Overview

The Sloughi is a medium-large, short-haired, smooth-coated, athletic sighthound developed in North Africa (in the area including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya) to hunt game such as hare, fox, jackal, gazelle, and wild pigs. It is an ancient breed, treasured in North Africa for its hunting skills, speed, agility, and endurance over long distances. It is a robust, but elegant and racy, pursuit dog with no exaggeration of length of body or limbs, muscle development, angulation, nor curve of loin. The Sloughi is not a fragile dog, but is also a dog with class and grace. The attitude is noble and somewhat aloof, and the expression of the dark eyes is gentle and melancholy. The Sloughi's head is long and elegant with drop ears. The body and legs show defined bony structure and strong, lean muscles. The skeletal structure is sturdy. The topline is essentially horizontal blending into a bony, gently sloping croup. The tail is long and carried low with an upward curve at the end.

The Sloughi is an intelligent and very driven hunter which chases on sight what it considers moving prey, but also relies on olfactory and acoustic cues in the chase. In Africa the Sloughi is a working dog, primarily used for hunting. The Sloughi is typically loyal, playful and affectionate with family and cautious and watchful with strangers. The Sloughi does not respond well to harsh training, but benefits from a firm, consistent, fair and praising hand. (Faults: Sharpness or excessive shyness.)