Saluki Care

The Saluki is undoubtedly a beautiful, graceful breed. These dogs are thin, tall, sensitive, low-shedding--and they hold the record for being the fastest dog breed on the planet! Overall Saluki care and maintenance will take some work, and will need to include a lot of daily exercise, along with plenty of companionship.

Below you'll find plenty of details on caring for a Saluki, including info on puppy development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition, and more. Find answers to your questions about raising a Saluki in the following sections!

These dogs are exceptionally athletic, so Saluki exercise requirements are high. It's best if owners provide their Salukis with a variety of activities that both condition them physically (walking, fetch) and stimulate them mentally (games, canine sports). They make excellent jogging and bicycling companions as well.

Adult Salukis, depending on their age and overall activity levels, will need 90 minutes or more of dedicated exercise each day. You can start exercising your Saluki puppy when it's three months old by taking it on short walks, then you can increase the walks' length as the pup grows.

Precautions with Saluki exercise:

• Don't exercise puppies too hard before they're 12 months old
• High prey drive means a leash is required when exercising in public
• Yards should be securely fenced to keep the dog from running off
• Possible separation anxiety; exercises should be done with people
• Might get cold easily; don't exercise in freezing temps

Exercising your Saluki every day is an absolute must. Without consistent activity, these super-energetic dogs will become frustrated, disobedient, and destructive. Regular daily exercise will be great for both the dog's and your own peace of mind! A few exercise ideas:

• Walking/Jogging/Bicycling: Two 30-minute walks (or 20-minute jogs or bike rides) per day is a good target
• Fetch/Frisbee: Salukis love chasing a ball, stick, or Frisbee
• Hide-and-Seek: Good indoor activity; give the dog a treat when it finds you
• Canine Sports: Salukis are fantastic competitors in agility trials, lure coursing, and other events
• Dog Park: If properly socialized, Salukis enjoy the company of other dogs
• Hiking: Excellent bonding activity

When indoors, give your Saluki access to balls or toys that will allow the dog to burn excess energy. It's also good to have a regular exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks, jogs, or bike rides after breakfast and dinner and playtime in the afternoon.

In terms of overall maintenance, these dogs don't need much care. Saluki shedding is light, and drooling isn't an issue.

Saluki dogs have short, smooth coats on most of their bodies (and a majority of breed members have longer feathering on the ears, tail, and backs of the legs). The coats don't shed much, and owners can brush their Salukis once or twice a week with a pin brush to keep the shedding to a minimum. Owners can also keep a 2-in-1 comb handy, to be used to work out any tangles that may form in the featherings. Hair cleanup--vacuuming the floors, and lint rollers on clothes and furniture--will rarely be necessary.

A Saluki almost never drools, either. If your Saluki is drooling excessively, it might be a sign of a medical issue, in which case a veterinarian's care is needed.

The Saluki diet will need to include animal proteins, carbs, vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids--nutrients every dog needs to maintain its health in the long term. This means the best Saluki food is premium dry kibble, as it has balanced portions of the above-listed ingredients.

These dogs will do best with food formulated for active breeds. Royal Canin, SportMix, and Dr. Tim's are three recommended brands that carry excellent lines of high-energy premium food. And Salukis can be picky eaters, so owners may need to try several different kinds before finding one their dogs will enjoy.

Adult Salukis, depending on their age, size, and activity levels, will need about three cups of dry food per day, divided into two meals. Saluki puppies will need a bit less: depending on age, about 1¾ cups per day, divided into three meals (not two) until six months old.

For more info on feeding a Saluki from puppyhood through maturity, see this Saluki feeding chart:

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by mixing in adult formula with the puppy formula, in slowly increasing amounts, for one week.

Try if possible to stick to the above listed portions. Salukis are not prone to obesity at all--but if constantly overfed (and under-exercised), they can become unhealthy and out of shape. Help keep your Saluki in top physical condition by having consistent feeding and exercise schedules, by not feeding the dog table scraps, and by not leaving food in the dog's bowl all the time.

Technically speaking, a Saluki is both an inside and an outside dog. These dogs will need plenty of outdoor exercise each day--but they're also pretty sensitive, and will need to live inside with their human family members. Also: since Salukis are so thin, it's important to have soft, padded areas for them to sleep on! And for the Saluki, apartments aren't a good match, because they're just too energetic to live in confined spaces.

In regards to climate: in a nutshell, warmer is better. While they'll be okay in hot weather, these dogs will get cold easily since they don't have much body fat. Overall, Salukis are best suited for areas with warmer temps.