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SALUKI (GAZELLE HOUND)
FCI BREED STANDARD
(Adopted March 1997)

General appearance

Elegant dog of slightly elongated construction, the balance of which expresses strength, endurance and agility, qualities which make him capable of lithe and rapid movements in sight coursing on rocky ground or in deep sand. The Saluki can be fringed or shorthaired.

Behaviour/temperament

Gives the impression of being very calm, almost melancholic until the moment he is given freedom of movement; reserved towards strangers and all which is unusual; neither nervous, timid or aggressive.

Important proportions

The relation between the body length and the height at the withers is of (maximum) 10:9 (slightly elongated rectangle) .

Head

Long, narrow and lean.

Cranial region

Skull: Moderately broad between the ears, not domed.

Stop: Not pronounced.

Facial region

Nose: Black to liver (brown) .

Muzzle: Dentition and jaws are strong and present a perfect scissor bite, regular and complete, ie the upper incisors cover the lower ones in tight contact, are squarely implanted in relation to the jaws.

Eyes: From dark to hazel colour, bright, large, not prominent, with an oval palpebral opening.

Ears: Long and very mobile, quite high set, at rest they are carried flat against the cheeks; when the dog is attentive, they are carried higher and directed forward. In the variety with fringes, the ear is covered completely or partially with silky hairs, the length of which is varialble. At control of length, the extremity of the ear must reach the corner of the lips.

Neck

Long, flexible and well muscled.

Body

Back of moderate width

Loin: Seen from the side the marked development of the musculature leads to a slight curve at loin level, although the ensemble is never arched; in the frame of the general proportions, the loin is sufflciently long to show off the slightly elongated format.

Croup Long and moderately slanting.

Chest Long and deep, neither barrel-ribbed nor slab-sided, moderately narrow. Seen from the front, the brisket is sufflciently let down, without excess, but certainly not hollow; the prosternum is visible.

Belly (Abdomen) Well tucked up.

Tail: Long, low set and carried naturally curved in the prolongation of the top line (never rolled up). Its underside is furnished with more or less long silky feathering, is never bushy. Its extremity reaches at least the hock.

Limbs

Forequarters: Forelegs straight and long from elbow to carpus. Flat bone structure.

Shoulders: Slanting and well laid back, flat musculature well developed without seeming coarse.

Upper Arm: Slightly slanting backwards.

Pastern (Metacarpus): Seen from the side not vertical but slightly oblique towards the front in relation to the axis of the forearm.

Feet Strong and supple, of moderate length, not short and rounded like cat feet; the toes are long and well arched, not splayed; there may be hair between the toes: the two central toes are definitely longer than the lateral ones.

Hindquarters

Strong, the haunch bones well apart: upper and lower thigh broad seen from the side, showing a good flat musculature.

Stifle: Moderately angulated.

Hock Joint: Low set.

Feet: The hind feet have the same characteristics as the front feet, but are a little less long.

Gait/movement

At the trot, the gait appears effortless, fluent, very supple and lithe, well balanced between front and rear. The strides are even and ground covering. No goose stepping or hackney action nor plodding; the whole movement without exaggeration. Seen from the front and behind in action, the legs must have a natural tendency to converge to the median line of the body without paddling, nor crossing over or mutual interference.

Coat

Hair: Smooth silky texture, top coat (protective hair) being sllghtly harsher than the feathering which is supple, soft and silky; feathering more or less abundant, at the back of the front legs and particularly of the hind legs. There may be feathering at the throat. Puppies may temporarily have more woolly feathering on shoulders and thighs.

Short Haired Variety: The top coat is mostly shorter, than in the fringed variety, but there is no feathering at all.

Colour

All colours and all combinations of colours are admitted.

Size

Sought after height at the withers 58.5 to 71cm (23 to 28 inches).

Short haired variety

Apart from the nature of the coat, all judging criteri are identical.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should he in exact proportion to its degree.

Notes

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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