AKC Gazette Articles
November 2003
The Saluki Underneath:
The following is a statement from the Saluki Club of America Judge
Education Committee, as approved by the Officers and Board. "Salukis
come in a wide variety of color and coat types. When judging, the
color, coat type, or amount or lack of feathering, are not to be
given weight over those points addressed in the standard which describe
a strong hunting dog of graceful symmetry. Color and coat are immaterial
when judging Salukis."
Color and coat are immaterial when judging Salukis. This means a
black and tan feathered Saluki has an identical value to a cream
smooth Saluki. Those Salukis with glorious tail feathering and long
flowing ears are to be judged on an even field with those Salukis
which show their feathering in two or three sorry strands hanging
forlornly off their ears and tail.
A recent trend in judging might seem to favor the smooth Saluki,
whether the decision was conscious or not. In spite of this perceived
judging bias, there are still judges who feel smooths do not belong
in the Saluki ring.
The heavier coat can give a false impression of softness, as a slick
tight coat might give an impression of more athletic ability. From
a distance you cannot make this decision, you must put your hands
on the Saluki. Feel the play of muscle over skeleton, flowing in
a continuous line from the poll to the tail. If the loin area is
not groomed to show tuckup, check with your hands, and do not be
fooled by an underline overly emphasized by grooming.
No judge should fall into the trap of: "this is the best smooth
Saluki I have ever seen," as a criteria in placements. You
must first decide if the Saluki itself meets the standard, and the
desired "hunting hound of great beauty." Coat or color
should only come into discussion when writing a critique or registering
a puppy. To this end, the Saluki Club of America asked the AKC to
remove the Open class division of smooth and feathered coats.
A similar situation occurs with color. For a while the trend seemed
to be for creams, and parti colors were barely tolerated. Other
colors and color combinations seem to enjoy their place in the limelight
with varying degrees of frequency, though again prejudice sometimes
exists against the "odd"
colors such as the chocolates or livers with "self colored"
(same basic shade as the body color) nose and eye rim.
No good hound is a bad color, and in a breed with a rainbow of potential
colors, making choices based on color or coat is short sighted at
best. Not to say someone searching for the perfect pet Saluki shouldn't
have a color preference but keeping an open mind will make it possible
for you to find that truly perfect companion, even if you never
thought you'd want a grizzle in the family.
Love your 'lukis.
Monica Stoner
PO Box 2164
West Covina, CA 91793-2164
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