Sloughi | Dog Breed Information & Facts – Pictures

Belonging to the greyhound family, the sloughi or the Arabian Greyhound is a really fascinating dog. Faithful and courageous when it comes to protecting his own, the sloughi has accompanied humans for centuries, it is even thought that this dog was already accompanying the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Slender and extremely agile, the sloughi is skilled in areas such as hunting, running or performing surveillance tasks.

Arabian Greyhound – Sloughi is a different breed from the Saluki – Persian greyhound

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The Sloughi, like the greyhound he is, has an extremely slender body, of remarkable finesse, although this does not mean that he does not have strong muscles, even if he is not very bulky. . In fact, his muscles are long and flattened, called dry muscles.

The height of adult males is 66-72 cm, with a weight of 22 – 28 kg. Females weigh 18 – 23 kg and measure 61 – 68 cm.

• Head: Long, the top has the shape of an elongated wedge.
• Jaws: Strong and regular, like pincers.
• Ears: Set on at eye level and carried towards the head when the animal is at rest. Medium in size, triangular in shape, slightly rounded at the ends.
• Eyes: Large, dark. Can be oval to almond shaped. Well placed in the orbits.
• Torso: With a graceful curve of body and tail. The chest is not too wide and almost reaches the level of the elbow. The ribs are flat, long and slightly curved in the posterior third of the chest. The belly is well in. The back is shortened, the croup is bony. The tail is long and thin.
• Legs: Long, oval. The forelegs are straight, bony and muscular, with distinctly sloping shoulder blades. Slender, elongated rear with well-defined muscles. The nails are strong, pigmented dark in color.
• Coat: Always smooth. The coat is short, fine and dense all over the body.

The Sloughi is a somewhat aloof dog, emotionally sensitive and wary of strangers. But, within his family, he is a very kind and affectionate dog, incredibly devoted to his owner.

As a greyhound, he has a high energy level and needs daily walks, runs and exercise. If the dog does not have the opportunity to walk, to realize its energy potential, to maintain its muscle tone, it will become lethargic, sad and, in the longer term, depressive states may develop.

The Sloughi is generally considered a healthy dog, but there are several genetic disorders specific to this breed, such as:

• Addison’s disease;
• Endocrine diseases;
• Progressive retinal atrophy.

You can prevent these diseases by asking the breeder in advance whether such pathologies have been found in the genus. It is also useful to visit the veterinarian regularly for preventive checks. It is important to get your pet vaccinated on time and to keep their ears and mouth clean.

The care of the Sloughi is extremely easy. Bathing should only be done occasionally, as the dog’s skin is prone to dryness. Light dirt can be removed with dry shampoo and a soft brush or towel.

Since the coat of the beagle is very thin, it is recommended to use a special sunscreen for dogs to prevent the development of skin cancer. Naturally, regular brushing of teeth, ears and trimming of claws with a guillotine are necessary.

• The color of the variety is sandy, which allows it to be unnoticed in the process of tracking down its potential prey. And only at the last moment does she notice that there is no turning back.
• The Sloughi dog became famous for his unyielding character. He hardly manages to educate and train. Therefore, in no case should you use authoritarianism and pressure.
• This breed has a very strong habit force. She gets used to the owners and her home, as well as to the daily routine.
• The character is at the same time harsh and jealous, as well as flexible and kind. It all depends on the environment in which the beast is.
• The Arabian Greyhound dog is very jealous. He constantly needs confirmation that he is needed.
• The Arabian greyhound needs to be protected from the cold because it has sensitive skin with just a little downy hair to suffer from the cold.
• The Sloughi dog rarely refuses lamb. He ideally needs the kind of food that was used to feed the dogs in his homeland of Morocco.
• The breed is one of the rarest in the world. It is worthy of protection and development.
• During the pursuit of prey, the Sloughi dog usually develops the maximum speed for dogs.
• The first time the species was mentioned about 7 thousand years ago.

The Arabian greyhound – Sloughi is credited with a very ancient origin. On the territory of North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya), the ancestors of the Sloughi came from the Middle East. Further, the history of the breed is inextricably linked with the history of nomadic Bedouins. They had a significant impact on the formation of the hunting qualities and character of these dogs. In turn, nature took care of their exterior and good health.

The colonial possession of France in the XIX-XX centuries included: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco. Unsurprisingly, the first European to describe the breed was a French general named Melchior Doma (1830-1871). In the middle of the 19th century, the first Sloughi dogs were exported to France from Algeria. At the beginning of the 20th century, greyhounds from Tunisia and Algeria came to Germany and Holland. French breeders published the first official standard in 1925.

In the post-war period in Europe, many breeds were on the verge of extinction. The Sloughi dogs did not escape this fate. In North Africa, there are practically no purebred greyhounds left either. Due to the ban on hunting in the French territories, Sloughi dogs were mainly used to protect herds, the local population almost ceased to care about their cleanliness. In the 70s, there were just over 200 purebred dogs. In this regard, the government of Morocco and Algeria has limited their export abroad. In Europe, interest in the breed revived by the 60s of the 20th century, but due to the impossibility of importing from Africa, breeders had to work only with what they managed to save. So in Europe, the USA and North Africa, the breed developed on the basis of the available livestock almost independently of each other.

The breed was finally recognized by the International Cynological Federation in 1989. At the time of recognition, the main stock of the Sloughi was concentrated in Morocco, therefore this country was recognized as the patronizing breed in the ICF.

Atlas Mountain Dog (Aidi) is another moroccan dog breed