Salukis

Description

The Saluki is a medium-sized breed with a long and regal history. This breed is considered by many to be the oldest in the world. The royal dog of Egypt, the Saluki originated in the Middle East where their bodies have been found mummified alongside Pharaohs. Their pictures have been found on Egyptian tombs that date from 2100 BC.

The Saluki's appearance is quite distinct. The breed is slim, much like a greyhound with long, feathering in several places, including its tail and ears. A rather rare variety has smooth hair and no feathering. The head itself is narrow and proportioned. It tapers gradually toward the nose, which is long and somewhat pointed. The ears are long and hang down, while the jaws are sturdy. The eyes are typically light to dark brown. The body of the Saluki is elongated with muscular shoulders. Its feet are designed for rough ground with thick hair found between the toes.

The Saluki is known for its even-temper, but sensitive nature. They can be rather gentle and affectionate, but they are not overly demonstrative. Known as very loyal, this particular breed tends to become attached to one person. They can, however, endure themselves to an entire family rather easily. Salukis are not impossible to train, but they are never considered perfectly disciplined.

Natural born hunters, the Saluki have been used on the hunt for ages. Arabs have long used the breed to hunt gazelle. The dogs are known for their incredible speeds, endurance and rather unusual gait. When running at full tilt, they carry all four legs off the ground at the same time.

Although considered a good companion dog, the Saluki is typically not thought to be good for apartment living. They need room to roam and run. They tend to be rather docile inside, but are alert. They make good watchdogs, but not guard dogs. It is sometimes recommended that Saluki not be introduced into homes with dogs other than other Saluki. Small pets, such as hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs do not fare well with a Saluki in the house. Cats tend to hold their own.

The Saluki is considered a high maintenance breed on the love, affection and training end, but rather easy on the grooming. They are fairly clean and do not shed very much. Simple brushing or combing and bathing as needed tends to work extremely well.

With a long, regal history and an appearance that is rather distinct, the Saluki has been a favorite breed of many for centuries. Natural born hunters with a beautiful multi-colored coat in many cases, this breed is considered to be a gift from Allah by the Arabs

Saluki Puppies

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Coat Description

The Saluki is known for its smooth and silky coat. There is typically a slight feather on the legs, at the back of the thighs and on the shoulders. They tend to have long hair on their ears, as well. A rare variety of the Saluki has no feathering at all. The coat is generally odor-free and easy to maintain. The dog is known for its low propensity to shed. It generally requires very little grooming care.

History

The history of the Saluki is long and storied. The breed is believed by many to be among the oldest-if not the oldest-in the world. Salukis have been found buried and mummified alongside Pharaohs in Egypt and their images have been found on Egyptian tombs that date back to 2100 B.C.

The Arabs consider this breed to be a gift from Allah. Their place in this culture is such that Salukis are cherished, household dwellers in countries where other dogs are considered unclean and unworthy. They breed has long been dubbed "el hor," which means the noble by the Arabs.

Salukis have been revered through the ages. They are renowned for their speeds, agility, endurance and extreme hunting skills. The breed has long been used to hunt in harsh desert terrain and is particularly noted for its ability to track and kill gazelle.

Although still revered by Arabs, the Saluki breed has made its way around the world. This breed is known for its incredible showing at agility trials and in lure coursing. They are still consummate hunters as many an owner has found out the hard way. A bit difficult to train and perhaps never fully obedient, the Saluki's long and storied history is still being added to today. The breed is recognized by a number of organizations around the world.

Temperament

Intelligent, even-tempered and rather sensitive, the Saluki is known as a good companion dog. It does tend to attach itself to a single person, but can get along well with an entire family.

Known for its almost regal attitude, the Saluki can seem aloof to some. For those who love a dog that will remain rather calm while indoors, the Saluki is ideal after proper training. They are known for being very gentle indoors, but fast and agile outdoors. Their natural endurance and speed make the breed ideal for hunting. Salukis are very good watchdogs, who will quickly warn of an intruder. They are not known for being overly aggressive with people, however, and typically will not attack.

Salukis are considered quite trainable, but they do require a gentle, firm hand especially in the puppy stage. If young Salukis are not properly trained and socialized, a well-adjusted adult cannot be expected. They require human affection and activity to ensure acts of defiance are kept at a minimum. Boredom can lead to destruction of shoes, furniture and more-especially with puppies.

The natural hunting instincts the Saluki display are quite strong. It is for this reason the breed is considered a bit defiant on training. It is nearly impossible to train the hunting instinct out of the dog, but most owners do not wish to do that anyway. It is very strongly recommended Salukis be housed in homes with fenced in yards and not be allowed to run off a leash in unsafe areas. If a Saluki gets loose to chase a small animal, getting it to come back can be rather difficult, if not impossible, until they manage to catch and kill the object of their attention.

Salukis are considered acceptable in homes with children. It is, however, suggested the children be older and well behaved. Salukis do not withstand rough play very well.

Health Problems

The Saluki is considered a very healthy breed overall. There are a few potential medical conditions that might be a concern. The appearance of these is known for the breed, but not highly common. They are:

Hemangiosarcoma: This is a form of cancer that is blood-fed. The vessels grow into the tumor, which is typically filled with blood. If the tumor ruptures, it can cause the dog to bleed to death rather quickly. Oftentimes, the tumor is not discovered until it is too late.

Cardiomyopathy: This is a disease of the heart muscle. It can lead to death.

Eye problems: They are subject to some genetic eye conditions.

Sunburn: Salukis can and do sunburn. This is of particular concern on their long, tapered noses. Care should be exercised to protect them from too much exposure. This is one of the reasons why they are recommended for indoor living and outdoor playing.

Grooming

The Saluki is known for its smooth, silky coat. It tends to be one of the easier breeds to keep properly groomed for this reason. The Saluki needs a full brushing or combing in the feathery areas only about once or twice a week. The smooth-coated variety only really requires a rubdown for proper care. On the shedding scale, the Saluki tends to be very house-friendly. They shed very little.

Salukis are loved for their virtually odor-free coats. They only require minimal grooming care. It is smart, however, to at least carefully inspect a dog's coat, ears, eyes and feet at least once a week.

Bathing Salukis need only take place as needed. They do not need a regular bathing routine. It is best to wait for them to feel or look like they need it to avoid drying out their skin. It is also wise to keep them out of prolonged sun exposure. Their snouts are prone to burns.

When bathing Salukis, select a shampoo that has been created for dogs. Many dog owners opt for human shampoos because of their smells, but these are not right for a dog's sensitive skin.

Since Salukis tend to run a lot, they might not require nail care beyond weekly inspections for breaks or other problems. If they are not run on hard surfaces, however, the nails might need to be clipped from time to time.

With a fairly smooth coat, the Saluki is a very easy breed to groom. Beyond the ears and other feather points, rubdowns or combing is typically all that is needed to keep them looking beautifully regal.

Exercise

The Saluki requires a lot of exercise. They are natural-born runners that enjoy the thrill of the chase as much as they love a successful hunt. With top speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, the Saluki is not a breed that should be left unattended, or unleashed, in unsafe areas.

Salukis are known for completely ignoring owner and handler calls when they are in pursuit of prey. With this in mind, many owners make sure their Salukis are never left off a leash when outside of fenced-in areas. Fences, by the way, need to be at least five feet high, as these dogs are quite good jumpers, as well. It is very important to make sure Salukis don't get out of an owner's control. Those who escape are in danger of getting lost or getting into accidents.

At least two good, long walks (runs) a day is the minimum requirement for Saluki exercise in most cases. They tend to enjoy hunt training and agility training, as well.

Backyard play can involve agility exercises with running included. This can serve well to get them out and properly exercised when a full-tilt run isn't practical. Many Saluki owners ride their bicycles alongside their dogs (on the leash) to allow for a good run for the dog. These canines can easily out run and even outlast most people, so they might try to take the lead if owners attempt to run with them.

Salukis also do incredibly well with lure coursing. They simply love to exercise their legs, gain top speed and chase. When these three things are combined into exercise, they are truly their happiest.

Salukis tend to be very docile and fairly well behaved indoors. Outside, however, they like to run, really like to run. Owners who provide plenty of opportunity for this find they have happy dogs.

Training

Salukis are thought to be very intelligent and quite trainable-to a point. This very spirited breed will respond quite well to obedience training in controlled situations. In open fields, however, they will very typically not respond to their handler's calls at all. This is especially the case if they have their sights set on a small animal.

With incredibly adept natural hunting skills, these dogs are often considered civilized, but quite defiant in certain circumstances. It is nearly impossible, if not completely undesirable, to try and train the hunting instincts out of this breed.

Puppies must be trained and socialized early. They are subject to fits of defiance and destruction if they are not given proper amounts of exercise and affection. If they are trained and exercised, however, they are practically perfect while indoors.

Salukis respond very well to endurance training and love lure coursing. They are also readily suited for tracking and other hunting-related activities. They exceed in most activities that rely on their natural speed, endurance and hunting abilities.

Salukis do require a lot of reinforcement and firm guidance to train. Defiance will still likely be present in the most highly trained members of this breed, however, but typically only in outdoor, unleashed situations. They do not respond well to harsh training measures.