So !! . . . . . . . you think you want a Saluki . . . . . . . ? ? ?

If you're new to Salukis, or just looking at having one in your life, there are a few things that you need to know that will make life a little bit easier as you get used to the breed.

Yes, they look delicate.  But NO they're not !!

There are a few basic requirements before you take home a Saluki of any age.  Be prepared for a whirlwind to enter your home.  Not all, but quite a few Saluki pups, on into adolescent stages, can be very naughty [OTT] and quite destructive, when left unsupervised.  They dont like being left alone for long periods. If you must leave them alone, leave old newspapers and even an old cardbaord box for them so a 'ripping good time' can be had that is relatively easy to clean up, and will have done no harm to your home.  They adore small stuffed toys to de-stuff and throw around. The local op shop is a good source for these toys, and cost very little.  For a single Saluki a good sized bone to chew on is also a good idea so long as you dont have carpets where the Saluki is. [Grunge Inc. ensues]  Where there is more than one Saluki, if you want to leave them with bones - crate them separately - or you could come home to a fight scene.

Your garden or yard will need secure fences of at least 5.5+ feet high and if there is a gate, it needs to be the same height as the fences and be lockable FROM THE INSIDE.   Salukis can be the ultimate escape artists.  Usually they are only trying to get out of the yard to go look to see where you are.  Gates need to be locked to prevent neighbourhood children letting them out of the yard "for fun" or well-intentioned tradesmen, accidentally forgetting to close the gate behind them.  A Saluki loose on todays roads, is a major hazard.  They generally have NO roadsense.

Plus - consider your neighbours pets.  For millenia Salukis have been bred to hunt.  Whilst your cats, guinea pigs, pidgeons, chooks, rabbits, etc., will be perfectly safe - your neighbours' animals will be considered fair game.   A loose Saluki can wreak havoc out loose in the neighbourhood.  So if you want a Saluki - please - BE RESPONSIBLE for the 'hunter' you have in your yard.  Likewise, around the house.  If you have children, make sure they know to keep doors to the front of the house CLOSED, and be in the habit of closing doors behind them.  Salukis are not generally the kind of dog that can go out onto the local oval playing footy with the kids.  If that is the kind of dog you want - please get another breed.  Dont have a Saluki. (having said that I *know* there are those Salukis who do just that - brilliantly - they are few and far between)

In nature Salukis are as independant as a Siamese Cat.  They consider they own you - not you them.  They can sulk when they dont get their own way, they can call the shots without you even realising it. You need to form a relationship with these dogs where you are the pack leader, and getting them to learn 'commands' needs a special mind that can convince them your wish was their intention in the first place.  Salukis are so very clever, they are not normally a trick learning, circus dog type.  Once you have their respect, they will however, do just about anything for you.

Salukis can be as much a conundrum to other breeds of dog as they can be to humans.  Salukis once grown are like speeding bullets on the run.  MOST other breeds cannot keep up with them - except perhaps a Greyhound or a Whippet (on a sprint - not on a long run).  The deemed slower breeds nearly always take umbrage at being out-run - and can become quite agitated, so that when the Saluki dives in to nip it on the bum to try to make it run faster - the slower breed sometimes attacks!!  Whilst 99% of Salukis wont start a fight - a huge % of them will certainly stick up for themselves. 

Salukis also play like no other dog you know - play fights and 'Hunting Scenes' with all the whoops and hollers (like little kids playing Cowboys and Indians) are full on, and get quite noisy.  Once they 'down' a play mate they dive in with mouths/teeth around heads and necks, mouthing bellys and soft bits with lots of snarls, in mock killing mode.  Unfortunately many other dog breed owners dont see it as play this way - they think the Saluki is actually being aggressive and/or killing their dog. That situation can become really bad.  You just need to be "aware" if you want to let your Saluki run free in a park or on the beach.  Of course there are many Salukis who just love all other dogs and will play wonderfully gentle with them - but you wont know for sure until you let yours off the lead. I simply ask that you consider such things very carefully.

In the Western world today, we live in an age of anti dog sentiment and so needs must, that we do our best to train our dogs to 'leave' on command if we suspect that small fluffy will be between the jaws of the hunter any second soon

Salukis with [what we call] anti-social tendencies

If you are considering taking on a rescued Saluki, the poor thing might well have aquired some bad habits along the path of it's life so far. None of these tendencies need be permanent if you can truly take on board what you might be dealing with. This little section also covers households where there are more than 2 Salukis [a pack] and there is always the need for  leadership from the human 'in charge'. Being 100% consistent in what you expect of your Saluki is the key.

*IF* there is going to be trouble in your dog household, it is nearly always the second in command [2IC] of your pack who will display the most ferocious behaviour. In my experience, the younger males are the most likely to adopt the 'attitude' - and in their efforts to try to impress the rest of the pack **[or dogs around them] they can sometimes inflict some real damage to another dog who wont 'toe the [their] line'.  The bitches with over strong alpha tendencies are usually moreso when they are at home /in their own territory.  If a bitch consistently picks on another bitch in the home pack/pecking order you can have a situation of real problems arise.  If the situation becomes an all out declaration of war between two  like minded individuals, bitches can and will, fight to the near death /death. Dogs normally fight to a stand-off [even if it's bloody ! 

The real pack leader amongst your hounds, is usually self assured, well mannered and quiet in his/her dominance of the pack [those they live with].  They merely need to step between the warring members and the fighting will stop instantly.  They rarely even need to 'clack' their teeth. Of course I am writing here understanding the that ultimate pack leader is you - the owner.

** The 2IC dog is quite often, watching for an opportunity to take over as alpha. If that means he/she takes over control of you as well - you can bring on some major problems for yourself. If you ever have any doubts about how your dog behaves - never be afraid to talk to experienced breeders and owners. PLEASE be advised here - you need to speak with people who genuinely KNOW Salukis. Even the most gifted of "Dog Listeners" [animal behaviourists] dont often have any idea of what makes a Saluki *tick* !!

I didn't mention either, that Salukis are the original [and the best] ARCHAEOLOGICAL MINING ENGINEERS!

Expect any part of your garden to which they have access, to be turned into an archaeological dig OR an open cut mine, in short order. OR find yourself nursing a broken ankle because you stepped into one of their engineering miracles in the lawn !

 

Now the good stuff - as a general rule Salukis are very faithful, long lived companions.  They are beautiful and graceful and can take your breath away in absolute awe, at just a glance.  Once you have a Saluki it is a rare person indeed that can stick with just one  . . . . . . . . .  !  This may seem like a little paragraph but it actually holds heaps more than all the ones above it :0))

 

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