Sloughi

The Sloughi is the sighthound of the Maghreb — a lean, short-coated hound bred by Berber and Bedouin peoples to course gazelle and hare across North Africa.

History

It has been kept in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya for centuries, where it was traditionally regarded as distinct from ordinary dogs and treated closer to a member of the household. It is not the same breed as the Saluki, though the two are related and often confused; the Sloughi is smoother-coated and heavier-boned.

Temperament

The breed is known for being reserved, dignified and deeply bonded to one household, aloof with strangers and sensitive to how it is spoken to.

Care and training

It needs room to gallop and secure fencing; the chase instinct is absolute. Training must be gentle — the breed withdraws under harshness. The short coat needs nothing and gives no warmth.

Health

Generally healthy, with the sighthound sensitivity to anaesthesia and a form of progressive retinal atrophy the breed's clubs test for. These are known patterns for the breed and a matter for a breeder and a vet; the measured facts are in the panel.