To contemplate the origins of Saluki heritage, one must turn back the pages of time to those great mysterious desert lands and past civilizations of the Near East. Various accounts date the Saluki as earliest recorded as a distinct breed between 329 B.C. and 7000 B.C.. They were found in ancient Hierconopolis, in the Egyptian Tombs of the Great Pharaohs, and on carvings of the Sumerian Empire. The ancients of the Nile Valley held Salukis in veneration. “el Hor”, the Noble One, the Saluki was considered sacred, and shared the Sheiks’ tent, while other dogs were considered unclean by the regions’ predominate religion. The Saluki was a family treasure of the upper classes, and never sold, but presented only, as a mark of honour, or treasured gift, to special individuals.
The Arab bred the perfect horse for transport, and was, and the Saluki for supply of food; speed and endurance being essential for both. There are many points of similarity between the Arab Horse and the Saluki, and the ability to select quality in one should be synonymous with the ability to select quality in the other.
The Saluki, used by the Arabs principally in the bringing down of gazelle, the fastest of the antelopes, is also documented in ancient cultures as having been used in the hunt of jackal, hare, and wild boar. He was typically used in conjunction with the falcon, by his master mounted on an Arab steed. He is admirably adapted to that hunt for which he was artfully bred for so many centuries, fashioned for speed, agility, and endurance, over sand or rough rocky terrain.
His overall appearance should be of elegance, pride, and refinement, coupled with strength and substance, rendering him capable of great speed, and endurance necessary for the hunt and the kill. Elegant in shape, and graceful in movement, the Saluki is noted for his beautiful proportions, finely molded heads with parallel plains, smiling bites, and long silky ears, placed high, the whole connected to an athletic body by an arched and well muscled neck. His eye is oriental, bright, and humanly expressive, bestowing an expression of gentleness and dignity. He is short coupled, with deep brisket, and narrow arched loin, moderate bend of stifle, and corresponding shoulder, well set back. This whole facilitates his typical effortless and efficient gait, which barely seems to touch the ground. When first sighting game, his trot becomes more animated, and springy, giving a prancy, flashy appearance.
Salukis were first imported to England in 1840, where they gained popularity considerably earlier than in the U.S.A. They were recognized by the American Kennel Club in November of 1927, shortly after the founding of the Saluki Club of America, now the A.K.C. recognized parent club for the breed.
A born runner and hunter, the Saluki is an active and alert dog, but even so, given ample exercise, he is typically demure and well mannered in the home. Exceptionally intelligent, he often assumes the role of master, and assigns you the role of slave. He is fastidiously clean, and devoted, though not demonstrative, to his special family. He tends to decline the attentions of strangers.
The Saluki is a work of Art, perfected over 5000 years, and faced today with the challenge of preservation. The danger is very real, that, removed from selection mandated by the necessity of functional competence in the hunt, we could end up with a show dog, doubtless nice, but not consistent with the historic Saluki we strive to preserve.