Azawakh

A healthy Azawakh typically lives 12-15 years, which is long for a dog of its size and reflects that this is a hardy, primitive breed with a short hereditary disease list rather than a fragile one. The main things that pull a dog below that range are unscreened cardiac disease, untreated hypothyroidism, and the rare neurological conditions. A lean, well-exercised Azawakh whose vet uses sighthound anesthesia protocols generally has an uneventful, long life.

Almost certainly not. The Azawakh is meant to be dramatically lean: visible ribs, visible hip bones, a deep tuck-up, and muscle and bone showing under a paper-thin coat are the breed standard, not signs of neglect. Roughly 17% body fat is normal here. The common and genuinely harmful mistake is feeding an Azawakh up to look like a typical dog — that extra weight stresses joints and heart. If you are unsure, have a vet body-score the dog rather than guessing.

It requires a specific protocol, not avoidance. Like all sighthounds, the Azawakh metabolizes common anesthetic and sedative drugs differently, and with so little body fat it loses heat fast and recovers slowly. A vet using a sighthound-appropriate protocol with active warming handles this routinely and safely. The danger is a general-practice clinic treating it like an average dog. Tell every vet it is a sighthound before any sedation, dental, or surgery, and have it noted in the medical record.

With their own family they are intensely loyal and affectionate, and they can be very good with children they are raised with. With strangers they are naturally aloof and reserved and retain a real guarding instinct from their camp-protection heritage — this is normal breed behavior, not aggression, but it means early, patient, positive socialization is essential. Expect a dog that is devoted at home and slow to warm to visitors. If you want an instantly friendly dog, this is not that breed.

It is a sprinter, not an endurance dog. It needs regular opportunities to run hard at speed in a securely fenced area — it will chase moving things and will not recall once it has locked onto a sighting, so off-lead in open ground is unsafe. Between sprints it is a notably calm, low-energy housemate that loves soft bedding and human contact. Plan for short bursts of intense running plus daily walks, rather than long jogging sessions.

Comparatively, yes. Because it developed in a harsh, closed environment under natural selection rather than heavy show breeding, the Azawakh has a short list of known hereditary concerns — chiefly cardiac disease, hypothyroidism, and a few neurological conditions like Wobbler and seizures — rather than a long one. The honest caveat is the anesthesia and leanness management above, which are handling issues, not illnesses. Choose a breeder who screens hearts and thyroid, and most Azawakhs are robust, long-lived dogs.