Saluki

The Saluki ranks among the oldest sighthound breeds still around today, developed across the Arabian Peninsula and the wider Middle East. It's a medium-sized dog built to run down game by sight over open desert and rough ground, relying on stamina and top speed rather than nose work. The frame is light and narrow, with long legs and a deep chest built for a fast, ground-eating gallop.

At home a Saluki is quiet and gentle, but it stays independent and properly reserved around people it doesn't know. It bonds closely with its own family while remaining aloof with strangers, and that mix of calm house manners and serious outdoor drive is what defines the breed.

Salukis carry themselves with more dignity than the bouncy, attention-seeking manner common to many companion breeds. They're sensitive to rough handling and do best with patient, consistent owners who understand sighthound behaviour, including a strong instinct to chase anything that runs.

Who the Saluki suits

The Saluki suits people after a calm, clean, quiet house dog that also needs solid, hard exercise in a securely fenced space. It fits owners who can accept an independent dog that may not come back when called mid-chase. Good, high fencing round the section is essential, and households with cats or other small animals running loose should plan introductions carefully.

The Saluki's roots trace back to the Arabian Peninsula and the broader Middle East, where desert and nomadic peoples kept lean, fast hounds to hunt gazelle, hare, and other game. Slender, long-legged hounds turn up in ancient art from the region, and the type is widely regarded as one of the oldest hunting breeds still recognisable today.

The breed grew up alongside a hunting culture where fast hounds worked across open country, at times paired with falcons and horses. Local lines were prized for speed and stamina, and the dogs were often kept as valued members of the household rather than plain working stock. Regional variation produced both smooth-coated and feathered dogs suited to different terrain.

Salukis reached Europe through travellers, traders, and diplomatic contact with the Middle East. Interest picked up in Britain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and dedicated breeders set about establishing the type in Western kennels.

From there the Saluki gained recognition from major kennel bodies and spread to other countries as a show and companion breed. In New Zealand the breed is registered through Dogs New Zealand, though numbers stay modest and a litter can be hard to track down. Strict biosecurity and import quarantine rules mean bringing a Saluki into the country from overseas is a lengthy process, so most Kiwi owners rely on local breeders or the odd import arranged well in advance. Enthusiasts here also keep the coursing tradition going through lure coursing days, which give the breed a legitimate outlet for the speed it was bred for.

The Saluki has a light, elegant outline built purely for speed. The body is narrow and deep through the chest, the back tucks up at the loin, and the legs are long and fine-boned. The head is long and refined with a smooth skull, and the eyes are large, oval, and set with a calm, far-off expression. The long tail hangs low with a natural curve and often carries feathering underneath.

Two coat types turn up in the breed: the smooth variety, with a short, close coat all over, and the feathered variety, which grows longer hair on the ears, the backs of the legs, and the tail.

Coat and colours

The Saluki's coat sits fine and close to the body, which keeps grooming simple compared with heavier-coated breeds. Feathered dogs carry the extra hair mainly on the ears, legs, and tail. Colour varies widely and most shades are accepted, from solid creams and reds through to grizzle, black and tan, and tricolour patterns. The thin coat gives little protection against the cold, so the breed feels a Kiwi winter more than most.

Around the house the Saluki is usually quiet and gentle, often happy to lie about for long stretches between bursts of exercise. With its own family it can be affectionate and closely bonded, though it tends to show this in a reserved rather than full-on way. The breed is sensitive and doesn't respond well to rough handling or a raised voice.

With strangers the Saluki is typically aloof and undemonstrative. It isn't generally an aggressive breed, but it may keep its distance and take a while to warm up. Around kids it's often patient, and tends to get on best with older children who know how to handle a dog calmly and respectfully.

The defining trait is the sighthound chase drive. A cat, small dog, or even a rabbit bolting across a paddock can set off an instant full-speed pursuit, and a Saluki mid-chase is next to impossible to call back. Secure fencing and leashed walks in open, unfenced areas matter for this reason, and introductions to smaller household pets need to be careful and supervised.

Grooming

• Brush the smooth variety weekly; brush the feathered variety two or three times a week to keep the ear, leg, and tail feathering free of tangles.
• Check and clean the long ears regularly, since their hanging shape traps moisture and grime.
• Trim nails as needed and check the feet after running on hard or stony ground.
• Bathe only occasionally; the coat stays fairly clean and there's little doggy odour to deal with.

Exercise

• Give the dog daily exercise, including the chance to run flat out in a securely fenced area.
• Use a lead or a fully enclosed space, because recall goes out the window once a chase starts.
• Lure coursing and similar sighthound activities suit the breed down to the ground.
• Balance hard running with the long naps the breed naturally takes indoors.

Environment

The Saluki settles well into a calm household and is generally quiet indoors. Because the coat is thin and there's little body fat to speak of, the breed feels the cold and does better with a coat for winter, warm bedding, and padded resting spots that protect its bony pressure points. This matters more in the colder parts of the South Island than in, say, Northland, but every Saluki appreciates a warm corner. Secure, high fencing is essential, since a Saluki can clear a low fence and cover ground faster than most owners expect.

The Saluki is naturally lean, and a slim, tucked-up waist is normal and healthy for the breed rather than a sign it's underweight. Feed a complete, balanced food suited to age and activity level, and adjust the amount so ribs are easy to feel but not sticking out. Dogs doing hard coursing work may need extra tucker on big training days, while a quiet house dog needs less. Fresh water should be available at all times.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to a small share of the daily food so the lean body condition holds steady. Most Salukis on a complete diet don't need routine supplements; anything extra, such as joint support for an older or very active dog, is worth discussing with a vet first. Because the breed is lean and burns through food quickly, any diet change should happen gradually to avoid an upset tummy.

The Saluki is generally a hardy, long-lived breed, with a typical lifespan of 12 to 14 years. As a lean sighthound it carries very little body fat, which affects both how it copes with the cold and how it responds to certain medications. Like every breed it has a handful of health concerns worth watching for, and care from a vet who understands sighthounds makes a real difference.

Preventive care

• Keep vaccinations and parasite control current.
• Book regular dental checks and yearly health checks, with more frequent visits for older dogs.
• Maintain a lean body condition and steady exercise.
• Use a sighthound-aware vet for any procedure involving anaesthesia.
• Protect the dog from the cold with bedding and a coat during winter.

The Saluki is intelligent but independent, and it doesn't train in the eager, biddable way that many working breeds do. It can pick up commands well enough, but it may decide whether to actually comply, especially outdoors where the chase instinct competes with any recall command going. The breed is sensitive and switches off under harsh handling, so calm, consistent, reward-based methods work far better than pressure. Early socialisation helps a naturally reserved dog grow into one that's confident around people, places, and other animals.

Basics

1. Start socialisation early, gently exposing the puppy to a range of people, surfaces, sounds, and settled dogs.
2. Teach a solid lead routine, since most exercise will happen on lead in open areas.
3. Build attention and name response with food and praise in low-distraction settings first.
4. Practise recall only in a fully fenced space, and accept that recall around moving prey may never be fully reliable.
5. Keep sessions short and upbeat to match the breed's sensitivity and attention span.

Salukis mature slowly, and breeding is best left until both parents are fully grown and health-screened, generally around two years old. Mating, pregnancy, and whelping follow the usual canine pattern, with a gestation of roughly nine weeks. Litter size varies, averaging several puppies.

Newborn pups depend entirely on the mother for warmth and milk in the first weeks. Because the breed is lean and doesn't carry much natural insulation, a warm, draught-free whelping area matters. Puppies should stay with the mother and littermates through the early socialisation window so they pick up normal dog behaviour, then keep getting gentle exposure to new experiences once they move to new homes. Responsible breeders screen breeding stock for heart and other known concerns and place puppies only with owners ready for a sighthound's exercise and containment needs.

Saluki registration and microchip registration in New Zealand

The National Dog Database has required chipping of newly registered dogs since 2006, and council registration sits alongside that rather than replacing a proper contact record. Holding one with United Pet Club is free for your Saluki's whole life. Registering your dog takes a few minutes, with nothing to renew afterwards.

Getting the chip implanted was the vet's job; giving the number somewhere to point is yours. Registering the microchip with United Pet Club costs nothing on the lifetime plan, suits any brand a Kiwi vet reaches for, and keeps the record searchable at any hour from anywhere. Creating a free account ties the profile and the chip together.