I have to admit that, although I've come across many cute and lovable smaller dog breeds, my heart remains firmly in the large dog breed camp. I do understand that for many people their living arrangements don't allow them to have a large dog, with its accompanying need for exercise.

I'll look at small dog breeds in the next post but right now here are my 5 favorite large dog breeds.

The Afghan Hound

The Afghan Hound is elegance personified.

This unique, ancient dog breed has an appearance quite unlike any other.

The Afghan Hound has a dramatic silky coat and what could be described as an exotic face.

Its thin build and elegant, prancing walk remind you of nothing less than a top fashion-model strutting his or her stuff on the catwalk. As well as looking beautiful, Afghan enthusiasts describe their pet as both aloof and comical.

Hailing from Afghanistan, where the original name for the breed was Tazi, the Afghan is thought to date back to the pre-Christian era and is considered one of the oldest breeds of dog still contemporary.