The Pure Arabian Desert Bred Salukis

Arabian Bedouins have been breeding Salukis for thousands of years. These desert hounds, known for their exceptional stamina, intelligence and loyalty are highly prized by the Bedouins. Known by the Bedouins as Wind Drinker, Daughter of the Tent, Son of the Desert, Desert Eye, the Bedouins even allow them to share their tents.

Hamad Al Ghanem, a Dubai businessman and Saluki breeder, possibly knows more about the Arabian tradition of breeding Salukis than anyone. Hamad comes from a well-known and respected Bahraini family who have become famous in the region for breeding Salukis. Hamad Al Ghanem’s family have been breeding the Aseel Salukis – the purest breed of Arabian hounds, for over 7 decades. The family tradition of Saluki breeding has been passed from fathers to sons for many generations, and to own one of the exceptional Al Ghanem Salukis is the privilege of the noblest Arabian families, as well as many fortunate people across the globe.

Sadly today, however, times are changing and along with it the deserts and Arab lifestyles that created the circumstances in which the Arabian horse and the saluki flourished, now no longer exist. “The Saluki may be lost to our future generations unless steps are taken to preserve it now” Hamad said.

Hamad has diligently researched the Saluki breed since he was a boy, and is presently compiling a historical book on the subject, attempting to show what an important role the Saluki played in the traditional Arab past, and still does today. He is a member of the U.S.A. World Kennel Club and also a Board Member of the Society for the Perpetuation of Desert Bred Salukis based in Arizona USA, where he supplies them with essential information and data about this rare breed. Hamad has founded the Saluki of Arabia Club, which is the first of its kind in the region, and at present is developing a web site for the breed where owners can find out more about their dogs, and newcomers to the breed can ask questions. He is also liasing with governments around the Gulf to preserve the Saluki Arabian heritage by releasing a series of Saluki stamps. Bahrain has taken up the challenge by releasing a series of 8 stamps containing Saluki illustrations. Hamad is also in close contact with Royal families and nobles throughout the Gulf region and beyond, to preserve the Saluki heritage.

To understand the Saluki breed Hamad said it is important to understand the background and history of the breed. Hamad tells that the Saluki history is closely tied to the history of early man. The Arabian Desert, the cradle of many civilisations, produced two famous breeds of animals –the Arabian horse that was used for transport and war, and the Saluki gazelle hound for hunting.

Hamad’s detailed research on the breed’s history shows that Salukis can be traced back to 5,000 BC – 7,000 BC, when man spread out across the fertile lands known as Mesopotamia. In order to catch game, from necessity, early man began the domestication of the local wolf. With selective breeding they produced the first domesticated dog: the Saluki. The Saluki breed was bred to assist man in chasing prey and catching it in the harsh desert climate.

Through the civilisations, the saluki maintained its importance as a coursing (chasing) hound. The Egyptians called them the Royal Dogs of Egypt, and only the nobility were permitted to have them. Mummified remains of Saluki hounds have been discovered in tombs with their masters.

From the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, traders carried the Saluki throughout the Middle East where they became the treasured hounds of the nomadic tribes – the Bedouins. The Bedouins carefully bred Salukis for thousands of years with speed endurance in mind, and they presented them as gifts to kings and nobles in other lands, Hamad explained.

The Arabian Bedouins still hunt with the Salukis in packs of between two and six hounds, and they train their Salukis to hunt with falcons as part of a team. Their intelligence and independence enables them to successfully operate in the hunt without direct supervision of their masters. The Saluki is more affectionate towards his master than a father is towards his son, and truly can be regarded as man’s best friend. Hamad explained that the Salukis ate what their masters ate, sharing their tents and their food. Milk headed the diet list, followed by rice, dates olives chicken and meat. Today although prepared foods are used in Hamad’s breeding kennels, he has not abandoned some of the traditional ways of feeding. Water is always kept in a clay pot, which ensures that it stays fresh and cold in the heat. A few drops of rose water or leqah –(water flavoured with palm tree blossoms), will be added for taste. A Saluki will never drink dirty water and will refuse stale food or milk if someone has put his hand in it.

Today’s Bedouins still hunt with their Salukis. The Empty Quarter in the Arabian Desert (Rub Al-Khalee) is their favourite hunting ground, where tents and villages around the edges of this remain strongholds of Saluki breeding. Hunting is mainly pursued between October and March when it is relatively cool and often wet, but the best time is in the spring. ‘The hunters keep young hounds at home until they are about a year old, just for running with an older experienced courser in the field. The youngsters seemed to pick up the idea fairly quickly. They lope next to the car at an easy pace of 30 miles per hour, and the maximum speed 42miles per hour… (50km/h)’ Hamad explained.

‘Salukis need a lot of exercise’ Hamad added ‘however they do not run mindlessly like Greyhounds. This inbred intelligence makes it difficult, if not impossible, to have Salukis run in races with Greyhounds. On the course, the quick thinking Saluki will cut across the racing track ring to grab the mechanical rabbit, whilst the greyhound will continue to run round and round the track never catching the elusive robot rabbit’ Hamad laughingly told me.

The Salukis are trained to hunt with jerboas (desert rats) before moving onto other game such as jackrabbits, hares, foxes, coyotes, wild cats, gazelle, deer, sage hens and other birds. They are often taken on hunts in tandem with falcons where the keen-eyed birds spot and hover over their prey in the air like a beacon, whilst the Saluki speeds off in the direction of the target – often kilometres away- as the hunters follow on their horses or camels. The Saluki’s feet, which are flatter than those of a greyhound, have thick springy pads which enable them to travel long distances over the sand. The Bedouins used to apply henna or nut oil to harden the Saluki’s feet to avoid injuries whilst hunting in the harsh desert. Their slender yet forceful paws can dig a tunnel ten feet long with openings at both ends. Their long and powerful jaws (which Arabs describe as ‘laughing jaws’) maintain a powerful grip on prey. Hamad jokes that many a pigeon has been plucked of their feathers when they are caught flying too low past a Saluki!

Hamad explained that it is thought that the name Saluki is derived from the ancient city of Saluk in Iraq southeast of Baghdad. The breed, however, is known as a number of names throughout the Gulf – e.g., Tazi in Persia Sloughi in North Africa (Morocco), Azawakh in Mali and other parts of Africa, Salaq in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, and in Armenia to the west of the Caspian Sea..

His extensive research on Salukis has led Hamad to refer intensely into religious books, translating and quoting references to Salukis. There is a saying that many Bedouins will not touch a dog, but they will touch a Saluki, as some Arabs say that they are a ‘gift from God’. Hamad tells that special dispensation was given to the Saluki breed of dogs, permitting them to live in the homes of a true believer. ‘Muslims pray five times a day, and people praying must have a clean body, wear clean clothes and pray in a clean place, according to the Noble Quran’ Hamad explained. ‘Because of the oppressive smell of the dog in a confined space, and with the scarce availability of water in the hot climate of the desert, it was considered unclean to keep a dog as a pet. However, a devout Muslim could keep a dog as long as it was used for hunting and guarding’ Hamad added.

It is made clear in the Noble Quran that hounds are permitted for use in hunting

“They ask you (O Mohammed) what is lawful for them (as food ).Say:. lawful unto you are At-Tayyibat {all kinds of halal (lawful-good) foods which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals ,milk products ,fats, vegetables and fruits ) }. And those beasts and birds of prey which you have trained as hounds, training and teaching them (to catch) in the manner as directed to you by Allah; so eat of what they catch for you, but pronounce the name of Allah over it, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is swift in reckoning’’.

“Such references suggest that while hunting hounds were obviously in use and that they were by their description salukis, it appears they were not generally known as hounds of salukiyyah at that time” Hamad explained.

“Narrated abu Huraira Allah’s Messenger said ‘If anyone gets a dog except a sheepdog or a hunting dog or a farm dog a qirat of his reward will be deducted daily from his good deeds . Whoever keeps a(pet) dog neither for hunting, nor for guarding livestock . Hunting for the purpose of earning, profitability or eating is allowed. But the same is undesirable if done merely as a recreation or pastime . it is permissible to use either a dog or other animals of prey in hunting However , there are two conditions governing it First of all the dog must be unleashed by reciting Bismillah and secondly the dog thus released should be a trained one for a purpose of hunting , if the dog eats off the hunted animal it turns unlawful for human consumption otherwise the same is lawful . .

Hamad said “The earliest written reference to the Saluki is found in the verses composed by Abu Nawas, a ninth century Arab poet, and Al Jahiz who wrote Animals Book. In one of Nawas’s poems, written in praise of the Saluki, he enumerates the following qualities:” Hamad added.

‘I will sing the praise of my Saluki whose owner’s good fortune is assured by his tremendous effort.

My Saluki’s excellent conformation is pleasing to the eye, also the receding corners of his mouth and his long muzzle,

By the turn of the 18^th Century the Salukis had been brought to Europe as gifts from the Kings and Sheikhs of the Middle East. Soon the rest of the world discovered them to be graceful pets, with an elegant balance of beauty and function.

Today Salukis are not a well known breed, but there are dedicated fanciers in many parts of the world keeping the breed alive and well, and as true to its original from and purpose as possible.

Now the Saluki breed can be found all over the world recognised by Kennel Clubs internationally.

Describing the characteristics of the breed, Hamad explained that the Saluki is essentially a hunting dog, a dog of the chase. Salukis are typically 24 – 29 inches tall at the shoulder and generally weigh between 40 and 65 pounds and Females may be considerably smaller. They are swift, agile and very graceful in motion. The Saluki is often know as a gazelle-hound or Persian Greyhound, although it falls in the group of breeds categorised as ‘sight hounds’. Being part of the sight hound breed the Saluki hunts by sight, not scent as do other hunting dogs, and their long-distant sight is exceptional.

Salukis have been bred throughout the ages as long distance runners, with both speed and endurance, unlike the greyhound and the whippet who have been bred to be short distance sprinters. Salukis have deep chests, with larger hearts and lungs than other breeds, to supply air and blood at an increased rate during the chase. Their sleek bodies have a very low ratio of body fat, as weight is mass that must be moved and every extra pound slows them down. Their seemingly fragile long legs are tough, coiled springs used for maximum acceleration. Hamad defined the breed as having sloping shoulders, racy hindquarters, flexible loins, deep ribs, long stretching limbs and a muscular neck. Their long tail acts as a rudder in high-speed turns. Even though their heads are slender and elegant, they posses strong jaw, capable of bringing down and holding large prey.

Their fur is silky to the touch and is normally short throughout the body. They are the only breeds of dog with a single layer coat – no downy undercoat – for surviving the heat of the desert. This lack of oily undercoat means they never develop a typical dog smell.

“There are two types of varieties of Saluki,” Hamad added –“the smooth and the feathered types. The ears, long tail and legs are feathered in the feathered variety. Both varieties have a ‘hare foot’ that is thickly feathered between the toes giving them the ability to run in deep sand.”

“The beauty of the Salukis,” says Hamad, “cannot remain unnoticed. Built on lines that govern speed and endurance they are described in Arabian poems as having ‘the head of a snake, the neck of a drake, a back like a beam, a side like a bream, the tail of a rat and the foot of a cat’. Salukis have slender limbs with fine, but strong bones and, like race horses, posses extraordinary elegance and power.”

Not variable in shape, Salukis appear in different colours, ranging from pure black to red, sandy and white. As Hamad explains, the colour is another proof of lineage and breed purity. Salukis have extremely strong hearing and their farseeing eyes range in colour from deep brown to amber.

The Saluki breeders judge the purity and fitness of their hounds by a system of signs. ‘The chest must be deep and strong and there should be two fingers width across the top of the head between the ears” says Hamad. “The wrists must be small, paws pointing forward at a small angle”. An Arab will tell a speedy hound by placing his hand between the tops of the thigh bones – the width should be that of a hand including the thumb and the area should be hollow, while the flat rear paws account for quick turning at high speed.

“The Saluki is an extraordinary dog and has some fine characteristics’ Hamad added “They are sensitive to cold, and in winter, the Saluki will share the blankets of its owner besides the campfire. It has a face filled with expressions from trusting to mistrust, gentle, faithful, laughing, coy, accusing, demanding, triumphant, cheeky, keen and sharp when spotting prey, aloof and dignified when their feelings are hurt and they wish to ignore your presence. Whilst exercising this breed on a leash, they may seem like a puff of wind, but they can actually pull your arm off in their excitement when they see a rabbit or other dogs running free. They are good guard dogs and will never hunt with anyone except their master or on their own”, Hamad said. “They are intelligent and friendly, however are reserved with strangers but never nervous or aggressive. In spite of being a hunter by instinct, they are remarkably quiet and even-tempered. They have a wonderful sense of humour and are very curious, especially of anything new that enters their surroundings.” Hamad explained.

“To ensure the true characteristics of the breed it is important not to cross breed” Hamad insists. He disagrees with other Saluki breeders who are crossbreeding the salukis with other dogs to make them faster and more aggressive hunters. He believes the pure breed Saluki have all the right elements in them to be good pets and hunters.

Hamad tells that the value of any breed lies in its pedigree, the genealogical ancestry by which one can tell whether a dog is pure breed or not. Any professional breeder will carefully document the family history of a dog bred by him. “There are many Salukis in the Arabian Gulf, but few owners have any records, so there is no way to know whether they are purebred or cross. People often cross Salukis with greyhounds” said Hamad. To breed a purebred, healthy Saluki puppy, Hamad takes a lot of precautions. Special care is taken whilst selecting a mate ensuring not to mate first generation cousins. A Saluki female usually delivers puppies twice a year, after an approximate two-month pregnancy, and on average, she will give birth to 6 – 12 puppies. If they are fed well and looked after, Salukis live to between 14 and 18 years. Salukis’ names are chosen with love and poetic inspiration. A puppy is given a name when it is old enough to reveal his true character –– Careful thought is given to name each Saluki by Hamad, and he sometimes takes up to 5 months to name a particular Saluki. Nimran (panther), Shaheen (peregrine), Saqar (falcon), Khataf (the snatcher). Lateef (friendly), Sougha (the gift), Sharrek (partner), Shadeed (strong), Reasha (feathered), Qetna (the cotton), Beadha (white) are just some of the names showing the dog’s characters and merits and, undoubtedly, the affection of their masters.

Although there is a concern that the true desert breed might become extinct, Hamad AlGhanem’s dedication, and tenacity of breeding of these graceful, amazing hounds of the desert will ensure this doesn’t happen. … As Hamad says, “The saluki is like caviar, an acquired taste that is relished by connoisseurs.” The Arabian Gulf, is indeed fortunate to have one of its own fighting to save the Salukis of Arabia.

Annie Hayes, an Australian living in Dubai, wrote this article. She has a love of all things Arabic and has an eleven-month-old Saluki named Sougha (the Gift). Ms Hayes interviewed Hamad Al Ghanem for the all detailed information on the Saluki breed found in this article. Mr Al lGhanem provided all the photographs that appear in the item, from his extensive library of Salukis, which he has been photographing for over thirty years.