Salukis: The thrill of the chase

Just as its hooves touch the sand, a dhabi springs into the air, as if the gazelle were celebrating its sudden freedom; once, twice, thrice it leaps and then takes off as fast as its legs may take it.

A few metres away, eight Salukis stand on their hind legs, stretching as far as they can towards the small gazelle as they agonisingly glare at it getting further and further away.

The dogs howl, begging to be let loose. The trainers keep a firm grip on their collars and wait for the signal to be given. And there it is.

The dogs dart off after the gazelle, as the trainers hop into their 4x4s and chase after them.

Their sleek and finely toned muscled legs propel them to run at a speed of up to 70km/h.

The lead car keeps up with the dhabi, waiting to see which animal will beat the other. As the pack leader closes in on the dhabi, the passenger in the lead car prepares to perform a stunt that may make a Hollywood stuntman proud. He climbs out of the car and hangs on the side of the vehicle. The trainer carefully times his strike; as the muzzle covering the Saluki's mouth touches the gazelle's rump, the trainer swoops in and lifts the dhabi to safety.

The race is over, and the winner is awarded the affection of his trainer. Part of bedouin lifestyle

Salukis have long been part of the Bedouin lifestyle, as essential to them as their falcons – possessing Salukis meant a better chance of keeping the family fed. But all that faded away with the nomadic lifestyle.

Today, however, the tradition is being revived – a new generation of trainers has picked up the leash.

Sultan Mohammad Hashim Khoury has over a dozen Salukis, most of which he has bred.

“I bought my first Saluki when I was vacationing in Syria,'' said the 19-year-old Emirati. “I was hearing a lot about Saluki hunting and one day a friend of mine took me out to hunt rabbits. I was stunned; they were more like athletes than dogs. I bought the best one in the pack, Bu Zandain. Little did I know at that time that not only did I pay less than a fifth of what he was worth, but that I had bought a pedigree.''

Khoury has been training and breeding Salukis for almost three years. He recently retired Bu Zandain from competition and put him out to stud.

Mohammad Al Joker has been somewhat of a mentor to Al Khoury, teaching him the ins and outs of the trade.

The saluki community

“The most important thing for any trainer is to become part of the Saluki community, because that's what we are, not just a hobby but a community,'' Al Joker explained. “Find a group of trainers to hang out with. It's no good just training a dog on your own; you have to test it out against other trainers to know how well you are doing. You build friendship and competitiveness.''

Khoury and Al Joker take their dogs out to the desert for some exercise every afternoon.

Major competitions

“We will be competing in the Fazza3 tournament this month, I'm confident we will both do very well,'' said Al Joker. Their ambition is to be known as the top breeders and trainers in the UAE.

Khoury keeps his dogs at his father's farm in Al Aweer.

“My father has always supported me in anything I wanted to do. He got really excited when he learned I had bought a Saluki and began to encourage me to train it for competition.''

The group of 10 or so trainers that Khoury belongs to hangs out at the farm almost every day.

“There are two major competitions, the Fazza3 Championship [February 18 to 20] and a competition in Qatar, which took place last weekend where the winner was recognised as the Gulf champion. We also hold small competitions within our group from time to time, just to keep things exciting,'' said Al Joker, who placed fifth in Qatar.

“As a sport we are still young and there need to be more regulations involved. But we would really like to have designated training grounds in Dubai. It is very difficult to find a suitable location; we sometimes have to go as far as Al Ain for some serious training.''

Khoury's dogs eat 200kg of food a week. “It's not a cheap sport. Even though they might look skinny Salukis eat a lot because they burn a lot of energy.''

At a glance

The Saluki is said to run at a top speed of 77 km/h. They often used to hunt in tandem with falcons, which located the prey for the dogs to catch.

Salukis are sight-hounds, which means they specialise in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight and overpowering it with their great speed and agility.

There are 800 pure Arabian Salukis across the UAE.

Salukis come in two varieties – the smooth, known as Al Hess, with short silky fur all over its body – and the Al Reashi, with long silky fur fringes on the ears, tail and the rear of the limbs. Around 10 per cent of Salukis are owned by expatriates living in the UAE, while 70 per cent are owned by Emirati families.

Fast facts

The Saluki is the oldest breed of hunting hound known to be with man. Salukis are thought to have been around since 7,000BC. They originated in the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

The oldest image of a Saluki was on pottery dating back to the Halaf period in northern Iraq (5,300-4,300BC). Images of the Saluki are also on paintings in Egyptian tombs, in Sumerian buildings and Assyrian temples.

The first physical evidence, dating back to 4,400BC to 3,800BC, was found at a site near Mosul in Iraq. Salukis were also found in a tomb in Rekkmara (1,400 BC) and a drawing was found on a tablet in the tomb of Pharaoh Antefe II.

Salukis were mummified and buried alongside their master.

They have been found in a swathe that covers Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Arabia, Egypt and North Africa. The first Saluki left the Middle East and reached the West in the 19th century after a Briton took one home.

Source: Al Shindagha Online

A bedouin considers the Saluki as part of the family. He will never sell his dog but he may give it away as a special gift. There is such a strong bond between the Saluki and his master that the dog will pine if separated from him

YOU SPEAK