These dogs are extremely loyal to their families but tend to be quite wary and distant towards new people and strangers. They are more ‘one-person’ pooches and will more than likely become attached to a key member within the family. This can mean that Salukis are more at risk of developing separation anxiety, so really, they need to be in a home where someone is around for most of the day. Without this, it may result in them developing destructive behaviors. They are an incredibly reserved breed and potentially quite shy in new environments although they do normally get on very well with other dogs. As their appearances may suggest, they are very high maintenance and love to live the life of luxury, with constant pampering.

These sleek beauties are considered to be one of the oldest breeds of dogs in the world. In fact, depictions of similar dogs have been found in Egyptian tombs that date back to 2100 B.C.E (over 4,000 years ago!) and also from the Sumerian Empire in 7,000 B.C.E. (9,000 years ago!). It’s thought that Pharaohs once used the dogs to hunt gazelles and when they died, they were mummified – a little bit creepy. Nomadic Muslims also believe that these dogs were a gift from Allah and were referred to as ‘The Noble’. During this time, the breed was prevalent across most of the Middle East, but it wasn’t until after WW1 that the Salukis really made their presence known and they were eventually registered by the American Kennel Club in 1927.