Page 47 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 7

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W 4 7

The use of this sighthound in the same way can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptian
culture and thus establishes a culture of its own, as described by Ibn Khaldun.

Mixing Asian Saluki types with North African Sloughis is therefore neither useful nor
necessary.

The North African Sloughi, however, is not an Arabian sighthound and should not be
called that either!

Have a look into the Sloughi Standard from January 8, 1998: Heritage North Africa.

Conclusion and acknowledgements

After studying the sources for publications about the Sloughi for a while, I had previously
avoided devoting myself to the Salukis, as well. Differentiating which sources are reliable,
rather than just guessing how it might have been, was a tough, long-running business.
Taking into account the central cultures with their different perspectives and then -

perhaps - finding a good way for the Sloughi breed, which only occurs in North Africa,
has developed more and more as stable ground. On the other hand, it has not been
confirmed that the Sloughi is an "Arabian sighthound".

Knowledge of the Asiatic Saluki is essential for the knowledge regarding the North
African Sloughi, especially if one follows the history of the origin of the modern breed.

And these were the decisive reasons why there was such a confusion - the Tohuwabohu!

So first, the Sloughi people might forgive me once more, I thank the Saluki people, first
and foremost the Honorable Florence Amherst, in her endeavor to describe these
sighthounds as early as her pioneering work and her possibilities would allow! Because
she, too, hit the wall of hearsay, assumptions and allegations on many points, but these
were less helpful than confusing. But we can build on the foundations of her work.

Brian Patrick Duggan gave me the key to this realm of early imports and perceptions of
the Salukis in England, with his wonderfully meticulous book about the English travelers
who brought their beloved hunting partners and family members with them, "back to
England", in which they established these many different representatives of this breed,
who enrich us with their presence to this day.