Dog Breeds > Saluki

The Saluki

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Energy Playfulness Intelligence Grooming Popularity

Fascinating Facts

The Saluki is a native Arabian dog breed with traces of Egyptian ancestry. There are findings in numerous Egypt tombs that the Saluki was also mummified when its master died. The Muslims however, consider the Salukis sacred Gift from Allah. The Muslims never sell the Salukis and give them as gifts of friendship. The Salukis with white patch of fur in their forehead were thought by Bedouin tribes to have the Kiss of Allah.

Because of its powerful hunting abilities, the Salukis are very effective in hunting gazelles and other big games. Because of this, the Salukis are also known as Gazelle hound, Arabian hound and Persian Greyhound. The origin of the name Saluki however, came from an Arabian city called Saluki which does not exist anymore.

Physical Appearance

The Salukis grow for about 23 – 27 inches and weighs about 29 – 66 pounds. They are slim with a great resemblance to the greyhound. They have a narrow and long head. They have black or liver colored nose. They have large oval eyes which is dark to hazel in color. Their long and mobile ears are hanging down to the head.

The Saluki’s neck is long while the chest is narrow and deep. Their front legs are straight and powerful. Their feet are covered with thick hair for protection from rough terrain. Their tail is long, well covered with thick hair and carried low. Their coat is short with long and smooth feathering on the ears. Their coat colors vary from white, fawn, golden, cream, red, grizzle and tan, black and tan. They even have tricolor of white, black and tan. When the Salukis run, they display an unusual gait when reaching top speed: all of their legs are in the air at the same time.

Grooming

The Saluki’s coat is actually an odor-free coat; it takes simple brushing and removing of dead hair to make it look good.

Mood

The Salukis are friendly, gentle and loyal to their family. They are also devoted and well-tempered pets. They can be independent and aloof, especially if it feels bored and under exercised. The Salukis are quiet and reserved and should be respected if they feel that they need time to be alone.

The Salukis are also sensitive; they should not be put into forced work and forced training. They should not be also put into harsh and rough methods because they are easily offended.  They should also be separated with non-canine animals because the Salukis have a strong instinct to chase and kill fast moving objects.

With Children

The Salukis are good playmates for active children but should also be respected if it does not want to play anymore.

Training & Exercise

Training a Saluki could become quite a challenge. Although they are intelligent and quick to learn, they hate repetitive instructions and could get instantly bored by it. The training must be short and with variation so that you could keep the Saluki active and interested.

It needs to have daily regimen of exercise such as brisk or long walking and running. They feel very happy when they are running off leash but there are many cases of accidents wherein the Salukis are hit by a moving vehicle.

Health & Life Expectancy

You can expect your Saluki to live a life of 10 – 12 years. The Salukis have cancer and genetic eye diseases. They could also have sunburns especially on the nose. Thyroid problems, tumors and heart conditions are also reported on this breed. They are also known to be very sensitive to chemicals and drugs.

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