Saluki

Although the breed appears graceful and fragile, don't be fooled - the Saluki is an avid hunter and possesses the strength and endurance to chase quarry over long distances and difficult terrain. Today, this sight hound is popular at lure coursing events and in the show ring. Salukis can be coated (with feathering on the legs) or smooth. In both varieties, colors include white, cream, fawn, golden, red, grizzle and tan, tricolor, and black and tan.

The Saluki, royal dog of Egypt, is perhaps the oldest known breed of domesticated dog. They are identified by some historians as "a distinct breed and type as long ago as 329 B.C. when Alexander the Great invaded India." Earliest known carvings look more like Salukis than any other breed: they have a Greyhound body with feathered ears, tail and legs. This same exact hound also appears on the Egyptian tombs of 2100 B.C. and again in more recent excavations of the Sumerian empire, estimated at 7000-6000 B.C. The Saluki was so esteemed that his body was often mummified like the bodies of the Pharaohs themselves.

Breed Profile

To understand Salukis, you have to know what they were created to do. Salukis are a type of dog called sighthounds, hunters who use keen eyesight and explosive speed to spot, chase, and capture prey animals. This type of hound works alone, not with a handler—even an Olympic sprinter couldn’t keep up running alongside a Saluki—and this accounts for the breed’s independent nature. They love to chase small animals, like cats and squirrels, and training these sensitive hounds can be quite a job.