Mary Allen
The Azawakh is originally from the southern Sahara. It owes its name to the Azawakh Valley. The Tuareg have used it there for many years as a hunting, guard, and protection dog.
Note: Not only the Tuareg keep Azawakhs. Other nomads such as the Fulani, Tamaschek, and Berber also keep the greyhound.
Since the Azawakh was the only dog breed in its area of origin for a long time and only a few other dog breeds can be found today, the Tuareg simply refers to it as “Idi”. Translated it means “dog”. Azawakhs have only existed in Europe since 1968 and were recognized as a dog breed by the FCI in 1980.