We’ve all heard how the history of the Saluki is lost in the sands of time. Salukis have been linked to paintings on the walls of Pharaohs tombs, mentioned in the Bible, and depicted entering Noah’s ark. Often one hears Saluki history draped in flowing robes and half concealed behind the walls of black tents. What impact, if any, should this breed history have upon the modern Saluki, particularly as it appears in the show ring?

Romance aside, early Mid Eastern nomadic tribes developed Salukis to fulfill a need, that of provider for the pot. They paid little attention to coat color, head shape, or any feature not directly affecting the ability to hunt. By outcrossing to performance oriented hounds, they line bred on the best running Salukis they could find. Life was harsh, and survival went only to the physically and mentally strongest hounds. Evaluations came about during the hunt. Certain physical attributes were found in all the best running hounds and became desirable when choosing a new Saluki.

Certain of these features might be considered cosmetic until one considers the purpose behind these guidelines. If pedigree was unknown, the quality of a hound’s head often indicated more pure breeding since the other canines available were of a guarding type, thick in body and head. The ancient standards reprinted in your handouts were used to describe the appearance of the best hounds as observed by Middle Eastern tribal breeders.

We like to say Salukis are unique among the breeds, being an ancient breed still in existence in its original form. Few other breeds have managed to maintain original type in spite of the interference of well meaning Western breeders who want only to improve the raw materials handed to them by centuries of breeding for performance instead of appearance. Their numbers decrease as we move further away from the activities which molded our dogs. The future of our breeds depends on the attention paid to the past. Today’s discussion of the standard will attempt to link past to present, in order to serve the future.