AKC Gazette Article

May 1948

SALUKIS May 1948

It was after World War I that Hutchinson's commented. "At the close of the war, Salukis, who have always followed the great events in history, again became conspicuous, and several specimens were brought back by those returning from Iraq."

And so it, that in the wake of World War II, we find a number of Salukis from across the water, scattered here and there in America. Oddly enough, most of them this time, are of the smooth variety, hitherto practically unknown both here and in England, although recognized by the Standard. Since even some of the judges look quite frankly puzzled when they appear at the shows, it might be well to mention something of their origin -- with Hutchinson's again as my source it says:

"There are many varieties of eastern Greyhounds and the most important after the Afghan and the Saluki is the Slughi, the arab Greybound par excellence. There is a propensity for confounding the founding the Slughi with the Saluki. The former is absolutely smooth coated whereas the latter has long fringes on the ears, and the tail is bushy. Monsieur Gustave Privard describes the breed in La Revue Canine Illustre:

" 'It is under the blue sky and warm sun of our beautiful colony of Algeria that this graceful dog lives. This is the dog which the Arabian Sheikh or caid breeds and rears with zealous care, for the Slughi is not an ordinary Kelb (dog) which could be cared for by men of lesser importance. It is the aristocrat of dogs. The couscous can never be too dainty for him, or the mutton too sweet--The Slughi does not look very attractive at birth and during its early youth. But all this changes towards the age of 18 months. The feet seem to have become smaller, the chest deeper, the hocks more ready to be made use of, the shoulder becomes oblique, and so on. The body little by little looks as if were cast in bronze. The head itself appears to have become more slender and the and the dog will have by then adopted that fiery attitude which is so characteristic of the breed.

"According to the Arabs, the Slughi should be unicoloured, which color is more or less biscuit-fawn or sand; black and brindled specimens are in less favour, although there exist beautiful examples of the last named color. There are some tribes of Arabs who brand their Slughis. These brands, which consist of fair small lines or stripes, are used in the very best specimens, and some of them are very artistically executed.

"'The Slughi should still be with its mother at the age of two months--at two years it should be able to kill a gazelle, and at three years old a boar.'

"It is possible that the graceful slender silhouette of the slughi adorned the engravings of the most ancient times. In India, there is the Rampur Greyhound, also entirely smooth coated an which probably derives from the Slughi."

According to 'The Practical Dog Book," the Great Dane is descended from the Saluki of Egypt, and possibly the Egyptian Mastiff. I confess that I did not see too much resemblance to the Dane in the Saluki, until becoming familiar with the smooth variety. At a puppy match where I had a brace of smooths, last year, it was amusing to see some of the Dane exhibitors eyeing my entries appraisingly. Mrs. Simonetti from California brought several Smooth Salukis to America from Italy where King Victor Emmanuel was a noted devotee of the breed, and I understand that there are a few specimens in New York State.

Amahl of Shammar, a Smooth daughter of the desert-bred pair, Ch. Abdul Farouk and (the branded) Lady Yeled Sarona Ramullah, is probably one of the select few of any breed exported to England from America since the war. Now owned by Mrs. Parkhouse of Shammar fame, she was pictured in the Christmas issue of English Dog World with an interesting story of her background by Phyllis Robson. Mrs. G. M. Angel writes of ber: "Amahl has a very sweet and friendly nature--a real tom-boy, boisterousness in her greetings, and is affectionate to all and sundry." It is always gratifying to know of good temperaments in any breed, as well as fine conformation, a point which too many breeders may tend to brush over lightly.

Our sympathies go to Mrs. Felice Worder in the sudden death of her El Retiro's Sennacherib, a handsome black with a grand disposition--beloved by all who knew him . and to Mrs. Offers in the tragic death of her lovely Ch. El Retiro’s Queen Nefru Ari, whose inborn love of the chase brought about her untimely end while chasing a fox across a country highway.--MRS. STEWART C. KNAPP, Pine Paddocks, Valley City, Ohio.