Saluki

• ExerciseHigh

  Needs a good workout or long walk every day.

• GroomingWeekly brushing

  A weekly brush keeps the coat healthy.

• Living spaceHouse with room

  Does best with room to move and a yard.

• Owner experienceFor experienced owners

  Rewards owners who know the ropes.

• Commitment10–17 years

  Plan for a long, loving relationship.

Health to watch: Heart disease · Cancer · Hypothyroidism

The Saluki is perhaps the oldest dog breed of all — a graceful desert sighthound that coursed gazelle across the Middle East for millennia — and it carries an ancient, reserved dignity. Gentle, quiet and deeply loyal to its own family, it is often shy or aloof with strangers, sensitive to its surroundings, and independent rather than eager to please, so it needs gentle, patient, positive training and a calm home. It is a serious athlete that needs the chance to run flat-out in a safe enclosed space; it has an extremely strong prey drive and famous speed, so it can never be trusted off-lead near small animals or in open areas, and it needs soft bedding for its lean frame. The smooth or lightly feathered coat is easy, needing only a weekly brush, with attention to the feathered ears. Health-wise the Saluki is a relatively healthy, long-lived sighthound, but be aware it can have heart conditions and an above-average cancer risk, along with hypothyroidism, and it needs good dental care. Its very low body fat makes it sensitive to anaesthesia and to cold (tell your vet, and provide a coat). Give a Saluki safe running, gentle handling, warmth and a peaceful home, and this elegant desert hound will be a devoted companion for ten to seventeen years.

• How much exercise does a Saluki need?

  High. Needs a good workout or long walk every day.

• How much grooming does a Saluki need?

  Weekly brushing. A weekly brush keeps the coat healthy.

• Is a Saluki suited to apartment living?

  House with room. Does best with room to move and a yard.

• Is a Saluki a good fit for first-time owners?

  For experienced owners. Rewards owners who know the ropes.

• How long do Saluki live?

  10–17 years. Plan for a long, loving relationship.

• What health issues affect the Saluki?

  Keep an eye out for Heart disease, Cancer, Hypothyroidism. These are worth raising with your vet, along with any screening they recommend.

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