Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Pets Feed
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.
The sloughi is a medium to large sized dog with short fur that presents a noble and dignified appearance. He is very elegant and fast, but also strong and muscular. Its fur can be of different colors. Although it is such a versatile and sensitive breed of dog, the truth is that the Sloughi is, today, one of the least known greyhounds in the world. In this ‘ Pets Feed ‘ breed sheet, we explain everything you need to know about the Sloughi or the Arabian dog.
Arabian Greyhound – Sloughi is a different breed from the Saluki – Persian greyhound
Breed history
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
Sloughi Dog photos
Physical characteristics of the Sloughi – Arabian Greyhound
The sloughi, like the greyhound that he is, has an extremely thin body, with remarkable finesse, although that 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.
Thus, an Arabian greyhound weighs between 20 and 26 kilograms, with a height at the withers between 66 and 72 centimeters in males and between 61 and 68 in females. Its life expectancy is 12 to 16 years. The body of this dog is thin, with long and thin members, a thin tail, a short back and a narrow chest.
The head is long and wedge-shaped, with a boy with a light stop and finished in low truffle. The eyes are large and dark in color, neither protruding nor sunken, being in perfect balance. Its ears are drooping, of medium size, triangular in shape and in a high medallion.
In general, the head of the sloughi – Arabian Greyhound is less thin and long than that of other greyhounds and their ears are more drooping. Another characteristic of the sloughi to emphasize is its coat. The hairs of the Arabian greyhound are always short, fine and fairly dense. The coat is soft to the touch and the desirable colors of the Arabian greyhound are brown, in all its varieties and shades. Although not appreciated, they are also accepted although the black and white capes.
Sloughi – Arabian Greyhound character
The sloughi is a dog which is distinguished by its indisputable loyalty, because it will remain by its side whatever happens, defending it if necessary, with courage. For this reason, it is an excellent watchdog.
This contrasts sharply with his scary character, which he is able to overcome if he wants to protect his own. It is therefore a dog rather suspicious of strangers, showing himself withdrawn and shy in front of strangers. Depending on the character of the Sloughi – Arabian Greyhound, we can say that it is an extremely intelligent dog, in addition to being very active, it is therefore necessary to stimulate it with games and activities that allow it to perform enough daily exercise.
It is not advisable to have a sloughi locked up in a small space, such as an apartment, if we cannot ensure that he will do a significant amount of strenuous exercise each day. Sloughi dogs are very independent dogs, with a natural hunting instinct and enough energy to do so. Dogs of this breed who have not been socialized from an early age with cats and other smaller animals will consider them prey.
This Arabian Greyhound is not recommended for people who have little time but who, in the right home, is a dog of altruistic and very loyal family. He is not a noisy dog.
Health
The Sloughi dog has a health that is second to none. One gets the impression that all the talents and abilities are inherent in such an individual by nature itself, and you shouldn’t try hard to get a positive result from such a dog. However, attention will not be superfluous, because sometimes hereditary retinal atrophy, as well as “night blindness”, occur. Greyhounds are generally highly sensitive to anesthesia, and the Sloughi dog is no exception.
The Sloughi dog can live for about 12-16 years, and the better the content and nutrition, the longer the probability of pleasing the owner with his presence next to him.
We recommend that you leave it without a strap in safe areas and train it to come on the call.
Basic care
The Sloughi dog needs frequent walks, active games, and daily workload. In a large city, be sure to use a leash, since hunting instincts are present in the blood of the slug, it can jump off the spot, choosing a target.
In colder than North African climates, Sloughi dogs can only live in a house. They are very thermophilic and do not tolerate cold well. Suitable for living in a large private house and in a small apartment. The dog must have a comfortable soft bed. He will not be happy to rest on a cold hard floor.
In terms of grooming, this is not a whimsical dog. Sloughi dogs take care of their own wool, licking it every day. Once a month it is necessary to brush the coat with a special brush for better blood circulation and coat growth.
You should bathe your dog only if absolutely necessary, but it is better to remove dirt from the coat with a dry shampoo. The fact is that the Sloughi dog has very dry skin, which can become even drier from frequent bathing.
There are no congenital diseases in the Sloughi dog; with age, problems with vision and joints appear.
There are no special prohibitions in the diet, the Sloughi dog loves meat, dairy products, they can also be fed with special feed, supplementing the diet with protein and vitamins.
Sloughi puppies need to be fed a highly nutritious, good quality diet to develop and grow as they should. As a guide, a Sloughi puppy should be fed 3 or 4 times a day.
Once an Arabian Greyhound puppy is 15 months old, it can be fed with food for adult dogs.
Feeding
Sloughi dogs of this breed are finicky and do not eat anything that falls into their bowl. And if they do not require special care, then the owner will have to approach the issue of feeding as seriously as possible.
The diet of the Sloughi should consist of a variety of foods that are sources of energy – meat, offal, fish, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, eggs and cottage cheese. Also, these dogs can be fed with premium or super-premium ready-made food, which is suitable for representatives of this breed.
It is advisable to adhere to certain rules:
- Give food to the dog at the same time;
- The animal must have a strictly designated place for a meal;
- You can not feed the dog between meals (the exception is classes during which the dog gets a well-deserved treat), even more so give food from his own table.
In addition, the issue of introducing supplementary foods in the form of preparations with vitamins and minerals should be resolved with the veterinarian. The Sloughi dogs are very clean and if you follow the recommendations, the pet will eat calmly, neatly. If not fed properly, the greyhound will gain weight, and its mood and general health will deteriorate.
Exercise
Sloughi dogs need a lot of exercise (two hours or more per day for adult dogs). Once they have detected a trail, they run after without stopping.
Training
The Sloughi dog is very smart, and therefore stubborn and wayward. Tough teaching methods will not suit him. This breed requires respectful treatment of itself; strict but fair coach. Lessons should be repeated often, and for success in training, reward the dog with something tasty. The Sloughi dog is difficult to train to go to the toilet on the outside, however, when teaching this skill, do not abuse the special cage, as this breed suffers from a mild degree of claustrophobia.
Arabian Greyhound – Sloughi dog fun facts
- 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.
Sloughi Breed Highlights
Positive points
- Arabian Greyhound – Sloughi makes a pet and a companion to whom they look like.
- It is very intelligent and easy to handle.
- Sloughi is a good watchdog.
- It has an easy-care coat.
- Sloughi is a very clean dogs around the house.
- This dog thrives in a family environment and enjoys all the “comfort” needed.
- This dog breed has a low coat.
Negative points
- Sloughi is very sensitive to severe correction.
- It has a lot of energy and needs a lot of daily exercise.
- This breed is not the best choice for new owners.
- It does not like being left to himself for long periods.
- It has a strong sense of prey.
- Training a sloughi – Arabian Greyhound takes time and patience.
- It is best for households with large, well-fenced rear gardens.
