Saluki
One of the oldest breeds on earth, kept by desert tribes who called it a gift rather than a possession. Built for endurance over sand rather than a short sprint.
Photo by Pets Adviser from Brooklyn, USA, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Saluki is one of the oldest identifiable dog types, kept by nomadic peoples across the Middle East for thousands of years and depicted in ancient Egyptian and Persian art. It coursed gazelle over sand and rock, which required endurance rather than pure sprint speed.
Unlike a Greyhound it is built for distance, and it can maintain speed over ground that would exhaust a sprinting sighthound.
Temperament
Aloof, gentle and deeply independent. Salukis are affectionate with their own people in a quiet way and largely indifferent to everyone else.
They are extremely sensitive and do not tolerate harsh handling at all. They are also not obedient in any conventional sense, having been bred to hunt out of sight of the handler and make their own decisions. A moving animal overrides everything.
Care and grooming
Smooth or lightly feathered coats, both needing brushing once or twice a week with attention to the ear and tail feathering. Minimal shedding.
Sighthound anaesthesia sensitivity applies. Cardiac disease and hypothyroidism occur, and cancer rates are notable. They feel the cold and need soft bedding and a coat. Ten to seventeen years.
Living and exercise
An hour a day with a gallop in a securely fenced space, and the fence needs height because they jump.
They are calm and quiet indoors and they are absolutely not off lead dogs in open country. They are among the more challenging sighthounds to live with and among the most rewarding.
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