Plate 067 · Middle East & Africa

Saluki

萨路基猎犬

“A desert gazelle hunter of the Arab world.”

Origin: Iraq · Syria · Iran; Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula; Historical region — not an exact birthplace; The point is a reference position for a historical region; it is not an exact birthplace.
Era: Ancient Middle Eastern sighthound type
Today: Companion · Coursing

Under editorial review — sources listed below.

View on globe

Early breed type → Today

1919 painting of feathered sighthounds with a handler in Arab dress in the desert — Louis Agassiz Fuertes's plate labelled 'Persian Gazellehound' in National Geographic's 'Book of Dogs' (1919): feathered, Saluki-type desert sighthounds. The book also calls them 'Slughi', a name now used for a different, smooth-coated breed.
Louis Agassiz Fuertes, in National Geographic's The Book of Dogs (1919) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Head of a cream Saluki with long feathering on its ears — Lilly M · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

History

01 · Origin
Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula
A sighthound kept for millennia by peoples of the Middle East, including Bedouin tribes.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunted gazelle, hare and fox across open desert, sometimes alongside hawks or falcons.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Saluki-like dogs appear in art far beyond the Middle East, including Ming-dynasty China, and may have travelled the Silk Road. Western breeders standardised the breed in the early 20th century from imported dogs.
04 · Today
Companion · Coursing
An elegant companion and coursing hound.

Personality

Gentle
Dignified
Independent
Reserved
Swift

Energy

Sociability

Trainability

Vocal tendency

General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.

Size: Large
Lifespan: 10–17 years
Coat: Smooth or feathered silky coat

Field note

Some historians identify it as a distinct breed and type as early as 329 BC, when Alexander the Great invaded India.

Recognition & today

AKC: Hound Group
Also recognized by: FCI, The Kennel Club (UK)
Popular in: No reliable data

Sources2 references

Saluki — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/saluki/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-06 · Used for registry status, AKC group and breed standard reference only.
Saluki (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluki
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.