Sloughi

Scottish DeerhoundSpanish Greyhound

Sloughi – General Description

The Sloughi (pron.: /ˈsluːɡi/)[1] is a North African breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. It is found mainly in Morocco, which is responsible for the standard, and can be found in smaller numbers elsewhere in North Africa.[2] Sloughis are likely closely related to the Azawakh, but not to the Saluki [1]

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Classification and Standards

• FCI Group 10, Section 3, #188
• AKC Hound (FSS) The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration.
• ANKC Group 4 (Hounds)
• KC (UK) Hounds
• NZKC Hounds
• UKC Sighthounds & Pariahs

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Character & Temperament

It is of a sensitive nature yet is an alert and intelligent hound. It is said that Sloughi’s have a mighty longing for moving and that is not easy to keep them in flats with families; however, a Sloughi does not need more exercise than other dogs of similar size. It loves variety, walking on the leash, romping in the countryside, and racing. A Sloughi is faithful to his owner and it needs him close by. Sloughi’s are easy to bring up and to train, if you know how to do it. Because the Sloughi is somewhat sensitive, its training shouldn’t be oppressive, and any punishment should be omitted. What it likes is a friendly confirmation of its behavior.

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History

The Sloughi’s origin is mostly a matter of speculation. It is thought that Sloughi’s originally came from the Orient or from what is today Ethiopia (the tributes to the Pharaohs included smooth Lop-eared Sighthounds from Nubia, south of Egypt). The Sloughi is one of the two African Sighthound breeds recognized by the FCI. On old fragments of earthenware (about 3000 B.C.), a short-haired sighthound with lop ears was discovered that looks like a Sloughi. Today, the Sloughi is found mainly in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco is responsible for the breed’s FCI Standard. It is not to be confused with the smooth Saluki of the Arabian peninsula and the Middle East, which is a variety of the Saluki breed. It is also not to be confused with the smooth Afghan Hound, which is a variety of the Afghan Hound. The Sloughi was and is still used for hunting in its native countries, and is also a reliable guarding dog.

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Size & Appearance

The Sloughi belongs to the Sighthound family. In appearance, it is a short-haired, middle-sized, strong sighthound with drooping ears. Its expression is often described to be melancholy. Its muscular system is “dry”, that is, the Sloughi has flat and long muscles, which must not be as brawny as those of Greyhounds or Whippets, even when in excellent physical condition. Its back is nearly horizontal (the lumbar region must be slightly vaulted). It has a moderate angulation and a tucked up underline.
Dark-colored Sloughi

The Sloughi’s eyes are ideally dark brown, though sometimes of amber color. Its coat color varies from light-sand, to red-sand, red- or mahogany with or without brindling, black mantle, black mask, black ears. According to the standard, a Sloughi may only have a small white patch on its chest. Extensive white markings and parti-colored coats are not allowed. The Sloughi’s gait is feather-light, with a moderate and energy-efficient stride.

The Sloughi’s general view is compact and strong; it may not be too dainty.

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Health & Maintenance

The Sloughi is largely unchanged from ancient times, and so retains a robust genetic health. Only a few genetic conditions have been noted in the breed, in particular Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). Fortunately the Sloughi is one of the breeds in whom this condition can be tested for with a small blood sample, and breeders are working to eliminate PRA from the gene pool. Like all sighthounds, the Sloughi is very sensitive to anesthesia, and can be sensitive to vaccines, worming, and other medications – so these routine treatments should be spaced apart instead of given all at once. Otherwise the breed tends to enjoy excellent health into old age.

References

1. “Sloughi”. Encarta. Microsoft Corporation. 1997-2008 – http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=1481601455
2. FCI entry for “Sloughi” – http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sfhv0wz0xsYJ:www.fci.be/uploaded_files/188gb98_en.doc+site:www.fci.be+%22188+/+27.+04.+1998+%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

• Sloughi: The Arabian Sighthound,1996, by Ermine Moreau-Sipiere, Alet Publishing.
• “Sloughi”, 2004, by Dr. M.-D Crapon de Caprona, Kennel Club books
• “The Sloughi 1852-1952” 2008, by Dr. M.-D. Crapon de Caprona, Signature printing.

External Links

• Preserving the Sloughi
• Association for the Support of North African Sloughis
• Sloughi World (including ‘Preserving the Sloughi site’)
• American Sloughi Association
• Sloughi in Europe
• Sloughi Rescue
• The Sloughi Fanciers Association of America
• Sloughi Pedigree Database

Photo Credits

1. Benutzer:Claggi from de.wikipedia.org [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons
2. Author releases the image into the [public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
3. Marcin Błaszkowski [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
4. Denhulde (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
5. Vincenzo Fileccia (Flickr: DOUZ_10-12-25_0623) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
6. TwoWings (own work (scanned photography)) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
7. Tux-Man (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
8. W. E. Mason – Dogs of all Nations [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

This article is licensed (except where noted) under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article Sloughi

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Breed Standard

Sloughi

FCI-Standard N° 188 / 27. 04. 1998 / GB

TRANSLATION : Mrs. Moreau-Sipiere and Prof. R. Triquet, brought up to date by Dr. Paschoud.

ORIGIN : Morocco.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 08.01.1998.

UTILIZATION :

Sighthound.

F.C.I. CLASSIFICATION :

• Group 10 Sighthounds.
• Section 3 Short-haired Sighthounds.

Without working trial, racing licence.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY :

The Sloughi has existed for many centuries in North Africa. Nowadays most Sloughis are to be found in Morocco which is responsible for the standard. The Sloughi exists only in a single short-haired variety.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :

By demeanor, by delicacy of tissue and by muscular leanness, his general appearance is that of a very racy and elegant dog.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

For a male with an ideal size of 27, 5 inches (70 cm), the length of the body from point of shoulders to point of buttock should be 26-27 inches (67-68 cm). For a female with an ideal size of 26 inches (65 cm), the length of the body from point of shoulders to point of buttock should be 24-25 inches (62-63 cm).
The ratio between length of body (from point of shoulder to point of buttock) and height at withers should be 0,96 (9,6 : 10).
The ratio between depth of chest and height at withers should be 0,4 (4 : 10).
The ratio between length of foreface and total length of head should be 0,5 (1 : 2)

BEHAVIOR / TEMPERAMENT :

Although noble and haughty, he is very attached to his master and defends him in case of need. With an instinct of hunter, capable of sustained effort, he also appreciates the home comforts.

HEAD :

Seen from the side, the head is longish, refined, delicate but rather strong. Seen from above, it has the shape of a very long wedge, the skull being the widest part, tapering to the tip of the nose.

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Rather broad, seen from aside flat; from one ear to the other the skull measures 4-6 inches (12 to 14 cm). The skull is distinctly rounded at the back and curving harmoniously on the sides. The superciliary ridges are scarcely projecting, the frontal groove hardly marked and the occipital crest and protuberance barely visible.
Stop : Hardly pronounced.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Black. Strong enough to avoid being pinched. Nostrils well opened. The nose leather not being held up by a skeletal structure is very slightly inclined.
Muzzle : It has the shape of a, without exaggeration, elongated wedge and is perceptibly as long as the skull. The bridge of the nose is straight from its root.
Lips : Thin and supple, just covering the lower jaw; the corner of the mouth must be as little visible as possible.
Jaws/Teeth : Teeth normal, jaws strong and regular. Scissor bite.
Eyes : Large, dark, well-set in their sockets, sometimes just covered by a slight obliquity of the eyelids. The expression is gentle, a little sad, the look like nostalgic. With a light coat, the eye can be amber-coloured. The eye rims are pigmented.
Ears : Set high slightly above the eye line, drooping, close to the head, not too large, triangular and slightly rounded at the tips.

NECK :

Long, well set off from the shoulders and with the topline (crest) slightly arched. The length is perceptibly equal to the length of the head. The skin is fine, tight, without any dewlap; the hair is very smooth.

BODY :

Topline : Gently and harmoniously curved with prominent haunch bones equal in height or slightly higher than the withers.
Withers : Well projecting.
Back : Short, almost horizontal.
Loin : Short, lean, wide and slightly arched.
Croup : Bony, wide and oblique, but not falling strongly away.
Chest : Not too wide; in depth it hardly reaches the level of the elbow. Well developed in length. The ribs are flat.
Underline and Belly : Sternum long and raised, belly and flanks well tucked up. The underline is evenly curved, neither abruptly cut up nor whippety.

TAIL :

Thin, lean, set-on in line with the croup and carried below the line of the back. It should be, at least, long enough to reach the point of hocks. At rest, the tip is forming an accentuated curve.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS :

Generally: Forelegs vertical and parallel.
Shoulder : Long and oblique.
Upper arm : Strong.
Forearm : Bony and muscular.
Pastern joint and pastern : Supple and strong.

HINDQUARTERS :

Generally : Viewed from behind, hindlegs vertical and parallel; muscles flat, tendons well chiseled.
Upper thigh : Flat and muscular.
Second thigh : Long and well muscled.
Hock : Strong, well bent.
Rear pastern : Strong, without dewclaws.
Feet : Lean, in the shape of an elongated oval. In many lightly built Sloughis the foot assumes the shape of a harefoot. The two middle toes are distinctly longer than the others. The nails are black or colored.

GAIT / MOVEMENT :

Walk, trot, gallop. Gait supple, smooth and with long strides, covering plenty of ground.

SKIN :

Very fine, close fitting to the body, without folds or dewlap.

COAT

HAIR :

Very short, dense, fine.

COLOR :

The color reaches from light sand through all possible different shades to red sand (fawn), with or without black mask, with or without black mantle, with or without black brindling, with or without black overlay.

SIZE :

Height at the withers :

for males 26-29 inches (66-72 cm),
for females 24-27 inches (61-68 cm).

FAULTS :

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

• Bad ratio between length of body and height at withers.
• Head and body slightly too heavy.
• Stop too much or insufficiently pronounced.
• Too light colored eyes.
• Top line not horizontal.
• Croup narrow, too or insufficiently oblique.
• Belly not enough tucked up.
• Rounded ribs.
• Chest not long enough, seen from the side cut up or very arched.
• Tail too short, with too much hair, badly carried.
• Muscles round and protruding.
• Hair hard and coarse.
• Small white mark on the chest.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

• Aggressive or overly shy.
• Body clearly longer than high, haunch bones lower than withers.
• Depigmented areas on the mucous membranes.
• Over-or undershot mouth.
• Ears erect, or raised with tips drooping, too long, folding backwards (rose ear).
• Hair semi-long.
• Fringes on legs or tail.
• White stockings, larger white markings.
• Color not in accordance with the standard.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

© Fédération Cynologique Internationale