Understanding Salukis

Breed Superstitions

We have all heard these. They are the ones that say, “You’ll never teach a husky not to pull” “You’ll never teach a Greyhound to recall” “You’ll never win at agility or obedience without a Collie”. People even go out to buy a collie, just to progress at their obedience. I once met a lass who said she had done as much as she could with her cross breed dog, but now she had got into the obedience competing, she realized that she needed a collie or a cocker to really excel. This made me so sad, are we trading up now with our dogs? If I love sighthounds does that mean that all I can do is lure coursing? If I want to do obedience I need a Labrador or if I want to do agility I need a collie?

The Answer?

Of course different breeds have different characteristics; they learn at different paces, are more tolerant of certain things and require more or less training in different areas. But that can also be true of different dogs within the same breed. You will always get some that are more or less confident, more or less agile or optimistic or gritty. But those start points aren’t the end product. That comes with what YOU want to put in.

You will hear a lot of these superstitions with Salukis. The “Saluki Deafness” is the main one, a lot of people will try to tell you that “you will never get a reliable recall on a saluki” “you will never get a call off or an emergency stop on a dog trained to hunt”

This simply isn’t true

So before we tell you all about the history and the mechanics of this amazing and beautiful breed that has been kept and bred for literally thousands of years by man we want to tell you one thing. The most important thing.

If you approach things with positivity, make them fun, make them rewarding for your dog, you can achieve ANYTHING.

It’s so important with Salukis to never believe that things cannot be achieved with them, because people will tell you they can’t. Your dog can do anything! What they were bred for and what they are capable of are wildly different things and having a Saluki in no way limits you to lure coursing, although your Saluki is likely to enjoy it! We have qualified for CRUFTS in Obedience, competed in Agility, Become the First British Salukis to hold their Novice Trick Dog Titles and the WORLDS FIRST Salukis to hold their Novice Masters Trick Dog Titles, we’ve run hundreds of miles in Canicross events, we’ve competed at Lure Coursing, gained awards in Hoopers, we’ve even started training in Scentwork (after being told a sighthound would never be able to).

There is an entire rainbow of Canine Sports out there and Salukis are capable of doing every single one of them, just like every other dog. So long as we work with our dogs to make the tasks fun, enjoyable and rewarding, you can literally blow peoples’ minds with what you’ve achieved with your dog.

Do it all for the love, for the time that you get to spend with your dog enjoying yourselves, bonding as partners and building your relationship and I promise you, whatever you want to achieve, YOU CAN DO IT.

With love and patience and positivity.

Salukis Through History

Salukis are a truly ancient beauty and they are widely accepted as the first ever domesticated breed of dog found in the whole of human history. They were bred in fertile crescent, by travelling Bedouins who used them to hunt desert Gazelle, Hare and Lizards.

The First known evidence of the Saluki, also known as the Eastern Greyhound, Persian Greyhound and the Arabian Gazelle Hound, were carvings found in the area of ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to c.14,000 B.C.

Paintings, carvings and references to dogs thought to be salukis have been found in both middle eastern Sumerian empire excavations and Assyrian temples dating back as far as 7000 BC.

From Mesopotamia, traders carried the Saluki throughout the middle east and into the Nile Valley, where these dogs became the favourite hounds of the Ancient Egyptian ruling classes. Owned only by the nobility, they became known as the 'Royal Dog of Egypt'. Besides their statues and wall paintings whose history goes back 5300 years. many Salukis have been found mummified in the tombs of their Egyptian masters.

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The Saluki was the dog of which the Bible spoke at least 22 times, and even though in Islam dogs were pronounced unclean, a special exemption was made for the Saluki. It was believed that this dog was a gift from God to the tribes, and they called hound al-ḥurr, or ‘the Noble One’.

In the Middle Eastern lands, craftsmen and painters have, since the dawn of history, made the Saluki famous by decorating pottery and crypts with their images. The literature of the Assyrians, Babylonians and Sumerians often mention them in rapturous phrases. Later, the Arabs in their poetry and song praised this attractive and faithful breed of dog, giving it the name Slughi, from Saluq, a long vanished city in South Arabia – the name from which we derive Saluki.

The skeletal remains of a dog with a close, measured approximation to the modern Saluki were excavated in Tell Brak in modern Syria, dating to approximately 4000 years ago.

Salukis in Europe

Salukis were first introduced into Europe during the crusades, brought home by European crusaders who had been inspired by the beauty and agility of the Saluki and fascinated by the Islamic traditions of hunting with Saluki, Horse and Falcon.

Salukis were first officially brought into England, by Lady Florence Amherst, who first encountered them whilst travelling along the Nile River and in 1895 imported a breeding pair from the Al Salihah area of Lower Egypt from the kennels of Prince Abdulla in Transjordania.

The Saluki first became common in Europe in England and France, largely due to their colonial activities in the Arab world. However this was not until the late 19th Century, when they began to be more commonly imported by returning diplomats and high-ranking army officers, who had received them as gifts from Sheikhs in the Middle East.

Two distinct types of Saluki were introduced through these importations. The first were those which were imported predominantly from Egypt, which were light and leggy desert hounds bred for the harsh desert conditions, also known as the Nejdi, or Smooth Saluki.

The second were those imported predominantly from Syria, that were comparably heavier and stockier, with much thicker coats and more profuse feathering; these are also known as the Shami or Feathered Salukis.

These distinct Pedigrees, imported in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, became the foundation for the Saluki Breed in the remainder of Europe and the Americas as it has evolved today.

Salukis in Ancient Eygpt

There is a mummified hound in Cairo Museum dated circa 3600BC catalogued as ‘the favourite hunting dog of the Ancient Egyptians’. It is unquestionably a Saluki and is little different from modern specimens of the breed.

Salukis are also depicted on Tutankhamen’s burial chest and various artefacts from his tomb, and on bas- relief in tombs at Luxor and elsewhere in Egypt.

Depictions of Salukis appear on ancient Egyptian tombs dating from 2100 BC, they were increasingly depicted on Ancient Egyptian tombs from the Middle Kingdom (2134BC-1785AD) and onward.

Salukis were so well thought of by the ancient Egyptians that often Saluki companions depicted on ancient Egyptian tombs are named in hieroglyphics beneath; names found have included “ebony” and “Brave One”. This early reverence for Salukis is what has coined them the name of “Royal Dog of Egypt” as in ancient Egyptian times Salukis were deemed such luxurious companions and providers of such wealth and power, that they were only allowed to be kept or bred by members of the royal family.

Salukis in Art

People have long been encaptured by the beauty of the Saluki. This is evidenced by the fact that Salukis have been part of art for centuries. Depictions date back as far as 6,000 years ago were images of running dogs with long, narrow bodies which have been found to adorn pottery unearthed in Susa, southwest Iran that dates back to this period. Dogs looking similar to Salukis are also shown on wall carvings of the Sumerian empire (now Iraq), dating from 6,000 to 7,000 BC.

From Iran, Salukis are mentioned in the poetry of Khaghani (1121–1190), depicted in miniature paintings of hunting scenes along with horseback archers by Master Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād (1450–1535), depicted in book illustrations by 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn 'Abd al-Fattah ibn 'Ali (1516) and in metal smithing from the reign of the Injuid Prince, Jamal al Dine Abu Is’haq, created between 1342 and 1353.

Rarely have Islamic miniatures been depicted on cloth, however this one (pictured right) must have been part of an album created in Iraq in circa 1555. It was signed Mulla Dust (Dust Muhammad) but was most likely to have be painted by his student, Shaykh Muhammad.

Salukis even made their way into ancient Chinese art in this painting (Pictured right) painted by the fifth Ming Emperor Zhu Zhanji, known more commonly as the Xuande Emperor during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). The inscription on the painting reads "playfully painted [by the] imperial brush" in 1427. Additional red seals were added in later years by owners of the painting, which also reveals that the painting was in the Imperial Chinese collection through the 18th century.

Our favourite descriptions of Salukis in art are from two 9th centaury Arabic poems, which read;

“Like an arrow it was sent,

Tearing away from his own skin,

Lightning like a cloud.”

“And all the good things they come from him,

All the assistance they come from him,

And his master is like a slave to him.”

Salukis & Islam

Salukis were highly revered by the Bedouins, a strict Muslim people, because of their incredible ability to loyally and faithfully provide food for their owners. The Bedouins have specific tents that are purely denoted for the use of women alone, men and animals are strictly forbidden to enter. Salukis however are the exception to this rule, as they are deemed to be “clean”. This meant that the Salukis were the only creature allowed into the women’s tents, their position within the society so revered, that they are permitted to go were even men are forbidden to enter.

This reverence amongst Muslim cultures for the Saluki is thought to be traced to the Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. nearly 1400 years ago. During this period of history there were many stray dogs in the cities of the ancient world and they were widely believed to the cause for many diseases spread amongst the people living there. It was because of this that the Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h proclaimed that all dogs should be killed to prevent the spread of disease.

Mohammed p.b.u.h however it is widely understood kept and owned hunting dogs himself and so when he made his proclamation he stated that any dogs of “pure heritage” should be spared, for they were “gifts of Allah”. These dogs were Salukis.

Their links with the prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h is not the only link Salukis have to the Muslim faith and not the only reason for their reverence.

In the teachings laid down in the Hadith, which in Islam refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the Prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h, there are rules governing how one may hunt and the creatures which may hunt with man. It is widely accepted within Muslim culture that the “Hounds which run like the wind” described within the Hadith are Salukis. In keeping with this they are widely revered along with their hunting companion the falcon in Arab cultures even today.

The Hadith have been called "the backbone" of Islamic civilization, and within that religion the authority of Hadith as a source for religious law and moral guidance ranks second only to that of the Quran (which Muslims hold to be the word of God revealed to his messenger Muhammad). While the number of verses pertaining to law in the Quran is relatively few, Hadith give direction on everything from details of religious obligations; to the correct forms of salutations. Thus the "great bulk" of the rules of Sharia (Islamic law) are derived from the Hadith, rather than the Quran.

This relation with the Islamic Faith and with Allah even extends to the patterns which can be seen upon our Salukis fur. Those Salukis holding a light white pattern upon their head are said to have the “Kiss of Allah” after which Kaizu’s mother is named.

Salukis are so treasured in Islamic culture and tradition; that they are never bought or sold, but instead are only allowed to be given as gifts to cherished guests and honoured friends. It is also the tradition that one must not compliment another’s Saluki to highly, for if someone were to speak to kindly of someone else’s dog, then the owner would be obliged to offer the dog as a gift to them for their kindness.

Physiology

Salukis differ from most sighthounds in their incredible ability to maintain their speeds over long distances. Throughout their history in the Fertile Crescent they were trained to keep up with the nomadic culture of the Bedouin people. This meant that they were bred to be able to keep up with the beautiful Arabian Horses to cover great distances across the desert.

Unlike greyhounds, which are generally raced over distances ranging from a 250m Sprint course to an 800-900m Marathon course, Salukis are generally raced over 2 – 2.5km course. This difference in distance is directly connected to their long history and the types of prey they were expected to catch. Salukis were used predominantly to catch desert Gazelle, which are able to run at speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) to 96 km/h (60 mph) when threatened. These prey items were to be run down over the flat open sand of the desert so endurance of speed was key for Salukis to perform their jobs of hunting and to keep up with their nomadic human cultivars.

These traits are why the Saluki is the fastest dog in the world over a long distance (3km). They do this by having larger than average hearts which can pump blood around their body at a higher rate than normal dogs. These hearts are accompanied by large lungs, all of which are housed in their extremely deep, yet streamline chests.

These physiological changes, characteristic of all sighthounds are also coupled with a low body fat and high ratio of fast twitch muscle fibres used to drive them forward at immense speed from a standstill. Finally all sighthounds also have particularly long, pointed muzzles, which are proportionately longer and narrower than the natural norm for dogs. This is known as a dolichocephalic muzzle, this provides plenty of internal surface area for the exchange of heat and air in the nasal passage and airway, ensuring that the dog never has a problem getting enough oxygen to their lungs.

This lifestyle has also had some less obvious effects, like the fact that Salukis have webbed toes, much like a retriever or pointer. Whilst in the latter breeds this adaptation has evolved to help them swim through water, in Salukis, it has been bred into them to help them to maintain speed over soft sand of the deserts, much like a camels large splayed toes which act in the same way.

Gait

The Saluki is prized for their speed and agility. These qualities are only made possible by the immense flexibility of their spines. Much like Cheetahs, a big cat with whom they shared a master in the early reaches of their history, the Salukis ability to bend their spine allows them to reach the hind legs forward much further than normal dogs when running and then once again the flexibility allowing concavity of the spine allows them extremely long reach forwards with their front limbs upon extension. This type of gait is called the “Double Suspension Gallop” it is found in animals like cheetahs, horses and sighthounds, including the Saluki.

The Nejdi & The Shami

Salukis beautiful coat is also bred for a purpose. Whilst there is now a large distinction between the “Shami” or “feathered” Saluki and the more traditional “Nejdi” or “Smooth” Saluki, this wasn’t always the case. Whilst in their native countries the seemingly characteristic feathering of the Saluki is far less important, it does serve a purpose.

The Salukis native range is within the deserts of the Fertile Crescent from Saudi Arabia to sub-Saharan Africa and Egypt. Whist we commonly think of these places as some of the hottest countries on earth, at night temperatures in the desert can drop to negative figures very quickly and it is important that Salukis can keep themselves warm in these climates.

Whilst Salukis are hardly the hardiest of dogs and much prefer their home comforts and a duvet to keep them warm, they are by comparison to other members of the sighthound family like the Azawakh of equatorial Africa and the Whippet and the Greyhound of Europe, Salukis can tolerate much greater extremes of temperature before they require shielding with a jumper or coat.

It is interesting to note the pattern of where the long flowing feathers of the Saluki are located, in a seemingly strange configuration.

The feathering between their toes is often attributed to the sweltering heat of the sand on which they run in the hot desert regions across northern Africa from the Atlantic to the Arabian Gulf. The tufted feathers help to protect their feet from the extreme heat of the sand which can easily burn their pads in the heat of the day. This feathering also however protects their feet from the reverse extreme of the very cold temperatures underfoot in the high alpine regions of Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran & Afghanistan, were the “Shami” or feathered Saluki is more commonly found across their native homelands.

Again, the beautiful long feathered ears of the Saluki seem to western onlookers as simply stunning characteristics of the breed which exemplify their beauty, but like everything on the Saluki these areas of feathering are also there for a purpose.

In the desert dwelling examples of feathered Salukis, the ear feathering is thought along with their extremely long eye lashes and eyebrows, to help keep sand out of their deep set eyes when running. However, once again these adaptations help with maintaining warmth, as they insulate the most important part of the dog’s anatomy, its brain.

This insulating property also explains the long feathering of Salukis’ tails and under body, where in the higher alpine regions and in the depths of the night in the desert Salukis powerful hearts and lungs are insulated from the cold ground beneath them and when curled up can lay their feathered tails across their heads like a blanket. Covering their heads in this way both insulates them from the cold and can help them to weather out sand and dust storms in the depths of the Arabian deserts.

However by restricting their feathering to only these areas Salukis still maintain the ability to quickly regulate and loose temperature from the shorter areas of coat across the main areas of their chest and along their backs. Allowing them to maintain safe thermal regulation after long distance runs in the oppressive heat of the day.