AKC Gazette Articles

February 1999

The Versatile Saluki

While Ch Sundown Alabaster Treasure was writing a new page to the Saluki History book by going Group II at Westminster in February, 1998, on the opposite side of the country a cousin of hers, TSH Summerhawke, added her own embellishments. Throughout the coursing year, she blazed her way through breed competition, and last February she let the greyhounds watch her dust as she ran away from them, onto the record pages with a second place in the Grand Course. This coursing finale in Central California includes the best of the year's competitive running sighthounds.

These accomplishments, though remarkable in and of themselves and a testimony to the owners' determination (Treasure is driven to every show - her owners live in Northern California; Summer's owners drive three hours one way to her exercise fields) are not as remarkable as one might think.

From the beginning of Western influence on the Saluki, few owners have accepted the boundaries set up by other breeds. Early Saluki quality was determined as much by hunting prowess as by ring achievement, if not more. A Saluki imported from the Middle East generally came with a resume of how clever it hunted. Adaptability to home life was a given. This was, after all, the hound raised as a part of the Bedouin lifestyle.

We have only to look to Ch. Sarona Kelb, bred by an Englishman in Syria and successfully hunted there with his littermates until his family returned to Great Britain, where the heavily feather black and tan dog received countless Show ring accolades as a specimen of greatest quality. Sarona Salukis continued to compete successfully in both breed and conformation.

Jump "across the pond" and a few decades forward to a early litter bred by Mrs. Esther Bliss Knapp. Though not in a location to hunt formally (depredations to local cottontails notwithstanding), this litter of 13 included 8 champions and more CD's and CDX's than many people achieve in a lifetime. At that time Saluki owners had yet to learn their breed was impossible to train. Different, perhaps but not impossible.

The first UD Saluki appeared a few decades later, Stickybeak Xanadu von Senui, who enjoyed jumping so much, he would on occasion add a few extra leaps to his exercises. On the West Coast, organized open field coursing led to many Salukis with bench, obedience and open field championships - all on the same dog. Many early Srinagar Salukis held multiple titles. Multi-BIS Ch. Bel S'Mbran's Bachrach was as successful running in the field as he was gaiting around the ring.

Owners who wanted to keep their coursing Salukis in condition during the off season experimented with dragging things for them to chase, behind their motor scooters. By adding some pulleys and a motor, the lure course was created. Now the East Coast, impeded from coursing competition by lack of opportunity, could and did test their own Salukis.

The lists grew of Salukis achieving conformation judge approval, giving their all in the chase, and working alertly in obedience exercise. Well, working in obedience, anyway. It's been said other breeds come when called; Salukis take a message and get back to you.

Does this mean Salukis can do anything better than any other breed? Not hardly. It does, however, mean what one sees as either mental or physical frailness in the Saluki is often deceptive.

Salukis compete successfully in as many areas as their owners wish to attempt. Prerequisites are an excess of patience and a willingness to learn - for the owner. Salukis already know it all.

Monica Henderson Stoner
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