Saluki

The Saluki,also known as the (Slougui) (Arabian Greyhound) (Arabischer Windhund) (Sloughi Moghrebi) (Arabian Sighthound) (Levrier Marocain ) Royal Dog of Egypt or Persian Greyhound is one of the oldest known breeds of domesticated dog. There are petroglyphs and rock arts in Golpaygan and Khomein in central Iran that shows saluki-like hounds and falcons accompanying hunters chasing preys (ca. 8000?10,000 BCE).[1] Also on the potteries found in Susa, Iran (ca. 4200 BCE) are images of saluki-like hounds chasing ibex or lying next to pools.[2][3] and from the period of the Middle Kingdom onwards, Saluki-like animals appear on the ancient Egyptian tombs of 2134 BCE. They have connections to the Avesta,[4] Bible, Koran [5] and Imperial China. Modern breeding in the west began in 1895 when Florence Amherst imported a breeding pair of Salukis from Lower Egypt and began working to popularize the breed. The first registered Salukis in the western studbook were Cyrus and Slongha Peri imported from Iran and registered with the DWZRV.[6] DWZRV also records the first litter in 1922.[7] Salukis were recognized by The Kennel Club in 1923, and by the American Kennel Club in 1929. The breed is also the mascot of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The Saluki is a sighthound and historically traveled throughout Iran and through Silk road with caravans and nomadic tribes over an area stretching from the Sahara to the Caspian Sea and China. They have been used to hunt quarry such as gazelles, hares and ibex (mostly in North Iran). Shaped like a typical sighthound, they come in two varieties, smooth and feathered. Though they are an independent breed that needs patient training, they are gentle and affectionate with their owners. Health issues in salukis include cancer and cardiac problems.