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Breed guide · Dogs
He curls up so small you'd miss him on the sofa. I check the cushions before I sit down.
Last updated 12 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
You call, they look at you, and they come when they are ready.
What's going onSalukis were chosen for working out of the hunter's sight and making their own decisions. When something moves, the chase starts before your voice registers.
At home
Not a bark at the door, even when the delivery arrives.
What's going onBarking spoiled the hunt, so it was bred out. They won't bark when something is wrong either, so watch for pacing, panting and not settling.
At home
Curled up for hours, then a few minutes at full speed.
What's going onSalukis are sprinters. Everything goes into a short burst, and the rest of the day is recovery. Sleeping 16 to 18 hours a day is normal, and puppies need more.
At home
They always find the highest, softest, warmest spot in the house.
What's going onThin skin, a lean, bony frame and no undercoat. A hard floor gives them pressure calluses. Give them a better bed and they will use it.
At home
One sharp word and they walk away, and take a long time to come back.
What's going onThey were never bred to argue. Push them and they shut down, and harsh handling costs more with a Saluki than with almost any other breed.
At home
Fine in the heat outside, shivering under the air conditioning an hour later.
What's going onA short coat, no undercoat and bare skin on the belly. Sunscreen when you go out, a blanket when you come back in.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their run
Built for: Flat out across open desert, at 65 to 70 km/h.
In Dubai: Few open spaces where it is safe to let them run.
Their ground
Built for: Sand and gravel, under a desert sun.
In Dubai: Marble floors, and pavement too hot to walk on for five months.
Their day
Built for: Out of the hunter's sight, choosing their own moment.
In Dubai: Often a flat or a villa, and a lead outside.
Most of what pet parents find difficult comes from that gap.
A flat will never be open desert. You can still give that drive somewhere to go, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on a Saluki's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They reach 65 to 70 km/h. When something moves, no training reliably wins the next two seconds.
Every age, for life
Why
They reach 65 to 70 km/h. When something moves, no training reliably wins the next two seconds.
What to do
Use a 10 to 15 metre long line whenever they are outside and the space is not fully fenced, for life. Keep practising the recall every day, because it can buy you a few seconds. Never rely on it near a road.
Hot pavement and sun hurt their thin belly skin, and the air conditioning leaves them cold, often on the same day.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Hot pavement and sun hurt their thin belly skin, and the air conditioning leaves them cold, often on the same day.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds. If you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Put dog-safe sunscreen on their nose, ear tips and belly. Indoors, give them a blanket.
Every chase they get away with makes the next one faster, and Dubai has a lot of street cats.
Every age, start as a puppy
Why
Every chase they get away with makes the next one faster, and Dubai has a lot of street cats.
What to do
Introduce them to cats and small dogs slowly, over weeks, and always on a lead. Never let a chase happen, even in play. Teach them to wear a muzzle while they are young, calmly and with treats, so it is just another piece of kit.
In a flat with a doorbell, a lift and deliveries, they rarely have too little going on. They usually have too little sleep.
Every age, most of all puppies and teenagers
Why
In a flat with a doorbell, a lift and deliveries, they rarely have too little going on. They usually have too little sleep.
What to do
They need 16 to 18 hours of rest, more as a puppy, somewhere quiet and dark they can take themselves off to. Let them sleep through the cuddle and the photo. Both can wait. If they are restless at night, look at their day first.
A Saluki rarely shows you when something hurts.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
A Saluki rarely shows you when something hurts.
What to do
Once a week, run your hands over their ribs, spine, hips, belly, elbows and feet, so you know what their normal feels like.
A chase needs an ending. Without a catch they are wound up, not tired, which is also why fetch bores them.
Every age, shorter for puppies and seniors
Why
A chase needs an ending. Without a catch they are wound up, not tired, which is also why fetch bores them.
What to do
Use a flirt pole: a lure on a line on a pole. Three to five minutes, twice a week. Let them catch it at least twice each time, and stop while they still want more.
Twenty minutes of stopping, looking and sniffing does more for them than five kilometres at your side.
Every age
Why
Twenty minutes of stopping, looking and sniffing does more for them than five kilometres at your side.
What to do
Let them choose the route and the pace for half the walk. Deciding where to go tires them more than the distance does.
They will find one anyway, so you might as well choose it.
Every age, orthopaedic from 7 years
Why
They will find one anyway, so you might as well choose it.
What to do
A raised, padded bed in the room where the family sits, not a crate in the corner. Thick enough that you cannot feel the base through it. If they are on the sofa regardless, put a blanket down and make the sofa theirs.
Snuffle mats are made for dogs that hunt by nose. A Saluki hunts by sight.
Every age, most of all from 7 years
Why
Snuffle mats are made for dogs that hunt by nose. A Saluki hunts by sight.
What to do
A raised spot by a window where they can watch the street. On walks, let them stop and stare into the distance for a minute without hurrying them on.
Pressure makes them shut down, and it takes them a long time to come back.
Every age
Why
Pressure makes them shut down, and it takes them a long time to come back.
What to do
Reward the thing you liked, straight away. Say a cue once. Stop each session while it is still going well. No shouting, no jerking the lead, and no collars or tools that hurt or frighten them.
All of these you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Feathered or smooth
Desert-bred Salukis come from hounds still bred in the region to hunt and run, often with smooth ears and a short coat. Show lines are bred for the show ring, usually finer, with silky feathering on the ears and tail. Most Salukis in the UAE are desert-bred or a mix of both.
Colours
Salukis come in white, cream, fawn, golden and red, grizzle, tricolour, and black and tan. In the UAE you will meet every one of them.
The first six months
Their full vaccination course, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Puppies need 18 to 20 hours of sleep, so protect their rest as carefully as their play.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Give them a raised, padded bed in the room where you sit, and check every gate and door. A Saluki that gets out can be a kilometre away before you reach the gate.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Ask the breeder whether both parents have had their hearts and eyes evaluated. Heart disease and gradual loss of sight are the first two risks on a young Saluki's record.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll keep your side of the bed warm. If they stop wanting to leave it for their run, tell your vet.
Before they were yours.
Thousands of years ago
The Saluki is one of the oldest dog breeds there is, with its roots in the Fertile Crescent.
What they still carryThe chase, and the willingness to leave you to do it.
For centuries
Much prized by the Bedouin, Salukis coursed gazelle, hare and fox across sand and gravel, often alongside hooded falcons.
What they still carrySpeed, stamina in the heat, and a dog that decides for themselves.
Across the Arab world
The Saluki is revered across the Arab world as El Hor, the noble one.
What they still carryDevoted to their own family, and not much interested in anyone else.
The 1920s
Travellers and officers brought hounds to Britain, and in 1927 the breed standard was approved in America.
What they still carryDesert-bred lines and show lines, built and behaving differently.
Today
Many Salukis in the UAE live as family dogs, in flats and villas.
What they still carryA dog built to run out of sight at 65 to 70 km/h, now living on marble floors through 45°C summers.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Saluki suits you, so might these.
GreyhoundThe same kind of sighthound, built to sprint after hare, a little heavier and far less at home in the heat.
WhippetThe same kind of sighthound in a smaller size, bred in northern England to catch rabbits, then curl up indoors.
BorzoiThe same calm, quiet and independent temperament at home, in a much bigger hound with a coat made for Russian snow.
Pharaoh HoundA similar size and a short coat that copes with warm weather better than most, though they still need shade.
