, Icelandic Sheepdogs weigh 20 to 30 pounds when fully grown. Icelandic Sheepdogs are 16 to 18 inchestall at the shoulder when fully grown.

    The Popularity of Afghan Hound versus Popularity of Icelandic Sheepdog

    Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds. The AKC collects this data for purebred dogs only(no mixed or hybrid dogs).

    The graphs and the table below show the popularity of the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog over the years.

    Based on the AKC popularity data over the years, the Afghan Hound is more popular with dog owners than the Icelandic Sheepdog. This is because, over the years, the average popularity of the Afghan Hound is 105 out of about 200 dog breeds while the average popularity of the Icelandic Sheepdog is 145 out of about 200 dog breeds.

    Popularity of Afghan Hound

    Popularity of Afghan Hound

    Popularity of Icelandic Sheepdog

    Popularity of Icelandic Sheepdog

    Year Afghan Hound Popularity Rank Icelandic Sheepdog Popularity Rank
    2013 95 142
    2014 98 146
    2015 100 140
    2016 113 153
    2017 93 144
    2018 113 155
    2019 111 132
    2020 122 154

    Health Problems of Afghan Hound versus Health Problems of Icelandic Sheepdog

    Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it has a tendency to develop. Therefore, there is nothing like a perfect puppy.

    Both the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog are prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is the organization that keeps track of health problems in dogs. Based on the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop. Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening that breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.

    The more health problems a dog breed is prone to develop, the more health tests the OFA will recommend for that dog breed.

    Based on our review of OFA records, we found that the Icelandic Sheepdog is prone to more genetic health problems than the Afghan Hound.

    This is because the OFA recommends more screening health tests for the Icelandic Sheepdog than for the Afghan Hound.

    3 health tests are recommended for Afghan Hound while 8 tests are recommended for the Icelandic Sheepdog.

    Below is a detailed discussion of health problems in Afghan Hounds and in Icelandic Sheepdogs.

    Afghan Hound Health Problems

    Afghan Hounds are genetically prone to certain health problems. However, breeders can reduce the chances of producing Afghan Hound puppies with genetic defects by making sure that a puppy`s parents are free from genetic health problems before allowing the parent to make puppies.

    The OFA provides breeders recommendations on which genetic diseases that breeders should screen their dog parents and puppies for.

    If you want a Afghan Hound puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Afghan Hound breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.

    The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Afghan Hounds for:

  • Autoimmune thyroiditis
  • Eye Examination- minimum age 12 months
  • Hip Dysplasia

    • You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Afghan Hounds here.

    Icelandic Sheepdog Health Problems

    Icelandic Sheepdogs are genetically prone to certain health problems. However, breeders can reduce the chances of producing Icelandic Sheepdog puppies with genetic defects by making sure that a puppy`s parents are free from genetic health problems before allowing the parent to make puppies.

    The OFA provides breeders recommendations on which genetic diseases that breeders should screen their dog parents and puppies for.

    If you want a Icelandic Sheepdog puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Icelandic Sheepdog breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.

    The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Icelandic Sheepdogs for:

  • Autoimmune thyroiditis
  • Cardiac Evaluation
  • DNA Repository
  • Elbow Dysplasia
  • Eye Examination
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Multiple Drug Sensitivity
  • Patellar Luxation

    • You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Icelandic Sheepdogs here.

    Which one drools more, the Afghan Hound or the Icelandic Sheepdog

    Afghan Hounds do have a very low tendency to drool.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs do have a very low tendency to drool.

    Which is Easier to Groom, the Afghan Hound or the Icelandic Sheepdog?

    Afghan Hounds require a lot of grooming and they are not very easy to groom.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs require a lot of grooming and they are not very easy to groom.

    Is the Afghan Hound Easier to Train than the Icelandic Sheepdog?

    Afghan Hounds are not easy to train.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs are fairly easy to train.

    Tolerates Being Alone: Afghan Hound versus Icelandic Sheepdog

    Afghan Hounds do not like to be left alone.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs do not like to be left alone.

    Do Afghan Hounds Bark and Howl? What about Icelandic Sheepdogs?

    Afghan Hounds are not very vocal. They do not tend to bark and howl.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs are not very vocal. They do not tend to bark and howl.

    Which is Better for New Dog Owners, the Afghan Hound or the Icelandic Sheepdog?

    Afghan Hounds are OK for new dog owners.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs are not the best dogs for new dog owners.

    Which Dog Breed is more Dog-Friendly, the Afghan Hound or the Icelandic Sheepdog?

    Afghan Hounds get along very well with other dogs.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs do not get along well with other dogs.

    Do Afghan Hounds shed more than Icelandic Sheepdogs?

    Afghan Hounds shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs shed. They are not recommended for people with dog allergies.

    Is the Afghan Hound Better for Apartment Owners than the Icelandic Sheepdog?

    Afghan Hounds adapt very well to apartment living.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs do not adapt well to apartment living.

    Can Afghan Hounds Tolerate Cold Weather? And can Icelandic Sheepdogs Tolerate Cold Weather?

    Afghan Hounds can very well tolerate cold weather.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs can very well tolerate cold weather.

    Can Afghan Hounds Tolerate Hot Weather? Can Icelandic Sheepdogs Tolerate Hot Weather?

    Afghan Hounds can tolerate hot weather.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs can tolerate hot weather as long as the weather is not too hot.

    Are Afghan Hounds good family dogs? What about Icelandic Sheepdogs?

    Afghan Hounds are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.

    How Kid-friendly are Afghan Hounds and Icelandic Sheepdogs?

    Afghan Hounds get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.

    Does the Afghan Hound Have a Higher Prey Drive than the Icelandic Sheepdog?

    Afghan Hounds have a high prey drive. They have the tendency to chase after smaller animals and pets. They do not get along well with other pets.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs have a high prey drive. They have the tendency to chase after smaller animals and pets. They do not get along well with other pets.

    Wanderlust Potential: Afghan Hound vs. Icelandic Sheepdog

    Afghan Hounds have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.

    Icelandic Sheepdogs have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.

    Other Dog Breeds That are Similar to the Afghan Hound

    Furthermore, there are other dog breeds that are very similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog that you can consider on your quest to get the best pet.

    We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds have similar personality and temperament as the Icelandic Sheepdog:

  • Kai Ken (78 percent match with Icelandic Sheepdog). Here is our comparison of the Afghan Hound vs Kai Ken.
  • Scottish Deerhound (75 percent match with Icelandic Sheepdog). Here is our comparison of the Afghan Hound vs Scottish Deerhound.

    • Other Dog Breeds That are Similar to the Icelandic Sheepdog

    Furthermore, there are other dog breeds that are very similar to the Afghan Hound that you can consider on your quest to get the best pet.

    We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds have similar personality and temperament as the Afghan Hound:

  • Bedlington Terrier (69 percent match with Afghan Hound). Here is our comparison of the Icelandic Sheepdog vs Bedlington Terrier.
  • Standard Schnauzer (72 percent match with Afghan Hound). Here is our comparison of the Icelandic Sheepdog vs Standard Schnauzer.

    • Other Breed Comparisons that Might Interest You

    You may also be interested in how the Afghan Hound and how the Icelandic Sheepdog compares to other breeds. So, see below the comparison of the Afghan Hound and of the Icelandic Sheepdog to other breeds:

    Afghan Hound Versus Other Dog Breeds

    Afghan Hound versus Bordoodle     Afghan Hound versus Italian Greyhound     Afghan Hound versus Chinese Shar-Pei     Afghan Hound versus Estrela Mountain Dog     Afghan Hound versus Saint Berdoodle     Afghan Hound versus Mudi     Afghan Hound versus Mudi     Afghan Hound versus Pug          Afghan Hound versus American Water Spaniel     

    Icelandic Sheepdog Versus Other Dog Breeds

    Icelandic Sheepdog versus Beagle     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Bull Terrier     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Silky Terrier     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Rhodesian Ridgeback     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Kai Ken     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Black Mouth Cur     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Karelian Bear Dog     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Karelian Bear Dog     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Doberman Pinscher     Icelandic Sheepdog versus Belgian Malinois     

    Conclusion: Afghan Hound versus Icelandic Sheepdog. Which One is a Better Pet?

    In summary, there is nothing like a better dog breed or a worse dog breed. The important question to ask is which dog breed better matches your interests and lifestyle. We hope our discussion above will help you in deciding which dog breed between the Afghan Hound and the Icelandic Sheepdog better suits you and your family.