Page 159 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 1 5 9

Peter Müller, as a hunter and hunting dog trainer, has contributed his view of the Sloughi,
which is a valuable contribution to the European view of things.

Erik Zimen, with his books “The Dog” and “The Wolf” , is indispensable for the scientifically
correct definition and history of this definition of a “domesticated” dog. This term, which
above all remains unclear in everyday use, must be clearly circumscribed with the

occupation of its content. For this he deserves our heartfelt thanks!

With his book “Africanis”, Johan Gallant has shed considerably more light on the question
of the origin and appearance of the African dog. Only against this background are the
landraces of Basenji, Azawakh and Sloughi comprehensible. Beyond that, however, the
questions of intermixtures with breeds of other origin from, for example, the Netherlands

or England on the African continent become comprehensible. Perhaps this can serve as a
model for other types of dogs, landraces or modern breeding races, where there is
constant speculation about potential origins without having any proof.

But our thanks also go to the indigenous peoples who continue to live with their animals
and not only from them.

A. Holzer, L. Yeomans, M. Guagnin and many other scientists strive to answer the
questions touching on coexistence, domestication and other issues. A. Perri is also
looking for answers here. But of course one also realises that science, no matter how
technically correct it may be, cannot replace observation in nature. Science that becomes
an end in itself helps no one. The view of the whole remains essential.

Delphinia Salamin elaborates for us on hunting with nets in Ancient Egypt and Ludwig
Borchardt lays the foundations for the findings on hunting in the early documents.

Murat Arslan again directs our gaze to the Celtic tribes that migrated to Central Anatolia
and are recognised by Arrian and the pseudo-Oppian as the ones who brought the
Vertragus there, the light-footed dog that can catch the hare in its run.

Heidelinde Autengruber-Thüry has worked immensely hard to locate and geographically
classify the dog races mentioned in antiquity. In any case, no dogs were mentioned on the
Arabian Peninsula by the ancient authors.

General Eugène Daumas is the first and most valuable witness to the Sloughi in the mid-

19th century. It is to his book that we owe an unbiased and accurate idea of the dog that
Alfred Dubucand has left us authentically as bronze.