Sloughi

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The origin of the Sloughi is not known, but it is a very old breed. It was mentioned in a book by the Moroccan writer Al Mansur which was probably written in the 13th century. Morocco holds the FCI standard, but the breed originated in the area which today consists of Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, in the northern Saharan region of the Maghreb.

The Sloughi is also known as the Arabian Sighthound, which is actually incorrect as it was the indigenous, nomadic Berbers (the Amazigh or "free people," as they call themselves) who developed the breed long before the invasion of the Arabs.

The breed is locally known as the Sloughi Moghrebi, meaning the "sighthound of the Maghreb." The Sloughis held an elevated position in comparison to other dogs, and they were greatly prized. The Sloughi is squarish and leggy, slightly higher than long. The topline descends along the neck and straightens along the back.

The withers are hardly visible and the topline is almost straight from the base of the neck. There is a slight curve over the loin. The croup is bony, the brisket does not reach the elbow and the underline is first straight (long sternum) then rises sharply. The Sloughi's coat color is solid with no extensive white markings (a white patch on the chest and few white hairs at the tip of the toes are overlooked). Colors are all shades of light to red sand with or without black mask, black ears, brindle, black overlay and black mantle.

The most common color is sand with a black mask. The facial expression of the Sloughi is gentle and melancholy, almost sad. The Sloughi has a smooth, floating, effortless gait, tail held low, and head at a moderate angle to the body. There is no exaggeration in extension, and the front paws dont reach beyond the tip of the nose.

This type of gait enables the hound to cover large distances without tiring. When racing, its style resembles that of the Greyhound, but looks more pulled together as a result of the squarish structure of the Sloughi in comparison to the "lying rectangle" structure of the Greyhound. Because of its straighter topline, the Sloughi does not flex its back as much as the Greyhound.

Temperament: Alert, Sensitive, Faithful, Intelligent

Health Problems: The Sloughi is generally a very healthy breed. PRA (progressive retinal atrophy or "night blindness") is found very rarely, and dogs who are DNA-tested and found free of PRA give 100% PRA-free offspring. Breeders in Europe and the U.S. test their breeding stock in the hope of eliminating the disease within a few generations. A PRA-affected dog of otherwise excellent health, temperament and conformity can be bred to a normal (PRA-free) dog and give offspring that are carriers (not affected), but the carriers can then be bred to normal dogs and give 50/50 carrier/normal pups. In this way, affected and carrier dogs of otherwise great quality can still be used in a planned breeding program. There have been isolated cases of deficient immune system, balance problems and hemophilia (an illness that impairs the body's ability to control bleeding) in inbred lines. Sloughis, like many other sighthounds, are sensitive to anesthetics.