You know, I've had so much email asking about the breed that I am posting this here. Delete at will!
I'm with STOLA too, and have had Salukis for a while, as well as other breed by which to compare. First thing I want to caveat... There are many ways to be good parents of both human kids and animal kids -- some let their dogs on the couches, and some have beds for them, and some keep them in shelters outside. What is "right" treatment, and what deserves a rescue? I think Saluki should be held to pretty much the same standard as any other potential rescue dog. Most of the time it seems apparent if any animal/child is being overtly abused -- and sometimes you need to follow-up with visits to see if the problem(s) persist -- it's when personal preference or breed elitism creeps in that you have problems with rescues that might not need to be. One of the things I like about STOLA is that its volunteers really try to remember this. It's really about what's best for the general health of the dog -- the rest is individual opinion, and shouldn't be a part of the rescue itself. Noting things you think could be changed, and explaining your opinions and reasons to the dog owners can be a great thing. Sometimes rescues are called on animals because the owners honestly don't know and don't have good contact with the breeder like they should -- everyone is new to things at least once in their lives, and education may be the key to them being the perfect Saluki parent. I think it's just as awful to hear about dogs taken from homes just because one arbitrary criteria was not met. Like having to have a fence over 6' and of a certain area. I lived in an apartment for a little while with my first Saluki, and I took him out everywhere to get the exercise and socialization he needed. You wouldn't have seen that in my *house*, but you would have seen an energetic, happy, and healthy looking dog in a well-kept, lived-in apartment. However, I think rescue is needed for *any dog* if people are trying to breed the animals without proper materials and knowledge, if they keep them in unsat and unhealthy conditions, if the dog looks mangy or flea infested, if the dog seems depressed or otherwise severely sick without proper vet care being administered, etc... etc.... So, there's no real "magic" to Saluki rescue, but the breed differs in a few ways and it's good to know this too. Really, it's a matter of reading everything you can get your hands on, and talking to owners of all types. Some advice I can give about the breed: 1. Go to www.scoa.org and read EVERYTHING. The look for as much other material as you can -- talk to owners and other rescue folks for their opinions and advice. Elaine Yerty from Springmeadow Ranch in TX (for one) is a great source of practical info, as are many breed books & magazines out there. 2. TRAINING: Saluki are dogs like any other dog, and can be trained despite what people may say, but they are *hard* to train because they are intelligent in a wholly different way from most dogs. Even people who have had them for a long time can tell you that training is individual to the dog, requires patience, and seems to be improved with a lot more praise and hugs than any other dog I have owned. The Bedouin "scare" (not my word for it!) their dogs into obedience with a mixture of great affection and alternating "guilt trips". Good owners, no matter how they do it, should not forget the affection -- IMO. But there are lots of ways to train any dog. I think you have to use dog common sense when looking at how a dog is being trained. Crate training is an excellent way to house train them, but locking them up is not. Tie-outs can be safe, but tethering or leaving the dog alone is not. Etc.... 3. LEASHES & YARDS: You really cannot keep them off leash, even after training is well established, because of their sighting/hunt instincts. Good owners -- of any dog -- keep them safe no matter what. Saluki are escape artists and need to be well kept in crates/houses/cars, etc... without easy ways to slip through cracks/doors/windows. 6' fenced yards are a good idea unless you are experienced and have them trained. Even then, we never leave our girls in low fenced areas alone. If they get out, they can run 40+ mph, and can keep up with the run for over a mile. I just heard a story about a Saluki who jumped over the balcony of the 2nd story apartment and was gone for good. Tie-outs should only be used with supervision, IMO -- check on local laws too, because some States have more laws than others. Saluki NEVER need more than a martingale collar, though, unless a choke collar is needed for show or obedience. They can slip anything not a martingale, though, and even then can slip those if left alone. 4. EXERCISE: Saluki need to run in a well fenced or remote area at least a few times a week, unless a vet says otherwise. Depending on what you do with them may determine how much and what type of exercise you do with them. SCOA reminds people that dogs, like humans, are prone to laziness and so exercise really should be intentional. The older the dog, the less they might need, so that will be a factor too. There are tons of great books on how to exercise sighthounds, and there are always classes too! However, watch for sprains in legs of young dogs -- they get them often, especially if they are run too much when they are still under 2 years of age. That's not a sign of a bad owner, necessarily, but can become a problem if the owner doesn't understand young dogs can be pushed too hard. 5. HEALTHY APPEARANCE: Saluki should be thin looking compared to other dogs (even some other sighthounds), with a rib or 2 showing below the skin, and muscled such that you can see the outline of their beautiful form. Saluki who are too thin are usually obviously wasted looking -- but be careful because young Saluki (or types like some desert bred) can get that "too thin" look and have more ribs showing and be perfectly healthy. Look for a well kept sleek coat (they only have 1 coat!), bright eyes, and energy. Feathered Saluki can get matts easily, but a good brush can help. Look at pictures in many places and go to dog shows to improve your eye for them. Young dogs can eat TONS of food and still be slender, though a fat Saluki can happen too. If they don't have a nice sweep to the waist, and are "fluffy" about mid-sections etal, then they are possibly being fed too much. Though there are larger Saluki as well who are thicker like Greyhounds by nature and not overfeeding. Again, you want to develop an eye for that. 6. FOOD: Bedouin feed them table food as well as a recipe a lot like the one Jennifer put on this list. You can just boil up chicken and veggies and mash it with rice, too if you want an even easier homemade food. I've used store-bought, but I HIGHLY recommend nothing with corn or lots of enzymy type stuff to it. There are reports of Salukis who may have died as a result of cheap dog food, so I would really do my research before using generic or food you might give a more massive dog. Flint River Ranch is an OK "gourmet" food. When I don't feed them homemade, I use Purina One Lamb & Rice puppy with Petsmart's Award brand puppy food mixed in when they are under 2. Over 2, Anoush has been getting Trader Joe's Lamb & Rice kibble with chicken and rice or lamb and veggies mixed in. I also give them yoghurt, cheese, eggs, nuts, and stick to lamb or chicken treats. Overall, they should be eating nutritious foods that are high in protein as pups, for coursers, and for pregnant or breed bitches -- and otherwise high in nutrients for older dogs and bitches who won't breed. They may be desert dogs, but they are not wraiths either. 7. SOCIALIZATION: Saluki are as social as parrots and human children and need LOTS of hugs, love, and attention if you want them to socialize well. They can be good with other animals, but need to be watched and perhaps handled individually, as with any other rescue animal. However, even though they are hunters, they are gentle dogs and can be spooked easily. I have not seen good things of fighting dogs paired with them, though I know people who have never had a problem as long as the dogs were all trained well. 8. Salukis are hounds and they howl. Horror stories abound about them being de-barked or the use of shock collars with them. There is a great controversy over shock collars -- but I know this from my experience... if a Saluki is well socialized and happy, they shouldn't be howling or barking indiscriminately. Like with any dog, they may alert to strangers or to random sights/sounds, but as they age Saluki tend to become more reserved. The male I had howled when we left him alone, and my older girl howled when we used to try and crate train her, but they were conditioned out of it slowly by lots of patient love and learning that the crate/leaving was not permanent. Other Resources: Lots of good breed books out there -- there are some really pricy ones that are well worth the money such as Goodman's Saluqi:Coursing Hound of the East, Watter's Saluki, etal. But you should be able to find some basic breed books for cheap -- I have lots of resources if you are interested in a library. And again, listening to a variety of people and then making up your own mind is the best idea! ------------------------ Yahoo! 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