The Saluki is an ancient hound breed with possible origins as far back as 7000 to 6000 BCE. They are slender, keen-sighted sighthounds with long legs, narrow bodies, drop ears, and silky coats. Salukis are loyal, gentle, and quiet dogs, known to be good with people of all ages. They have a moderate energy level, enjoying a daily sprint but otherwise sleeping much of the day. Salukis can be independent and may ignore commands, and because they will chase wild animals, keeping them on a leash is important. Salukis come in both feathered and smooth-coated varieties, with the feathered type needing more grooming to prevent tangles. They need about an hour of exercise daily and can adapt to colder climates, though they may need a jacket when it is very cold.

Where did the Saluki breed come from?

The Saluki breed's origins can be traced back to 7000 to 6000 BCE in the ancient Fertile Crescent, specifically northern Egypt, northern Arabia, and the Middle East. Salukis were revered by the Egyptians, who called them the "royal dog of Egypt," and were used by pharaohs to hunt gazelles. Additionally, Bedouin nomads kept Salukis to hunt hare and other prey for sustenance. The name Saluki comes from the Arabic salūqī , meaning "of Saluq," referring to Saluq, an ancient city in Arabia.

What does a Saluki look like?

The Saluki is a slender, sleek sighthound similar to a Greyhound . They have long legs, a narrow body, and drop ears. Their coat is silky and can be feathered (longer hair on the ears and tail) or smooth (very short hair all over). Salukis come in various colors, including shades of tan from white to red, black and tan, grizzle, sable, or any of these with white markings. These dogs are keen-sighted, graceful, and hardy. The breed originated in ancient Egypt and the Middle East. They are tall and swift, with long, narrow heads and silky ears.

What was the Saluki originally bred to do?

The Saluki is a hound breed with possible origins as far back as 7000 to 6000 BCE. These dogs were popular throughout the ancient Fertile Crescent, including ancient Egypt, where they were regarded as sacred and used by pharaohs to hunt gazelles. Bedouin nomads also kept Salukis to hunt hare and other prey for sustenance. Today, Salukis are known to be loyal and gentle. While they have a moderate to low energy level and enjoy sleeping, they are swift sprinters who require a daily run. Salukis get along well with other dogs, but they can be timid around strangers.

How are Salukis different from other sighthound breeds?

The Saluki is a sighthound known for chasing prey over long distances. Originating in the ancient Fertile Crescent, Salukis are slender, graceful dogs with long legs and a narrow body. Compared to other sighthounds: Coat: Salukis have a silky coat, which can be feathered (longer hair on ears and tail) or smooth (short hair all over). Build: They have a Greyhound-like build. Temperament: Salukis are known to be independent, gentle, and loyal, but can be reserved with strangers. Care: The feathered variety requires regular grooming to prevent tangling. Other sighthound breeds include Afghan Hounds, Borzois and Greyhounds.

What are the common health and care needs for Saluki dogs?

Salukis are generally hardy dogs, but the feathered variety needs regular grooming, including combing their ears, tail, and feathering twice a week. Washing the ear feathering weekly helps prevent tangling, and neutered or spayed feathered Salukis need more grooming due to the possibility of growing long hair. Checking their ears periodically, clipping their nails every other week, and daily teeth brushing are also important. Salukis require around an hour of exercise daily and can adapt to different climates, though they may need a jacket in very cold conditions. They are loyal and gentle, with a moderate to low energy level, but can be destructive if bored and will chase wild animals if given the chance, so leashes are mandatory.

Saluki

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Images

Three Saluki dogs, one black, one white, and one tan, are on grass; two are standing and one is lying down.

Close-up of a Saluki dog with a slender face, long feathered ears, and light tan fur, looking alert against a blurred green background.

Two Saluki dogs with long, flowing fur run side by side through a grassy field with wildflowers, trees blurred in the background.

Quick Facts

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Saluki

breed of dog

Also known as: Gazelle Hound, Persian Greyhound

Written by

Caroline Coile

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

What is a Saluki?
The Saluki is an ancient hound breed with possible origins as far back as 7000 to 6000 BCE. They are slender, keen-sighted sighthounds with long legs, narrow bodies, drop ears, and silky coats.

Salukis are loyal, gentle, and quiet dogs, known to be good with people of all ages. They have a moderate energy level, enjoying a daily sprint but otherwise sleeping much of the day. Salukis can be independent and may ignore commands, and because they will chase wild animals, keeping them on a leash is important.

Salukis come in both feathered and smooth-coated varieties, with the feathered type needing more grooming to prevent tangles. They need about an hour of exercise daily and can adapt to colder climates, though they may need a jacket when it is very cold.
1 Britannica Source
1. Saluki
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where did the Saluki breed come from?
The Saluki breed's origins can be traced back to 7000 to 6000 BCE in the ancient Fertile Crescent, specifically northern Egypt, northern Arabia, and the Middle East. Salukis were revered by the Egyptians, who called them the "royal dog of Egypt," and were used by pharaohs to hunt gazelles. Additionally, Bedouin nomads kept Salukis to hunt hare and other prey for sustenance. The name Saluki comes from the Arabic salūqī, meaning "of Saluq," referring to Saluq, an ancient city in Arabia.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Saluki
2. 17 Words for Dog Breeds | Saluki
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What does a Saluki look like?
The Saluki is a slender, sleek sighthound similar to a Greyhound. They have long legs, a narrow body, and drop ears. Their coat is silky and can be feathered (longer hair on the ears and tail) or smooth (very short hair all over). Salukis come in various colors, including shades of tan from white to red, black and tan, grizzle, sable, or any of these with white markings. These dogs are keen-sighted, graceful, and hardy. The breed originated in ancient Egypt and the Middle East. They are tall and swift, with long, narrow heads and silky ears.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Saluki
2. Definition of saluki
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What was the Saluki originally bred to do?
The Saluki is a hound breed with possible origins as far back as 7000 to 6000 BCE. These dogs were popular throughout the ancient Fertile Crescent, including ancient Egypt, where they were regarded as sacred and used by pharaohs to hunt gazelles. Bedouin nomads also kept Salukis to hunt hare and other prey for sustenance.

Today, Salukis are known to be loyal and gentle. While they have a moderate to low energy level and enjoy sleeping, they are swift sprinters who require a daily run. Salukis get along well with other dogs, but they can be timid around strangers.
1 Britannica Source
1. Saluki
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are Salukis different from other sighthound breeds?
The Saluki is a sighthound known for chasing prey over long distances. Originating in the ancient Fertile Crescent, Salukis are slender, graceful dogs with long legs and a narrow body.

Compared to other sighthounds:
- Coat: Salukis have a silky coat, which can be feathered (longer hair on ears and tail) or smooth (short hair all over).
- Build: They have a Greyhound-like build.
- Temperament: Salukis are known to be independent, gentle, and loyal, but can be reserved with strangers.
- Care: The feathered variety requires regular grooming to prevent tangling.
Other sighthound breeds include Afghan Hounds, Borzois and Greyhounds.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Saluki
2. hound
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are the common health and care needs for Saluki dogs?
Salukis are generally hardy dogs, but the feathered variety needs regular grooming, including combing their ears, tail, and feathering twice a week. Washing the ear feathering weekly helps prevent tangling, and neutered or spayed feathered Salukis need more grooming due to the possibility of growing long hair. Checking their ears periodically, clipping their nails every other week, and daily teeth brushing are also important.

Salukis require around an hour of exercise daily and can adapt to different climates, though they may need a jacket in very cold conditions. They are loyal and gentle, with a moderate to low energy level, but can be destructive if bored and will chase wild animals if given the chance, so leashes are mandatory.
1 Britannica Source
1. Saluki: Temperament
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Saluki, breed of hound whose ancestors may date to 7000 to 6000 bce. The breed was popular throughout the ancient Fertile Crescent (from northern Egypt, across northern Arabia, and into the Middle East); the animal was depicted in carvings and paintings, on pottery, and in tombs in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Sacred to the Egyptians, who called it the “royal dog of Egypt,” the Saluki was popular with the pharaohs and was used to hunt gazelles. More commonly, Salukis were kept by Bedouin nomads to hunt hare and other prey for sustenance.

Breed Data

Other name: Persian Greyhound, Gazelle Hound
Area of origin: ancient Egypt and Middle East
Breed group: hound
Height at withers: 23–28 inches (58–71 cm)
Weight: 38–65 pounds (18–29 kg)
Lifespan: 11–13 years
Did you know? While Islam historically considered dogs unclean, the Saluki was an exception, known as “el hor” (the noble one); revered in palaces, the dog was equally welcome in Bedouin tents, where they shared meals with their owners. Saluki races and coursing events are still held in the Middle East. The Saluki is also the mascot of Southern Illinois University, because the school is located in the region of the state known as “Little Egypt,” so-called for its V-shaped geographical similarity to the Nile River delta, its fertile grain production, and the Cahokia Native American mounds that resemble Egyptian pyramids; several towns in this region, such as Cairo, Illinois, are named for Egyptian cities.

Graceful, keen-sighted, and generally hardy, the Saluki is a slender, sleek, Greyhound-like sighthound (dogs that chase down prey by sight) with long legs, a narrow body, drop ears, and a silky coat. In the feathered variety the hair is longer on the ears and tail. In the smooth variety the hair is very short all over. Colors include any shade of tan from white to red; black and tan; grizzle; sable; and any of these with any amount of white.

Care and upkeep

The feathered variety needs its ears, tail, and feathering between the toes or on the britches to be combed twice weekly. Washing the ear feathering weekly will help prevent tangling. Neutered or spayed dogs of the feathered variety often grow long hair all over their body and will require more grooming. Otherwise, no frequent bathing is needed. The ears should be checked periodically, the nails clipped every other week, and the teeth brushed daily if possible.

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Salukis need about an hour of exercise daily but are otherwise sedate. They do well in warm climates but can adapt to cold. They may need a jacket in very cold climates.

Temperament

Salukis are loyal and gentle with people of all ages; they are also quiet and seldom bark. They have a moderate to low energy level, sleeping a good part of the day, but they are swift sprinters and enjoy a daily full-out run; if allowed to get bored, they can be destructive. They will also chase and catch wild animals if given the chance, so leashes are mandatory. They get along well with other dogs but can be timid toward strangers. They can also be independent and ignore owners’ commands. They are alert and decent watchdogs but ineffective protection dogs because of their nonaggressive nature.

These are well established and widely accepted generalizations about the breed. Individual dogs may differ in behavior and temperament.

Caroline Coile

Saluki

Care and upkeep

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Temperament