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SALUKI (GAZELLE HOUND) BREED NOTES

SALUKI NOTES WEEK ENDING 11TH DECEMBER 1998

Having been unable to attend the seminar on Sunday 29th November, Helen, who did attend, has kindly written the following:

The Saluki or Gazelle Hound Club held their annual teaching seminar last Sunday . Although the weather was cold everyone was given a warm welcome with coffee/tea, mince pies and biscuits. The venue, thanks to an excellent map, was easy to located. The seminar programme consisted of an Introduction and Amendment to Saluki Standard by Peter Yardley. Peter spend time explaining the hard fought changes to our standard. The speakers were introduced by Diana Allan who give a short biography of each of them. The first speaker was Phillip Browning. He spoke about the Origins of Saluki. He read to us a very deep essay that would have been more understandable written in one of the Saluki periodicals, where one could have the opportunity to assess some of the historical facts. Although it was interesting, in the forum of a judging seminar, I felt that less detail on the history of the universe was necessary.

The next person to speak was Pauline Kendall on the Conformation of Saluki. Paulene presented us with two puppies of about 6 month old; a mature dog of about 8 years and a smooth bitch. She went over the dog systematically pointing out the parts of the body and the special breed characteristics. We were also given an illustration, to follow, naming the body parts . Also Paulene pointed out the different sizes Saluki could come in, all of which are correct. I felt having the different type of Salukis was a good idea. Our only problem was that there was little space between the canine participants and the human participants so it was difficult to get a good view of all the dogs.

The third speaker was Ann Blake on How to Handle A Saluki in The Show Ring. A Saluki had kindly consented to illustrate what she would and would not accept from a judge. The Saluki’s owner help with this exercise. Ann explained through her actions the best way to approach a Saluki, which is from the side. She demonstrated how the open hand technique of approach is beyond a Saluki’s comprehension. Her explanation of the body language when judging a Saluki was very interesting.

Afterwards there was a question and answer period which is always very informative. If asked what I thought of the Seminar as a method of teaching aspiring Saluki judges I would say we have a beginning but need to refine our educational techniques. I have attended other seminar and they have used videos to demonstrate their breeds movement and in some cases how the breeds have evolved. The Saluki is a special dog and I feel that some of its specialness was not passed on to the participants. Hopefully the organisers will look at this years seminar, analyse its pros and cons and refine it from there.

Michael Williams (101547.503@compuserve.com)

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