Belonging to the greyhound family, the sloughi or Arabian greyhound is a truly fascinating dog. Loyal and courageous when it comes to safeguarding their own, the Arabian Hound has accompanied humans for centuries, it is even believed that this dog already accompanied the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Slender and highly agile, the sloughi is adept at hunting, racing, or guard dog duty.
Despite being such a versatile and sensitive breed of dog, the truth is that the sloughi is, today, one of the least known greyhounds in the world. Do you want to know a little more about the? On our site we tell you all about the sloughi or Arabian hound
Origin of the sloughi greyhound
Different archaeological finds, such as tablets or bas-reliefs, seem to indicate that the Sloughis are a truly ancient race, being more than 2000 years oldAlthough their exact origins and genealogy are unknown, it is believed that they may be related to the Nubian hound.
These elegant sighthounds, from the African continent, have accompanied Berber roy alty and Egyptian pharaohs, being highly esteemed companions since very distant times. This is not surprising, as these dogs are loyal and affectionate, as well as good watchdogs and hunters.
Today, the breed is recognized by all the canine federations in the world, although it is not a particularly well-known breed, as other sighthounds are, such as the Italian greyhound, the Spanish greyhound or the Afghan hound.
Physical characteristics of the sloughi
The sloughis, like the greyhounds that they are, have an extremely slender body, with remarkable finesse, although this does not mean that they do not have a strong musculature, despite the fact that it is not very bulky. This is because their muscles are long and flat, known as dry muscles. Thus, an Arabian Hound weighs between 20 and 26 kilograms, with a height at the withers of between 66 and 72 centimeters in males and between 61 and 68 in females. Their life expectancy is 12-16 years.
The body of these dogs is thin, with slender and long extremities, with a tail that is also thin, a short back and a narrow chest. The head is elongated and wedge-shaped, with a boy with a slight stop and ending in a low nose. The eyes are large in size and dark in color, they neither protrude nor sink in, being in perfect balance. The ears of these dogs are drooping, medium in size, triangular in shape and set high. In general, the head of the Arabian Hound is less thin and long than that of other greyhounds and its ears are more droopy.
Another characteristic of the sloughi to highlight is its coat. The hair of the Arabian greyhound is always short, fine and quite dense The coat is soft to the touch soft and the desirable colors of the Arabian Hound are chestnuts, in all their varieties and shades. Although they are not highly appreciated, black and white coats are also accepted.
Character of the sloughi or Arabian greyhound
The sloughi is a dog that stands out for its undoubted loy alty, since it will stay by its care whatever happens, defending them if necessary with courage and courage. For this reason, it is an excellent guard dog. This is in stark contrast to his fearful character, which he is capable of overcoming if he is to protect his own. He is, therefore, quite a dog distrustfulwith strangers, appearing withdrawn and shy in front of strangers
Continuing with the character of the Arabian Hound, we can say that it is an extremely intelligentdog, in addition tovery active , so it is necessary to stimulate him with games and activities that allow him to get enough daily exercise. It is not recommended to keep a sloughi confined in a small space, such as an apartment, if we cannot ensure that he will get a significant amount of intense exercise each day.
Arabian greyhound care
Caring for a sloughi is relatively easy. His coat, for example, is short and doesn't shed too much, so a weekly brushingwill be more than enough to remove dead hair and the dirt that may have accumulated on his coat.
An essential care in these dogs will be controlling the growth of their nails, cutting them periodically, because their nails grow faster than they do they do in most dog breeds. If we don't know how to do this, we recommend going to the vet or to the dog groomer, where, in addition, you can tell us how to proceed properly at home.
We will also have to provide our sloughi with a balanced diet, fresh water and several daily walks, being necessary to perform physical exercise of moderate or high intensity each day. In this sense, in addition to walking and exercising the dog in the street, we recommend playing intelligence games at home and providing him with a variety of toys to keep him entertained. On the other hand, getting into agility or other canine sports is an excellent option for these dogs.
We insist on the importance of exercise, physical activity and mental stimulation as part of the basic care of the sloughi if we want to have a our side to a calm, he althy and totally stress-free dog. Thus, 20-minute walks are not necessary, it is necessary to let him run and play. Without a doubt, it is what we must take into account the most when adopting a sloughi puppy or an adult, since they will require a lot of attention from us. Otherwise, he will not be able to channel all the accumulated energy and may develop anxiety.
Hound Hound Education
Something important to discuss in dogs of the sloughi breed is that it is essential good socialization of them while they are still puppies. This is extremely important, because if socialization is not carried out, or if it is poor or incorrect, they can be too elusive and distrustful. It is important that we expose puppies to different people and environments, getting them used to going out of their comfort zones. And if we have adopted an adult sloughi, we also recommend socializing it if necessary. To do this, and especially in severe cases, we recommend going to a professional canine educator or ethologist.
In general, the training of a sloughi is somewhat complicated, since it requires patience and perseverance, especially if we have adopted an adult dog that is afraid or very distrustful, so we must know well how to proceed. It is recommended to avoid any type of training that is not based on respect and understanding, and it is necessary to avoid punishments and aversive corrections at all costs. On the contrary, it is very productive to resort to training techniques that promote animal welfare, such as positive reinforcement. It is important to remember that we are dealing with very sensitive dogs, who need to feel loved and encouraged to properly learn everything we want to teach them. For this reason, rewarding them every time they do something right and keeping them properly stimulated is the most appropriate, with all breeds, but especially with greyhounds like this one.
Sloughi he alth
The sloughi breed can openly boast of having iron he alth Due to the age of the breed and its good development, Arabian greyhounds are he althy and robust animals. Therefore, they do not present diseases associated with the breed, and they do not have a special genetic predisposition to suffer from any particular disease.
Can affect diseases common to all dogs, such as progressive retinal atrophy, which can be detected simply with a blood sample. It also seems that these dogs are especially sensitive to anesthesia and prone to allergic reactions, both to medications and to some foods or substances that come into contact with their skin. If we see that our animal shows symptoms such as itching or reddening of the skin, it is highly possible that it has come into contact with an allergen.
Removing these pathologies, mild for the most part, the sloughis will only need regular check-ups and be kept correctly vaccinated and dewormed to enjoy excellent he alth throughout their lives. Likewise, it is advisable to check the condition of their eyes and ears to keep them in perfect condition.
