The Azawakh temperament makes her an interesting dog. And her appearance is certainly enough to turn heads! One thing's for sure, there's nothing quite like a life with an Azawakh!
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The Azawakh Temperament and Personality
The best way to decide whether the Azawakh is the right dog for you and your family is to learn more about the Azawakh temperament.
What follows is a list of some of those traits that make the Azawakh the special dog she is.
Summer Lovin'
The Azawakh temperament can tolerate long periods in the sun, even when the temperature rises above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, this doesn't mean you should leave her outside in extreme temperatures, not by any means.
However, if you need a companion for a long day of jogging in warmer temperatures, the Azawakh is your buddy.
On a related note, some Azawakhs actually dislike cold or rainy weather. This is why they do much better in warmer climates.
Affectionate
The Azawakh is an affectionate animal, but not always right off the bat. She has to accept you first, then she will eventually come around to love.
While she is not typically aggressive with strangers, she may still be a little apprehensive around them. She won’t attack humans or other animals unless she feels threatened.
An Elephant's Memory
The Azawakh has a great memory. She will remember things for a very long time, and she will never forget you once she gets to know you.
Unfortunately, this may also mean that once she learns a bad trait, you'll have to train her for twice as long on what the right thing is to do instead. She'll keep remembering, for instance, that she should climb up on the window to see who's at the door, when you've repeatedly told her to keep off the furniture.
Just be persistent and consistent, and she'll get it…eventually.
Protective
The Azawakh's origin is in protecting the herd, and so she is still protective today. However, she prefers to be independent of her owner, which is a trait unlike that of most guard dogs.
She's not aggressive with her protective methods, though. Mostly, she is calm and gentle, so long as no one provokes her.
She's a Trooper
Perhaps because of her background as a hunting dog, the Azawakh has the ability to withstand a lot of pain. Therefore, if you feel like something may be wrong with your dog, you should take her to the vet ASAP.
With this breed, you really have to trust your gut. She may not always tell you something's wrong, but you should know your dog well enough to know when something is off.
Strong Prey Drive
Since the Azawakh has a strong prey drive, she is usually aloof with stranger dogs or other animals with which she is unfamiliar. However, the sooner you can introduce an Azawakh puppy to your children and other pets, the more likely she will be to form a bond with them.
For this reason, in some cases it just doesn't work out to adopt an older Azawakh. She may never grow comfortable with new people and pets unless she met them at a younger age.
Not Ideal for Younger Children
The Azawakh won’t go out of her way to play with children. This isn’t to say that she can't be around children, just that she won't jump and play with them the way a child might expect her to. Otherwise, she makes a good family companion.
No Changes, Please
The Azawakh temperament doesn’t adjust well to changes, so if you're thinking about mov