Sloughi Did You Know?

• The Sloughi has been assigned the Hound Group designation.
• The Sloughi has been recorded in the Foundation Stock Service since 1997.
• The Sloughi is also known as the Arabian Greyhound.
• The Sloughi is one of two African Sighthound breeds recognized by FCI. Whereas the Sloughi originates from North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya), the Azawakh is to be found in Central Africa (Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali). Other recognized African breeds are the Rhodesian Ridgeback and the Basenji. These 4 breeds are all smooth coated.
• The Sloughi was originally bred by the Berber folk in North Africa, the Azawakh by the Touareg (a Berber tribe) in Central Africa and the Saluki by the Bedouin in the Middle East. Of these 3 breeds, only the Saluki comes in two coat varieties, smooth and feathered. The Azawakh and the Sloughi are always smooth.
• The Sloughi breed was developed in Europe and the USA from dogs imported directly from Tunisia, Libya, Morocco and Algeria. Still today, Sloughi breeders continue to import dogs from these countries to breed as close as possible to the original country of origin dogs.
• The Sloughi exists in coat of many colors. The most common are the sand black mask, and the sand brindle. But Sloughis can also be found in all shades from mahogany red to pale sand, with or without brindling, black mask, black ears, black mantel and dark overlay. The brindle dogs can vary from very densely brindle (black brindle) to sparsely brindle. The darkest coat color is red brindle with black mantel and black mask. Invasive white markings, parti color and dilutes (blues) are however not accepted in the breed.
• Although Sloughis are Sighthounds which chase their prey on sight, they are also excellent trackers who can flush out game by scent before the final chase. They also have a very fine sense of hearing.