Saluki Facts You Should Know (with Pictures).

by

Quick Links: Table of Contents

Saluki Breed Overview

The Saluki is a large-sized dog.

The adult Saluki stands 23 to 28 inches tall at the shoulder.

The Saluki belongs to the Hound Dogs group.

Dogs in the Hound Dogs group, like the Saluki, were bred to pursue and hunt warm-blooded animals. Hounds hunt by using their good sight or their good sense of smell. Dogs that belong to the Hound Group have strong prey drives and often will stop at nothing to catch what they are pursuing.

The fact that Salukis belong to the Hound Dogs group is one of the reasons why Salukis have the personality and temperament that they have.

The temperament of the Saluki is generally described as:

  • Aloof
  • Intelligent
  • Quiet
  • Reserved

History of the Saluki Breed. Where Salukis came from

Salukis are a breeds of dogs that have a long and illustrious history.

The exact origins of the Saluki are unknown, but they are believed to be one of the oldest breeds of domestic dogs.

Salukis were first mentioned in recorded history by the ancient Egyptians, who revered them as sacred animals.

They were often depicted in art and literature, and their names were often inscribed on tomb walls.

Salukis were also popular among the nomadic tribes of the Middle East, who valued them for their speed and endurance.

Today, Salukis are still prized for their hunting ability, and they are also popular companion pets.

Despite their long history, Salukis remain relatively rare, which makes them all the more prized by those who are lucky enough to own one.

.

What the Saluki Looks Like

Salukis are one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, and they have a regal bearing to match their long history.

They have long, tapering muzzles, almond-shaped eyes, and large, erect ears.

Salukis come in a variety of colors, including cream, fawn, white, red, grizzle, black and tan, blue and tan, or tricolored.

They have long legs and lean bodies covered in short but silky fur.

Salukis are fast runners with a gentle disposition, making them excellent companions for active families.

.

Best Saluki Breeders

Saluki Breeders in the United States

We have researched reputable Saluki breeders that you can buy a puppy.

Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Saluki breeders in various states in the United States.

On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.

A few of these breeders are listed below.

  1. SRINAGAR KENNELS, REG

    Puppy Price: Check with breeder

Adopting or Rescuing the Saluki

You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Salukis included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.

These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.

In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.

Below is an adorable Male Saluki named Scotty that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Salukis like Scotty on pefinder.com.

Salukis like Scotty are available for Adoption! It is cheaper to adopt. Image from petfinder.com

You can find more Salukis that are available for adoption on petfinder.

Saluki Growth

Saluki Growth

New Saluki owners need to know about the growth of their Salukis. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.

Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Saluki will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Saluki early.

See our calculator for predicting how big your Saluki puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Saluki at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Saluki

Saluki
Saluki
Saluki
Saluki

Saluki Litter Size

Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 10 different Saluki birth litters.

From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Salukis can have is 6 puppies. Also, the Saluki can have as few as 2 puppies per litter and as many as 9 puppies per litter.

The number of puppies that the Saluki will have depends on factors such as the age of the Saluki, the method of pregnancy, etc.

Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Saluki will have and how the litter size of the Saluki compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.

How Fast Salukis Can Run

How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.

Based on our analysis of the speeds of 129 different Salukis, the average speed of the Saluki is 27.9 mph (45.0 kmph).

The fastest speed on AKC record that the Saluki ran in a race is 36.79 mph (59.2 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Saluki is 11.88 mph (19.1 kmph).

Click here to see how the speed of the Saluki compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.

How fast Saluki can run compared to other mammals

Good Names for Salukis

Here are some really good names that are typical for the Saluki ranked by popularity:

  • Max
  • Dexter
  • Borzi
  • Ollie
  • Rami
  • Scotty
  • Archie
  • Bolt
  • Fergal
  • Jacob
Saluki

How Intelligent are Salukis?

Saluki
Intelligence Rank 43 out of 130 dog breeds
Trainability Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions

According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:

  1. Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.

  2. Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.

  3. Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.

Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.

Prof. Coren found that the Saluki has an obedience intelligence rank of 43 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Salukis in the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.

This means that Salukis tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.

However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.

See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:

Breed Intelligence Rank
German Shepherd Dog 3
Labrador Retriever 7
Rottweiler 9
Pembroke Welsh Corgi 11
German Shorthaired Pointer 17
English Cocker Spaniel 18
Belgian Malinois 22
Pomeranian 23
Welsh Springer Spaniel 31
Manchester Terrier 32
Samoyed 33
Norwegian Elkhound 36
Norwich Terrier 38
Bedlington Terrier 40
Kuvasz 42
Bichon Frise 45
Dachshund 49
Bull Terrier 66
Bloodhound 74
American Bulldog 77
Saluki

How Popular are Salukis with New Dog Owners?

Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.

The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Saluki.

The popularity of the Saluki averaged over the years is Number 127 out of about 200 dog breeds.

Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.

Saluki

Health Problems in Salukis and How to Prevent Them

Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.

The Saluki is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.

From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.

Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.

If you want a Saluki puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Saluki breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.

The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Salukis for:

    You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Salukis here.

    Saluki

    How to Take Care of Saluki

    How to feed your Saluki.

    To take good care of your Saluki, you need to make sure that you groom your Saluki regularly.

    Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Saluki regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Saluki`s preventative care.

    Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Saluki daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Saluki.

    Also, you need to feed your Saluki high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Saluki from getting overweight or underweight.

    See our recommendations on what to feed the Saluki and how much food to feed the Saluki at different life stages.

    Finally, you need to make sure that your Saluki has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Saluki needs to drink at different ages.

    How much water your Saluki needs.

    Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Salukis

    If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Saluki.

    We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Saluki:

    Saluki

    Other Things to Know About Salukis

    Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Saluki that you need to know about the Saluki breed:

  1. Salukis do not adapt well to apartment living.
  2. Salukis do not like to be left alone.
  3. Salukis are not very friendly towards strangers.
  4. Salukis do not have the tendency to drool.
  5. Salukis are not prone to gaining weight easily.
  6. Salukis are not very vocal. They have very low tendency to bark and howl.
  7. Salukis are not the best dogs for new dog owners.
  8. Salukis cannot tolerate cold weather. They are vulnerable to the cold.
  9. Salukis do not shed a lot. They are good for people with dog allergies.
  10. Salukis do the things they do with very low vigor. They are not forceful.
  11. Salukis get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.
  12. Salukis get along well with other dogs.
  13. Salukis are very easy to groom.
  14. Salukis are very healthy. They do not suffer from a lot of health problems compared to other dog breeds
  15. Salukis are very easy to train.
  16. Salukis are highly intelligent.
  17. Salukis are prone to nip and chew at things.
  18. Salukis are easily disturbed by noise in their environments. They are sensitive to human tone. They will understand the tone of your voice when you try to correct their behaviors with a firm tone.
  19. Salukis are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.
  20. Salukis have a high prey drive. They do not get along well with other pets.
  21. Salukis have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.
  22. Salukis have very high energy levels. They need a lot of exercise time to release their high energy.
  23. Salukis require a lot of exercise. They are good for owners who like to exercise.
  24. Salukis are very playful.
  25. Salukis weigh 35 to 70 pounds when fully grown.
  26. Salukis are 23 to 28 inches tall at the shoulder when fully grown.
  27. Salukis have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years.