Page 30 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW Special Edition 3
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The fragment of that said painting, that we In looking after the breeding of Sloughis in
find on page 269 of this work, figure 20, particular, we can do just as well as our
represents the attack of a bull by a lion; it is Belgian or from across the channel friends
typical; one sees “the hunter or herdsman with the Greyhound.
exciting his fast sighthounds which refuse
the attack.” The lines of the two dogs are It is in our opinion, our only national
those of 2 Sloughis excited by the hunter’s sighthound, it is the ancestor of the Galgo
gesture. One notes specially their erect and espagnol, because if it is possible that the
vibrant ears. This reference is easy to sighthound had lived in the XIIth century in
control and, incidentally, the painting is not the Bretagne, he was imported there; no
exactly modern since its author lived kennel has survived enabling like in the
during the Vth Memphite dynasty, in other Middle Ages, the constitution of teams and
words approximately 3.315 years before our to make of them, for lords and ladies of the
era. manor, a companion admitted in all
ceremonies and in all rooms of the manor
Ultimately, it is demonstrated that the whose loyalty was stylized on the coat of
Sloughi is a sighthound that behaves as well arms or heraldry of town, notably those of
(except Whippets) as any other in coursing, StMalo, representing a sighthound jumping
he comes after the Greyhound in speed. over a portcullis with the inscription
“Semper fidelis” (“Always Faithful”).
He does not give ground in any way to
other sighthounds in beauty, courage, It is because of this essential quality that
cleanliness, loyalty. He is a very good guard the Middle Age has handed down to us, on
dog and easy to care for due to his hair. He the graves of Bretons, sighthounds
is not excessively sensitive to the cold; in sculpted in marble of which many remind
fact, at night in certain areas of Morocco, us of the Sloughi.
temperature is not much higher than in
France. We think that he is rather mainly For future breeders of this breed to
sensitive to humidity but aren’t there coats succeed as well as those of other kinds of
made for…dogs when rain or season sighthounds and maintain a pure type, it is
necessitate them. even better with the current standard, as
well put together as it is by the count of
Bylandt, but which is sometimes quite
vague for some judges.
