TRANSLATIONMrs. Peggy Davis.COUNTRY OF ORIGINMali.PATRONAGE COUNTRYFrance.DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL STANDARD22.08.1994.UTILIZATIONSight hunting. The nomads considered the dog equally as a "show piece" and as a companion.F.C.I. CLASSIFICATIONGroup 10Section 3 : Short-haired SighthoundsWithout working trial.BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARYIt is an African sighthound of afro-asian type which appeared in Europe towards 1970 and comes from the Nigerian middle basin, among others from the valley of the Azawakh. For hundreds of years he has been the companion of the nomads of the South-Sahara.GENERAL APPEARANCEParticularly leggy and elegant, the Azawakh sighthound gives a general impression of great fineness. His bone structure and musculature is transparent beneath fine and lean tissues (skin). This sighthound presents itself as a rangy dog whose body fits into a rectangle with its longer sides in vertical position.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONSLength of body/height at the withers9 : 10. This ratio may be slightly superior in the bitches.Height of chest/height at the withersabout 4 : 10.Length of muzzle/length of head1 : 2.Width of skull/length of head4 : 10.BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENTQuick, attentive, distant, reserved with strangers and may even be savage, but he can be gentle and affectionate with those he is willing to accept.HEADLong, fine, lean and chiselled, rather narrow, without excess.CRANIAL REGIONThe skull is almost flat, rather elongated. The width of the skull must definitely be inferior to half the length of the head. The directions of the axes of the skull and the muzzle are often slightly divergent towards the front. The superciliary arches and the frontal furrow are slightly marked. On the other hand, the occipital crest is clearly protruding and the occipital protuberance marked.StopVery slightly marked.FACIAL REGIONNoseNostrils well opened. The nose is either black or brown.MuzzleLong, straight, fine towards the front without exaggeration.JawsLong and strong.CheeksFlat.TeethScissor bite.EyesAlmond shaped, quite large. Their colour is dark or amber. Eyelids pigmented.EarsSet quite high. They are fine, always drooping and flat, quite wide at the base, close to the skull, never a "rose ear". Their shape is that of a triangle with a slightly rounded tip. Their base raises when the hound is attentive.NECKGood reach of neck which is long, fine and muscular, slightly arched. The skin is fine and does not form a dewlap.BODYToplineNearly straight, horizontal or rising towards the hips.WithersQuite prominent.LoinShort, lean and often slightly arched.HipbonesDistincly protrunding and always placed at an equal or superior height to the height of the withers.CroupOblique without accentuated slant.ForechestNot very wide.ChestWell developed in length, deep but without reaching elbow level. It is not very wide but must have enough space for the heart, so, the sternal region of the chest must not abruptly become narrow.RibsLong, visible, slightly and evenly curved down to the sternum.UnderlineThe sternal arch is accentuated and joined without abruptness to the belly which tucked up very high below the lumbar arch.TailSet low, long, thin, lean and tapered. Is covered with the same type of hair as that of the body and has a white brush at its extremity. Is carried hanging with the tip slightly raised, but when the dog is excited, it can be carried above the horizontal.QUARTERS FOREQUARTERSSeen as a wholeLong, fine, almost entirely vertical; set perfectly well-set.ShouldersLong, lean and muscular and only slightly slanting seen in profile. The scapulo-humeral angle is very open (about 130o).FeetRounded shape, with fine and thighly closed toes; the pads are pigmented.HINDQUARTERSSeen as a wholeLong and lean; legs perfectly vertical.ThighsLong with prominent and lean muscles. The coxo-femoral angle is very open (about 130o).StifleThe femoro-tibial angle is very open (about 145o).HockHockjoint and hock are straight and lean, without dewclaws.FeetRound shaped - Pads are pigmented.GAIT - MOVEMENTAlways very supple (lissom) and with particularly high action at the trot and the walk. The galop is bouncy. The Azawakh gives a great impression of lightness, even elasticity. The movement is an essential point of the breed.SKINFine, tight over the whole of the body.COATHAIRShort, fine, down to none on the belly.COLOURFawn with flecking limited to the extremities. All shades are admitted from light sable to dark fawn. The head may or may not have a black mask and the blaze is very inconsistent. The coat has a white bib and a white brush at the tip of the tail.Each of the four limbs must have compulsorily a white "stocking", at least in shape of a trace on the feet. The black brindling is admitted.SIZED AND WEIGHTHEIGHT AT THE WITHERSDogsbetween 64 and 74 cmBitchesbetween 60 and 70 cmWEIGHTDogsabout 20 - 25 kgBitchesabout 15 - 20 kgFAULTSAny departure from the foregoing should be considered a fault and the seriousness of which shall be penalised in exact proportion to its degree.- General appearance : heavy.- Body too long.- Skull too wide.- Accentuated Stop.- Hipbones placed distincly lower than the withers.- Distinct depigmentation of the nose.ELIMINATING FAULTS- Lack of type (in particular when showing a recent crossing with another breed).- Size out by more than 3 cm from the standard measures.- Strong non-accidental anatomical deformation.- Disabling anomaly - not acquired.- All obvious redhibitory vices.- Ribs curving in at the base of the chest which thus takes on the look of a "violin box".- Upper or lower prognathism.- Harsh or semi-long coat.- Coat not conforming to the standard.- Absence of any white marking at the extremity of one or more limbs.- Light eye : i.e. bird of prey eyes.- Timid character, panicky or aggressive with attack.N.B.Males should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.