Saluki
Learn about the temperament and personality of the Saluki. Discover what he's like to live with, his traits and characteristics and how he generally behaves. And look at lots of Saluki photos.
| Saluki: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Training |  | Explain rating |
| Intelligence | | Explain rating |
| Shedding |  | Explain rating |
| Watchdog | | Explain rating |
| Guard Dog |  | Explain rating |
| Popularity |  | Explain rating |
| Size |  | Explain rating |
| Agility |  | Explain rating |
| Good with Kids |  | Explain rating |
Saluki Temperament
The Saluki is an independent, athletic, and spirited breed with a keen hunting instinct. These sight hounds will spot things you don't and take off after them. They sometimes catch and kill their prey. They can run at 35 mph, so you will not catch a Saluki if he gets away, and they are notoriously bad at the recall. A Saluki needs a fenced area to run in, in order to be happy. Be aware that they can jump over a 5' fence, and they are also skilled diggers who can dig under a fence. The #1 cause of death for a Saluki is being hit by a vehicle. This breed loves to run more than anything else in the world. A daily leash walk is not enough for the Saluki, and asking him to adjust to this, what he would see as dormant, lifestyle really isn't fair to the dog. He loves to romp around enjoying vigorous exercise outside, but he will then want to come in and sleep on your bed, and he is particularly fond of pillows. He likes to lie on some soft pillows and take a long nap. The Saluki can be taught obedience but it will require patience and consistency from his master. Even a well-trained Saluki is not terribly obedient. Still, they excel at lure coursing, agility, flyball, jumping, racing, and tracking. They also make great therapy dogs. They obviously enjoy having a job to do. These are gentle animals who are loving, loyal, sensitive, and devoted to their humans. They are affectionate, but not as demonstrative as some breeds. They are intuitive and intelligent, and they like to make their own decisions. They can be mischievous and will become destructive if lonely. They don't like to be left alone for hours at a time. If they are lonely or stressed, they may howl and bay, but in general, the breed does not bark unnecessarily. They are excellent with children, especially if raised around them, but they are a little too dignified for fetch. They usually enjoy the company of other dogs. They can also do well with cats, especially if they grow up with them. They are usually aloof with strangers, but are peaceful with everyone. Except of course, the squirrels, rabbits, and birds.
Saluki Training
The Saluki is moderately easy to train. He learns new commands at the average rate. He is neither difficult nor easy to train.
Saluki Shedding
The Saluki sheds a fair amount of hair. You'll find hair stuck to your couch, carpets, clothes and everything else in your home.
Saluki Grooming
The medium-length coat of the Saluki only requires an occasional brushing. But because he sheds you may find yourself brushing him once or twice a week to remove loose hair. (What you get out with a brush doesn't fall out in your home!)
Adopt a Saluki
Saluki Photos
Rating: Ease of training
Tells you how easy or difficult a breed is to train.
A higher rating means the breed is easier to train, a lower rating means the breed is harder to train.
An easy to train breed require less time and patience to train.
Rating: Intelligence
Tells you how intelligent a breed is in terms of how quickly it can learn commands from humans. A higher rating means the breed will learn your commands faster (and is therefore generally considered to be more intelligent), while a lower rating means the breed will learn your commands more slowly (and is therefore generally considered to be less intelligent).
Keep in mind that this is only one way to measure a dog's intelligence and a low rating might still mean the breed is highly intelligent in other ways.
Rating: Shedding
Tells you how much hair the breed sheds. The higher the rating the more hair the breed sheds.
Rating: Watchdog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a watchdog and raising the alarm when a stranger approaches. A higher rating means the breed will bark vigorously to warn you of a stranger's presence on your property. A low rating means the breed probably won't bark much if a stranger enters your property.
Rating: Guard dog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a guard dog due to the appearance, size, and strength of the breed. A breed with a high guard dog rating will make an intruder think twice before stepping foot on your property.
Rating: Popularity
Tells you how popular the breed is in terms of ownership. A higher rating means that more people own the breed. The more popular a breed is the easier it is to find and purchase one because there are more breeders breeding it.
Rating: Size
Tells you how large or small the breed is. A lower rating means the breed is smaller and a higher rating means the breed is larger. It gives you a quick idea of how physically large or small the breed is compared with all the other breeds.
Rating: Agility
Tells you how agile the breed is. A higher rating means the breed is fast and nimble on its feet while a lower rating means the breed is heavier and slower on its feet.
Rating: Good with kids
Tells you how good the breed is with children. A higher rating means the breed is good with children. Note: all breeds are generally good with kids when they're raised with them.
