BREED COLUMNS HOUND GROUP I brought the third Pharaoh Hound into the Amherst, collated information from corre - the loin, nuances in their gaits, and variations showed them a few of the earliest Saluki photos US in 1969, and as the number of Pharaohs spondents in Egypt and the Persian Gulf to of front and rear quarters anchored on the on my iPhone. We discussed the geographic grew, they remained most uniform for about classify four types of Salukis (based on their desired moderate angulation. With no measure - range for the breed and the types of game 20 years. As the number of breeders grew, point of origin and distinguished by the ments, ratios, or indeed any disqualifications, hunted, and I suggested that rather than trying Pharaohs gradually began to change. It is dis - amount of feathering). After breed recognition our seemingly imprecise standard is designed to to compartmentalize the variations, they would tressing to see how different the breed looks by the Kennel Club in 1923, there was a 10- allow for the range of type. Adopted by the do better to think of Saluki body types as a con - today, and I can only wonder what the future year controversy over “Syrian” and AKC in 1927, it duplicates the original English tinuum between extremes. will bring. “Mesopotamian” body types as to which was standard. Convinced of its worth, the Saluki —Brian Patrick Duggan, We must reflect on the PHCA motto: “... a correct, and should the two be interbred? Club of America’s membership voted in 2011 [email protected] great responsibility ... to keep faith with 5,000 years of Maybe there is a yet to be conceived classifi - that no changes were needed and so it continues Saluki Club of America, true breeding ... they must shun man’s natural tendency cation scheme which could apply to the to be the oldest, unaltered AKC sighthound http://www.salukiclub.org to ‘improve’ which so often in dog breeding terms means Saluki—but with an ancient hound who hunts standard. to alter out of all recognition.” gazelle and hare, and which has the greatest Periodically the SCOA is prompted to “stan - —Rita Laventhall Sacks, geographical range of any canine breed dardize” our standard so that it more closely Scottish Deerhounds [email protected] (except perhaps the wolf-hunting Borzoi), matches the format of other breed standards BREEDERS PANEL 41 Pharaoh Hound Club of America, diversity is both intrinsic and essential to our (and make it easier for new judges to master). am now asking breeders to discuss what they http://www.ph-club.org breed. Once a prototype AKC judges’ education slide consider their most successful breedings. The imported Salukis that were models for show was presented at the national specialty in IHere is the discussion of her most successful the first standard came from the regions of the late 1990s, and the presentation used one breeding from Betty Stephenson, Kyleakin Salukis Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq—a border-fluid graphic of a Saluki outline used throughout— Deerhounds, of Brownsville, Kentucky. SEVENTEEN TYPES OF SALUKIS? area about the distance from San Francisco to but with different coat colors via Photoshop. t the Euro Dog Show in Oslo 2015, I Dallas. Later Saluki imports from elsewhere in The audience’s objections were summarized by “I think I consider my most successful breed - met a new breeder who enthusiastically the Middle East further expanded the country this comment: “While this does have the range ing to date to be the five pups born tAold me that they had “identified 17 different of origin sphere. Because of different tribal of colors, it narrows the mental picture of a Thanksgiving Day 2010. The dam was Ch. kinds of Salukis.” That made me think, “Is preferences, types of terrain and game in their Saluki by showing only one body type.” We Kyleakin Gyrfalcon, CD, and the sire was our breed a blend of functional forms or a col - vast native lands, Salukis could never be a believe that understanding the Saluki standard DC/GCh. Altnamara’s Cappuccino, SC. lection of sub-types, strains, and variants?” “cookie-cutter” breed. Our elastic standard with its acceptable range of variations will Falcon was the daughter of my DC Kyleakin Now mind you, I understand analyzing a reflects that critical diversity. always require studious ringside observation and Linnet, CDX, SC, FCh., VC, a real all- complicated topic and trying to make sense Salukis may be correct with long to square- mentoring. arounder (her sire was DC Utkinton Fitzhugh out of it through an organizational scheme. In ish bodies, taller or shorter at the shoulder, So, back to my friend and the 17 types of Talon, SC, FCh). Both were skillful coursers, but 1907 the doyenne of our breed, Florence have different head styles, degrees of rise over Salukis. After listening to their explanation, I Falcon herself would not chase the lure under AKC GAZETTE 29 FEBRUARY 2016 BREED COLUMNS HOUND GROUP any circumstances. However, she is one of the was a passionate, agile, fast and reliable coursing Scottish Deerhound Club of America, The Sloughi is less angular than many of the most personable Deerhounds on earth and has dog who finished his field championship easily http://www.deerhound.org sighthound breeds. The standard describes the the look and type that appeal to me. She fin - and would have done much more if he’d been angles of the forequarters as “well open” and ished her championship easily, racking three run more. And finally, his pedigree went back to the angle of the hindquarters as “open,” with majors quickly for her grand championship in my own foundation bitch on his dam’s side, so it Sloughis the stifle and the hock being “well open.” In extremely limited showing, and has 17 points was a linebreeding of sorts. I was willing to JUDGING THE SLOUGHI: ESSENTIAL addition, the Sloughi should have a sturdy and (showing specials is not the dog game I like to compromise on, for example, coat type, because CHARACTERISTICS robust skeletal structure, with plenty of long and play). She was a spectacular obedience dog and both Deerhounds were within the standard, he Sloughi is an ancient breed treasured lean muscle. The athleticism of a Sloughi must scored in the high 190s for her Companion Dog though the types were very different. Also, by the Berber and Bedouin people in be immediately apparent to the eye and to the title, but injured her knee before she could start Falcon was not quite broad enough through the MTorocco, Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria for his touch. A soft or out of condition Sloughi should showing in Open, though she was trained forechest, and Chino improved upon that.” formidable hunting skills, beauty, and loyalty. not be rewarded. through it. Sitting was painful for her, and life 3. What about the results made this your most success - His exact origins are buried by millennia in the A Sloughi is properly slightly taller than he is changes made dog training too difficult for me ful, in your estimation? shifting sands of North Africa but may date as long, with the ideal ratio being the length from during the few years after 2010.” “What I did produce was five of the most per - far back as back as 8000–7000 B.C. the point of shoulder to the point of the but - 1. What you were aiming for, what were your goals for sonable and agreeable Deerhounds I know. Throughout the breed’s long history, the tocks being 96 percent of the height from the the breeding? Every single one of the five has a coursing title Sloughi’s survival has depended on his ability to top of the withers to the ground. Bitches may “What I hoped to produce was a trainable, with competition (minimum Senior Courser) course both large and small game (jackals, be slightly longer than dogs without penalty. easygoing, and calm temperament, a passion for and at least one conformation major. Two are gazelles, boars, foxes, ostriches, hyenas, and The ideal height of dogs is 26–29 inches, and chasing the lure, and a sound and shapely Dual Champions, one more has her field cham - hares), at length and over rough terrain, includ - for females, 24–27 inches. The standard allows Deerhound of a type that both appealed to me pionship and lacks only a major to finish, and ing desert sand, brush, and mountains. for slightly taller Sloughis. and adhered to the standard.” another has multiple field, obedience, rally, and The primary consideration in judging the The Sloughi’s head is another of the breed’s 2. Why did you select the specific sire? agility titles and also has one major on her con - Sloughi should always be his ability to hunt. A unique and defining characteristics. Shaped like “I chose Chino [whelped 8/29/08; sire formation championship. One is a Dual Sloughi must run on sound and strong running a wedge, it tapers from a rather broad back Melvin Kangas’ Valentin Algonkin, dam Linda Champion, CDX, Master Courser, and ASFA gear. He must have the strength of bone, jaw, skull (four to five inches) to refined but long and and Ned Madden’s Ch. Altnamara’s Caviar Field Champion. Three are all-breed Best in neck, and topline to take down game of any strong jaws, which are approximately equal in Wishes, bred by the Maddens, owned by Ann Field lure coursers, two of these also specialty size. And he must have the elegance of form to length to the skull.