Page 52 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW Issue 15
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T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 5 2
Przezdziecki derives the traditional sighthound "from a selected breed that originated from
a selection for the steppe for fast game" (Les Lévriers p.8). In his opinion, the prototype is
the Sloughi, i.e. according to his interpretation, the smooth sighthound of the eastern
type. What does that mean? For each climatic and geographical situation, the respective
game would have had to be selected by man for a specific use. It is like a great common
plan of all historical peoples in different forms according to functional aspects. Is
specialisation to this extent conceivable and sensible? Developing such an abstract
breeding idea was hardly conceivable until the 17th century.
A coursing party under Max III, Elector of Bavaria, around 1750, unknown master, 18th
century, sighthound type, but reminiscent of French Porcelaine or Tricolore parforce
hounds. Bavarian Museum of Huntig.
Breeding a sighthound out of a normal dog type would of course also mean that
physiological adaptations would occur automatically, as is the case with the significantly
larger heart and the much thicker haematocrit in sighthounds compared to normal dogs.
But is such a targeted change in physiology really conceivable?
