Saluki

Saluki breeders can be found here

Alternative Name

Arabian Hound Gazelle Hound Persian Greyhound Persian Sighthound

Basic Info

Modern Salukis retain the qualities of hunting hounds. They may appear reserved and uninterested. They learn quickly but can get bored with repetition, so training sessions should be short and varied. This breed needs regular exercise, but behave quietly indoors. They do not bark much but "sing" when they feel that something is wrong or when a member of the family is away for a long period of time. They get along well with children, but must be respected when they want to be left alone and rest. They have a fairly long life span, living an average of 12-13 years.

Behavior

Modern dogs retain the qualities of hunting hounds. They may appear reserved and uninterested. They learn quickly but can get bored with repetition, so training sessions should be short and varied. This breed need regular exercise, but behave quietly indoors. They do not bark much but "sing" when they feel that something is wrong or when a member of the family is away for a long period of time. They get along well with children, but must be respected when they want to be left alone and rest. They have a fairly long life span, living an average of 12-13 years. Sensitive and intelligent, they should never be trained using force or hard-handed methods. They are usually quiet and don't bark unless there is a reason.

Origin

Middle East

History

They are commonly known as the Royal dog of Egypt, is perhaps the oldest known breed of domesticated dog. This breed appears on the Egyptian tombs of 2100 B.C. and was so esteemed that his body was often mummified like the bodies of the Pharaohs themselves. Many early stone inscriptions depict the young King Tutankhamen hunting with his pair of royal Salukis. The remains of numerous specimens have been found in the ancient tombs of the Upper Nile region. They have historically served as a courser, a speedy hunting dog that operated in packs. Bedouin valued them highly and wanted them to be beautiful and to possess hunting qualities. They slept with their owners in their tents to be protected from the heat of the day and the cold of the night. As the desert tribes were nomadic, the habitat comprised the entire region from the Caspian Sea to the Sahara. Naturally the types varied somewhat in this widely scattered area-mostly in size and coat. They were first brought into England in 1840 and were known as Persian Greyhounds. There was no real interest however, until the Hon. Florence Amherst imported the first Arabian Saluki in 1895 from the kennels of Prince Abdulla in Transjordania. In Persian-speaking countries the Saluki is called the tazi, or "one who gallops." As is the case with some other pedigree breeds in the United States, including the Basenji and Portuguese Podengo, the current population of this breed is descended from a small number of founders introduced into the country within the last 100 years, and must be carefully mated to avoid inbreeding. However, the original dogs imported into the US came from throughout the whole Middle East, a vast geographical area, unlike most other breeds that come from very small areas, so salukis have the largest genetic base among purebreds. Recently, the AKC (American Kennel Club) has allowed the third generation of COO (Country of Origin) salukis to be registered after inspections by recognized judges so the DNA base will increase even more as more dogs are imported.