The saluki is a graceful and elegant greyhound, originally from the Middle East where it is considered a special animal that can only be given as a gift and is a symbol honorary. Like all greyhounds, the saluki is a hunting dog that pursues its prey by sight, capturing it thanks to its great speed and strong jaws
This breed is categorized in the first section of group 10 of the FCI classification of dog breeds. In other words, according to the FCI, it corresponds to sighthounds with long hair or with fringes, even though there is a variety of saluki that is short-haired.
Do you want to adopt a saluki and you don't know anything about the breed? Well, don't miss this file on our site and keep reading the history, physical characteristics, temperament, care, education and he alth that correspond to this breed of sighthounds.
Origin of the saluki
The saluki or also known as the royal but of Egypt, is one of the oldest and most domesticated breeds of sighthounds known. It originated in the Middle East where it was used for thousands of years as a hunting greyhound and is said to be descended from the wolves of the Ara desert. Thanks to his great qualities as a hunting dog, he achieved an important space in the Arab world. According to the Arab tradition, the Saluki is not for sale and is only given as a gift as a sign of honour.
The first official European standard was the British standard of 1923. Since then, the Saluki has become part of dog shows. Unsurprisingly, in Western countries the Saluki is used as a pet dog and as a show dog. Its qualities for hunting are still used in Eastern countries, but not in other parts of the world.
Saluki Physical Characteristics
The saluki standard does not indicate a certain weight, but the weight of these dogs is usually between 13 and 30 kilograms. The height at the withers is in the range of 58 to 71 centimeters, with females being smaller than males.
The saluki should give the impression of being a graceful and symmetrical dog, strong, active, resistant and very fast, becoming one of the fastest dogs in the world. This general appearance should be present in both the two varieties of this breed: the long-haired and the short-haired saluki. The short-haired variety must have the same characteristics as the long-haired variety, with the obvious exception of the coat.
Although Salukis often give the impression of being longer than they are tall, the length of the body measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock should be approximately equal to the height at the withers (height of the dog at shoulder level). In other words, they are dogs with an almost square structure.
The elongated head helps these dogs cut through the air when they're running. Although the skull is moderately wide between the ears, the general shape of the Saluki's head is elongated. The stop, or nasal-frontal depression, is not pronounced. The nose is black or liver (brown) and the jaws are strong. The teeth scissor close, with the inner face of the upper incisors contacting the outer face of the lower incisors. Long, oval eyes can range from dark to hazel, and are not prominent. The look should express dignity and kindness. The saluki's ears, meanwhile, are long and set high. They are covered in long, silky hair and hang down on the sides of the head.
The long, curved, muscular neck continues with a strong, moderately broad back. The back, slightly arched as in all greyhounds, is muscular. The hip bones are well separated from each other. The Saluki has a deep and long chest, but is moderately thin. Their ribs are not flattened or barrel-shaped. The lower line is well retracted at the level of the belly, presenting slender dogs.
The long tail reaches at least to the hock, and has abundant fur on its ventral region. It is of low insertion and the dogs take it curved. However, adults should not carry their tails above the backline unless they are engaged in strenuous activities, such as games.
The Saluki's limbs are strong and muscular, but thin. They should not appear heavy. For its part, the feet are of moderate length but with long and arched fingers. Between the fingers there is abundant and thick fur that protects the extremities during intense running.
The soft, silky coat forms fringes on the legs and backs of the thighs. Adults may also have fringes on their throats, while pups may have woolly hair on their shoulders and thighs. Dogs of the short-haired variety do not have fringes. While the breed standard accepts any color, it also indicates that brindle is not desirable.
The Saluki's trot is smooth, flowing and effortless. The movements of these dogs do not denote heaviness. During the full speed run you can see the moments when the Saluki has all four legs in the air at the same time.
Saluki Character
The Saluki is a dog of character reserved, peaceful and very loyalDue to its reserved and somewhat independent character, this dog is not ideal for families with small children, as it does not tolerate their pranks well and I prefer not to be bothered too much. However, it is a good pet for families with older children who can take on dog-care responsibilities.
Not suitable for homes where there are other small pets, as the saluki's hunting instinct leads it to chase and kill small animals. It can even be problematic with small breed dogs. However, with proper socialization and training, it can get along with small dogs and cats.
He tends to be a submissive dog towards other dogs and people, but it is still important to socialize him as a puppy.
Saluki care
These dogs need a lot of exercise and are not suited to living in apartments or small houses. Due to their urgent need to run, it is good to have a very large space for them to exercise. Life in the country suits them better than in the city, but they must sleep indoors and not outdoors.
When walking dogs of this breed, care must be taken not to release them near busy streets or avenues. Since they are such fast dogs, they can run out of the park without their owners noticing, and end up getting run over or worse. Therefore, it is more advisable to release them in closed areas where they can play with other dogs and be well watched by their owners.
The Saluki's coat does not require much care. Just regular brushing to remove dead hair (she loses hair regularly) and prevent tangled fringes. The dog should be bathed only when necessary, in order to better preserve its coat.
Saluki Education
According to breed experts, the Saluki is not easy to train and will never become an obedience champion by nature huntress. However, this has a lot to do with dog training styles.
Although it is true that this breed has not shown its qualities in dog training, very good results can be achieved when clicker training and basic obedience commands are practiced. On the other hand, with traditional training methods based on punishing the dog to correct bad behavior, they will never be able to train this or any other dog correctly.
It is advisable to go to trainers or experienced people who help us educate the saluki if we see that we cannot do it ourselves.
Saluki He alth
As desert hunting dogs, Salukis have been through intense selection. Therefore, this breed is often very resistant However, these dogs can be prone to eye diseases and cancer, like many other breeds, especially when grow old.
The life expectancy for these dogs is between 10 and 12 years. Of course, dogs that are used for hunting have a higher physical wear than those that are pets and, therefore, have a slightly shorter life expectancy.
