Page 34 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW ISSUE 14

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 3 4

Coat colors:

The dun color we refer to in canine circles as “sand black mask” is the most frequent
(53,33%). Breeders prefer this coat color because of the black pigment around the eyes which
gives a unique beauty to the expression of the dogs.

Figure 4: Percentages per coat color among the subjects studied

There were significant differences between individuals of different coat colors for chest
circumference (CC) and index of muzzle/head (IMH) only.

Dark Brindle and Light Brindle individuals had a more developed chest circumference
compared to the other coat colors, having more breathing capacity with a more developed rib
cage.

Regarding index of muzzle/head, grey individuals had the highest average compared to the
other individuals of different colors: the length of the muzzle represented 46.1% of the total
length of the head, almost half of it, in agreement with the FCI Sloughi breed standard (length
of the muzzle represents approximately 50% of the total length of the head).

The authors conclude that body coat color has no important impact on all the body
measurements and all the body indices among the population of Algerian sighthounds raised
in the Wilaya of Tlemcen.