Page 93 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 9 3

Douz 1970s, a proud Tunisian with his hunting
companions, two Sloughis, which he looks at
lovingly © Schritt

So Angela Perri is wrong both about hunting larger game with hounds, the example of
wolves attacking and killing a bison in a pack, and about attacking a herd of several

hundred animals. Of course, this only becomes possible when several wolves or Sloughis
attack. But from these examples we see clearly that both the wild form of the canids
(here: the wolf) and the domesticated dogs basically hunt in the same way. The
independent hunting of the Sloughis, however, shows that the form of domestication here
still represents a very original stage. The hound was not “trained”, man is not the great
designer who says how the hunt should proceed according to his will. No, he swims along
in the “fairway” of the hound!

This also sheds light on the question of domestication or the general understanding of
domestication today. Is the Sloughi an “animal primitif”, a original animal?

Daumas describes the preparation of the young Sloughis for their tasks as hunting dogs.

At 3 - 4 months they are set on rats or small rodents, at 5 - 6 months on hares. This is
done in such a way that “people on foot lead the hound close to the camp where the hare has
crouched, by a light call they draw the young dog's attention, who now pounces on it and
thus soon gets used to a fast and well-considered run at the same time.