Salukis: The Forgotten Dogs

The Wind Drinker

The majority of Qataris are more cat-people than dog-people. You rarely see dogs in Doha, apart from the odd few being walked down the Corniche by their expatriate owners. However, there is one breed of dog native to Qatar which was once cherished by its people: the Arab Saluki.

A line of Salukis. Photographer unknown.

Yet, as time goes on, the memory and knowledge of these special dogs is starting to fade in the minds of people in Qatar.

The Arab Saluki in history

The Arab Saluki has been bred in Qatar for thousands of years, mainly by the Bedouin. Historical research shows that Saluki dogs were used for hunting and catching prey as far back as 5000-7000 BC. Salukis were traditionally used to help in catching rabbits, hares, gazelle and deer, but nowadays, they are also used in races. The Saluki is said to be one of the first breeds of dog domesticated by man.

Saluki dogs were used for hunting and catching prey as far back as 5000-7000 BC

Son of the Desert, Wind Drinker, Daughter of the Tent and Desert Eye are just a few of the names which the Saluki is known by. In Islam, keeping a dog in one’s home is usually frowned upon; however, the Saluki is an exception. Verses from the Holy Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet Mohammed refer to the allowance of the use of dogs in guarding one’s home and in hunting, and in the past, the only breed of dog present in the Arabian Peninsula was the Saluki.

Appearance

A saluki lifts pointed head up to sniff the desert air.

Image by Salah Al Dasm Al Kubaisi

A light dog, the Saluki usually has an athletic and symmetrical body, sloping shoulders, a long face, floppy ears and a long neck. They are typically between 23 and 29 inches tall although females can be smaller. Salukis are graceful and swift animals which love running and can run for long distances. In contrast to most other breeds of dog, which hunt by scent, Salukis use their exceptional vision to hunt by site.

Diet

Salukis survive on a diet of milk, water, dates and olives. Some Bedouins even used to share their meals of chicken and rice with their Salukis, eating from the plate first and then letting their Salukis eat after them.

Hygienic dogs

Salukis lounge on cushions in the Majelis.

Image by Hamad Al Ghanem, a famous Saluki breeder.

Salukis are hygienic dogs with minimal shedding of hair throughout the year. Bedouins of the past used to even let them sleep with them in their tents. Salukis, according to the Bedouin, can tell if water is dirty or milk is stale, and will refuse a drink when this is the case.

Intelligent animals

Salukis are extremely intelligent animals and do not need supervision by their masters when hunting. They are also dogs with a sense of emotion, able to make a variety of different facial expressions which express how they feel. They are generally calm and quiet dogs and rarely aggressive.

Salukis are dogs with a sense of emotion, able to make a variety of different facial expressions which express how they feel.

They are also very protective and make good guard dogs. They are generally friendly around children and can even become protective of them! Since they love running they need a lot of exercise. An average Saluki has a lifespan of 12-18 years. Because they are light and have such little body fat, they can be prone to illness.

Salukis in Qatar

Salukis were once prize animals here in Qatar and the rest of the Gulf, valued even more than the Arabian horse. However, fewer and fewer Qataris are keeping or breeding the dogs. Today’s modern lifestyle is usually held at fault; they are no longer needed for guarding houses or in helping catch game.

The remaining few Qataris who keep, breed and train Salukis are older men and Bedouin men. They fear that eventually future generations of Qataris will forget about Salukis all together. Even as I conducted my research for this article, the majority of Qataris I asked knew little about these dogs; some had never heard of them!

...fewer and fewer Qataris are keeping or breeding Salukis.

Many Saluki dogs are left to run wild in the desert and are usually found neglected, malnourished and sick. Various projects have been set up by expats here in Doha to rescue these dogs and relocate them to homes in the US.

One person who is trying to help revive the importance of Salukis in Qatari heritage and culture is the Emir’s son, Sheikh Jo’aan. In February 2010, Sheikh Jo’aan was patron to Qatar’s first annual falconry and hunting festival, in the desert of Al-Dhakhira (near Al Khor), in which people brought their Salukis to compete in beauty pageants and in races. Qatari men of all ages participated; even boys as young as ten competed with their Salukis.

Such graceful and intelligent creatures, we can only hope more people become aware of the importance of Salukis to Qatar and that they become cherished once more, rather than forgotten in the minds of the people.