The Afghan hound is a hound that is one of the oldest dog breeds in existence. Distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end, the breed acquired its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan and east of Iran where it was originally used to hunt hares and gazelles by coursing them. Other alternate names for this breed are kuchi hound, tāzī, balkh hound, baluchi hound, barutzy hound, shalgar hound, kabul hound, galanday hound, or sometimes incorrectly African hound.