Page 146 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

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The Sloughi as a dog type or natural breed has existed since time immemorial. Not
separate from the Sloughi as a hunting dog, the Sloughi must be seen as a guard dog, but
also as a social being with mental strength and independence. These traits are inherent to
the genetic proximity to (wild) wolf and dog ancestors, the genetic ancestors of today's
dogs and wolves. As we learned from Bergström and Skoglund, the genetic ancestors tend
to be dogs from which the wolves split off. For the African dogs, a proportion of the
ancestors of today's wolf have been genetically identified from the area of Syria and

Palestine.

This wild ancestral form, however, was not as aggressive and hostile to humans as we
imagine today. Therefore, a rapprochement between humans and wolves by natural
means is obvious. Think, for example, of the lactating she-wolf of Romulus and Remus,

the founding myth of the Roman Empire. Hunting communities of different animals, as
well as of humans, increase hunting success.

The Capitoline she-wolf, which according to the founding myth of the
city of Rome is said to have suckled the twins Romulus and Remus

The modern idea of an early targeted selection of individual traits in dogs by humans does
not seem very likely against this background. As we have seen with the ancient Egyptians,
approaches of different animal species and humans are documented. Wild animals were

hunted and killed through nets in an enclosed environment, but animals were also taken
alive from this enclosure.

There have even been imported baboons, which do not occur naturally in Egypt, used as
police auxiliaries to catch thieves! Some animal species have remained in the human
family circle like cattle, others, like the Dorcas gazelle, have eventually gone their
separate ways.