Saluki Dog Breed – Facts and Personality Traits

The Saluki belongs to the group of sighthounds and comes from the Middle East, where it was originally used as a hunting dog by desert nomads. It is a sensitive and gentle dog, intelligent and docile. As a single hunter, however, it is very independent and not very willing to subordinate.

Origin and history

The Saluki – also known as the Persian greyhound – is a breed of dog that can be traced back to ancient times. The distribution extends from Egypt to China. The breed has been preserved under the same conditions in its countries of origin for thousands of years. The Arabian Bedouins started breeding Salukis even before breeding the famous Arabian horses. The Saluki was originally bred to hunt gazelles and rabbits. Good hunting Salukis, unlike other dogs, are highly valued by Muslims because they can contribute quite a bit to the family’s sustenance.

Appearance

The Saluki has a slender, graceful stature and an overall dignified appearance. With a shoulder height of approx. 71 cm, it is one of the big dogs. It is bred in two “types”: feathered and shorthaired. The feathered Saluki differs from the short-haired Saluki by the longer hair ( feathering ) on the legs, tail, and ears with otherwise short body hair, in which the entire body hair including tail and ears is uniformly short and smooth. The short-haired Saluki is very rare.

Both coat forms come in a variety of colors, from cream, black, tan, red, and fawn through to piebald and tricolor, with or without a mask. There are also white Salukis, albeit rarely. Saluki’s coat is very easy to care for.

Nature

The Saluki is a gentle, calm, and sensitive dog that is deeply devoted to its family and needs close contact with its people. It is rather reserved towards strangers, but it never forgets friends. As a lone hunter, it acts very independently and is not used to being subordinate. Therefore, the Saluki needs a very loving but consistent upbringing without any strictness. As a passionate hunter, however, it can also forget any obedience when running free, its hounding instinct will probably always get away with it. Therefore, they should be kept on a leash in unfenced areas for their safety.

The Saluki is not a dog for lazy people, because it needs a lot of exercise and exercise. Track and cross-country races are suitable, but also excursions by bike or longer jogging routes.