AKC Gazette Articles

August 2004

A Numbers Game

The Saluki Club of America just finished its National Specialty, with 715 entries from 509 Salukis. Competition included a Futurity, Sweepstakes, Obedience, Lure Coursing, and a Triathlon. Plus Canine Good Citizen testing, and Agility, both firsts for this year. (correction – this was the second time we've had Agility - MHS).

This entry is made even more remarkable by the fact that, on the average, only 400 Salukis are registered per year. Since ours is not an easy to place breed and does not lend itself to the casual pet market, on the whole we are happy with our AKC ranking at around 100 in registrations. In 2003 registrations were down to 374; since the number of litters did not change drastically (73 in 2002 and 76 in 2003) overall registrations could have been affected by litter size.

How could registrations of this size produce a National with entries around 400 on a "light" year? Nineteen Veteran Dogs and Twenty Nine Veteran Bitches contributed to but did not swell the 2004 entry, but the Saluki's longevity and rate of maturity does mean the regular entry includes quite a few over seven years of age - a late finishing Saluki is often more a sign of an owner willing to wait for full maturity, rather than a last ditch effort to put the CH in front of a name. In 2003, 147 Salukis finished their Conformation titles - another impressive number.

To put this in even clearer perspective, a first place win in nearly every class, would have brought a major in any show. In several classes, that major would have been five points even in California, the toughest point area. Saluki entries at the average all breed show are not high, and even the more popular specialties don't generally bring more than 150 entries.

In earlier decades, the Saluki Club of America National Specialty would have been called a "happening," one that Saluki people don't want to miss. At the end of the now five days of total Saluki immersion, very few fanciers go away not looking forward to "next year." Even the most jaded among us feels the lure of so many Salukis in one place for a week of breed magic.

The downside of this numbers game is the grim reality of unwanted Salukis. In 2003, 60 Salukis needed to be rehomed, according to publicly kept records. No doubt more were placed by private individuals, and, sadly, some were disposed of without ever coming to the knowledge of extremely vigilant breed wardens.

A breed registering 75 litters per year generally has breeders who plan litters for themselves and preselected homes. Many breeders only have a litter every three to five years; most who have more also have homes in abundance waiting for their puppies, or they have the capability of keeping and growing out young Salukis properly until the perfect Saluki Slave comes along. It is those rare few breeders who register multiple Saluki litters and market them as a commodity who can cause immeasurable harm to a breed.

Love your Œlukis
Monica K Stoner
tsent@ix.netcom.com