Berber and Bedouin communities in the Maghreb developed the Sloughi, a short-haired North African sighthound that hunts by sight and speed over open, arid ground. Its job was running down gazelle and hare, and guarding nomadic camps.
People call it the Arabian Greyhound, which misleads, because it is a separate breed from the Greyhound. The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) files it as standard No. 188 and fixes male height at 66 to 72 cm and female height at 61 to 68 cm. It sets no weight, so the weights printed on breed profiles do not come from the standard (FCI, 1998).
What Is a Sloughi?
The FCI files the breed as standard No. 188, in Group 10 (Sighthounds), Section 3 (Short-haired Sighthounds). Morocco is the country of origin on that standard, and the breed comes in a single short-haired variety.
English-language sources also use the name Arabian Greyhound. It causes more confusion than it clears up.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) says the Sloughi is a separate breed from the Greyhound, with its own history and its own standard. The outlines look alike. The dogs are not the same.
Where Did the Sloughi Come From?
The Sloughi comes from the Maghreb, the North African band covering Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Berber and Bedouin communities bred it for hunting game and for guarding nomadic camps.
The 1998 FCI standard notes that most Sloughis live in Morocco, which is responsible for the standard.
The sources split on how old the breed is. Among ancient dog breeds, the Sloughi has a thin written record, so every age estimate rests on how artifacts are read.
The FCI (1998) says only that the breed has existed for many centuries in North Africa. The American Sloughi Association (ASLA) is more specific, citing archaeological evidence of similar sighthound-type dogs in the region for at least 6,000 years. The AKC (2026) goes furthest and says the breed may date to 8000 to 7000 B.C.
The American Sighthound Field Association adds a warning. Ancient images of smooth, lop-eared sighthounds resemble today’s Sloughi, Saluki, Azawakh and smooth Afghan, and without genetic study nobody can say which of them the artist drew.
Genetics shows relatedness, not age. The 2017 Cell Reports study by Parker and colleagues sampled 161 breeds and, as ShowSight Magazine summarized it, grouped the Sloughi with the Saluki, Afghan Hound and Azawakh in a Mediterranean clade.
The paper also flags that a small number of Sloughi samples did not cluster with the rest of the breed.
Traditional Hunting Role
Sloughis worked alone, taking game over brush and mountains as well as open desert sand. The AKC lists the quarry as gazelle, wild pigs, jackals, foxes, ostriches and hares, and the full range also takes in wild boar, rabbit and fennec.
The ASLA adds a second job, guarding tents and livestock for nomadic owners.
Morocco now restricts the work. According to the ASLA, hunting most game with Sloughis is banned there, and only fox, fennec, jackals and wild boar remain legal quarry.
Annual moussems in Morocco still draw hundreds of Sloughis and their hunter-owners from remote villages.
Spread to Europe and the United States
The breed reached the West late and in small numbers.
- In the late 1800s, Auguste Le Gras imported two Sloughis from North Africa to Europe (ASLA). The Royal Kennel Club (2026), the UK registry formerly named The Kennel Club, links the arrival to the French occupation of Algeria.
- Numbers collapsed in the early to mid 1900s. The ASLA blames World War II and a rabies epidemic, while the American Sighthound Field Association points to political upheaval that broke up the leading breeding families by the early 20th century.
- Tagiurie el Sian, imported by Kaethe and Carl Rodarty in 1973, became the first Sloughi in the United States (AKC, 2026).
- Between 1979 and 1981, Jacques and Ermine Moreau-Sipiere moved from France with a Tunisian-imported bitch named Jilsa and three French-bred dogs, and they bred the first American litter in 1981 (ASLA).
Most American Sloughis descend from French, Dutch and German lines that trace back to North African imports (United Kennel Club, 2009). Breeders in the US and Europe still import dogs from Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria (AKC, 2026).
How Big Is a Sloughi, and What Does the Breed Standard Describe?
A male Sloughi stands 66 to 72 cm (26 to 29 inches) at the withers and a female 61 to 68 cm (24 to 27 inches), according to FCI standard No. 188 (1998). The same standard describes a lean, racy dog with very short, fine hair and a long, wedge-shaped head.
Height and Weight
Males run 66 to 72 cm with an ideal of 70 cm (27.5 in), and females 61 to 68 cm with an ideal of 65 cm (26 in). Body length to height at the withers is 9.6:10, and chest depth to height at the withers is 4:10 (FCI standard No. 188, 1998).
The standard sets no weight, and published figures disagree. ShowSight Magazine gives 35 to 50 pounds, while Wikipedia lists males at 22 to 28 kg (49 to 62 pounds).
Height and proportion are the measurable part of the standard. Weight follows from a lean frame.
Coat and Colors
The coat is very short, dense and fine over close-fitting skin. The FCI disqualifies semi-long hair and fringes on the legs or tail, and the AKC treats any feathering as a disqualification in the conformation ring.
The FCI describes color as light sand through every shade to red sand (fawn), while the AKC and United Kennel Club (UKC) word the range as light sand (cream) to mahogany red fawn. Black markings are allowed in all three, and they take the form of a mask, a mantle, brindling or overlay.
The Royal Kennel Club (2026) registers sand, sand with black mask, brindle, brindle with black mask, black mantle with sand points, and black mantle with brindle points, which makes 6 breed-standard colors in total.
White markings are where the registries part ways.
| Point | FCI standard (1998) | UKC (revised 2009) and AKC |
|---|---|---|
| Small white mark on chest | Fault | Allowed, with small to medium marks on chest or toes accepted |
| Larger white markings, white stockings | Disqualifying fault | Disqualification when extensive (parti-color, white socks, white blaze) |
| Taller than the stated range | No allowance stated | UKC: moderately taller dogs are not disqualified |
A dog with a small white chest mark carries a fault in an FCI ring and passes without comment in a UKC or AKC ring.
Structure
The head is a long wedge with a flat skull, barely any stop and a black nose. The eyes are large and dark with a gentle, slightly sad look, and the ears sit high, drooping and triangular, close to the head.
The back is short and almost horizontal. The chest is narrow enough that it hardly reaches the elbow, and the belly is well tucked up. A thin tail, long enough to reach the hocks, hangs below the line of the back.
The Royal Kennel Club (2026) adds that the breed carries no subcutaneous fat, a cooling adaptation for desert conditions that produces the very slim outline.
Round, bulging muscle, a rounded rib cage and a belly that is not tucked up all count as faults.
What Is the Sloughi’s Temperament Like?
A Sloughi stays reserved with strangers and bonds closely to its own family. Anything that runs, it will chase. The FCI standard calls it noble and haughty, yet very attached to its owner, ready to defend that owner, and content with home comforts.
With Family and Strangers
Aloof is not the same as shy. The American Sloughi Association draws that line firmly, because a poorly socialized dog slides from one to the other.
A correctly tempered Sloughi is devoted to its family and slow to warm up to new people. Overfamiliar greetings leave it unimpressed. Shyness is what a socialization failure produces, and the FCI standard disqualifies aggressive or overly shy dogs.
The ASLA puts the critical socialization window at 3 to 14 weeks, and calls socialization important for any puppy and critical for this breed. It also says Sloughis do poorly when isolated from their families.
Children and Other Pets
Sloughis raised with children are tolerant and excellent with them, though an exuberant adult can knock over a small child (ASLA). Cats and small dogs can work out if introduced young. Unfamiliar small animals outdoors are another matter, because the prey drive takes over.
The ASLA describes the prey drive as extremely high, the result of millennia of breeding to course game. A Sloughi that meets a cat or small dog early enough learns that neither is prey.
Training a Sensitive Sighthound
Sighthounds were bred to find and take game without a handler. The ASLA says Sloughis are not eager to please the way herding or sporting breeds are.
Harsh methods backfire. The UKC standard says the breed does not respond well to harsh training and does better with a firm, consistent, fair hand that praises, and the ASLA calls positive reinforcement necessary.
The ASLA credits Everest, owned by Donna Rommelfaenger, with more titles than any other Sloughi in US history, including rally obedience titles, so ability is not what holds the breed back. Recall is.
According to the ASLA, a Sloughi chasing a rabbit or squirrel in open ground is highly unlikely to hear its owner call, however reliable it is at home.
How Much Exercise and Care Does a Sloughi Need?
Plan on more than 2 hours of daily activity, including a chance to gallop in a securely fenced space. The Royal Kennel Club (2026) rates the breed at that level and recommends a large house and large garden, while grooming stays light.
| Need | The Royal Kennel Club (2026) | American Sloughi Association |
|---|---|---|
| Daily exercise | More than 2 hours | Regular gallop in a safely enclosed area, nearly every day |
| Space | Large house, large garden | Poor fit for apartments without a planned routine |
| Shedding | Sheds | Sheds very little |
The shedding gap is the only real disagreement. Both sources describe an easy short coat. The Royal Kennel Club rates grooming at about once a week, and the ASLA calls the breed naturally clean.
Fencing, Leashes and Recall
The ASLA calls leashes in open spaces and secure fencing at home mandatory, because a Sloughi in pursuit does not respond to calling.
The UKC standard adds that the breed chases on sight but also follows scent and sound, so a clear sightline is not the only trigger.
Lure Coursing and Other Outlets
Good outlets include lure coursing, Fast CAT (a 100-yard dash), flirt pole and fetch, supervised free runs in a fenced area, and swimming for dogs that like water.
The ASLA recommends mental work as well, such as scent games and puzzle toys, and cautions against repeated high-impact play that strains the joints.
Grooming and Cold Weather
The Royal Kennel Club (2026) says the breed carries no subcutaneous fat. That suits desert heat and leaves little insulation.
A coat for cold, wet walks is a sensible precaution, even though Dogs Queensland notes that a light undercoat can grow in winter.
Otherwise the coat is easy. The ASLA describes Sloughis as naturally clean dogs that shed very little, and the Royal Kennel Club puts grooming at about once a week.
What Health Problems Affect the Sloughi, and How Long Does It Live?
The Sloughi is generally healthy, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is its best-documented inherited disease. Autoimmune and heart conditions turn up less often, and two sighthound traits (anesthesia response and thyroid test results) need a vet who knows them.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
PRA is a genetic eye disease that can end in blindness, and a DNA test has nearly removed it from the breed, according to the American Sloughi Association (ASLA).
All breeding stock should be DNA tested for PRA, with results disclosed before breeding. The AKC’s hound health-testing list names a Sloughi-specific PRA DNA test (PRA-rcd1a). Annual exams by a veterinary ophthalmologist still apply, because not every form of PRA has a known genetic marker.
Under the ASLA Code of Ethics (effective March 14, 2021), two carriers are never bred together. A carrier may be bred to a clear dog only in meritorious circumstances, and every puppy from that litter must be DNA tested.
Other Reported Conditions
Reported autoimmune problems include Addison’s disease, lupus and symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy (SLO), a rare disorder that causes painful loss of toenails. Wobblers disease and hypomyelinogenesis have been reported on the neurological side, cardiomyopathy on the heart side, and plenty of dogs deal with allergies (itching, skin irritation or digestive upset) or gum disease and tartar.
The ASLA health page lists these as reported, not common. Its Code of Ethics goes further and bars breeding any dog diagnosed with Addison’s disease, cardiomyopathy, myasthenia gravis, SLO, Wobblers syndrome or hypomyelinogenesis, or the offspring of such a dog.
Testing Breeding Stock
| Test | Timing | Public record |
|---|---|---|
| PRA DNA test | Before breeding | OFA, with CHIC registration |
| CAER eye exam | Within 12 months before breeding | OFA |
| Thyroid evaluation | Before breeding | OFA |
| Advanced cardiac exam | Before breeding | OFA |
OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, and CHIC is its Canine Health Information Center program. The ASLA asks that these results sit publicly on OFA for any US Sloughi being bred.
Ocerico Sloughis, an AKC Breeder of Merit, publishes exactly that routine on its puppy page, covering PRA DNA testing, echocardiograms, thyroid testing and annual CAER eye exams. It also microchips every puppy.
Sighthound Quirks at the Vet
Sighthounds respond differently to some anesthetics. Court (Clinical Techniques in Small Animal Practice, 1999) links this to a lean body with high surface area for its volume, which raises the risk of hypothermia, and to a nervous demeanor that can trigger stress-related overheating.
The same paper names isoflurane as the preferred maintenance technique and calls for close temperature monitoring through recovery. The Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia Support Group advises avoiding thiobarbiturates other than methohexital.
Thyroid results can mislead too. Total T4 runs below the general canine reference range in several sighthound breeds, including the Sloughi, per the Veterinary Ireland Journal (2023). A low T4 alone is not a hypothyroid diagnosis in these dogs.
Both findings come from sighthound research as a group. Tell the clinic the breed before any procedure or blood panel.
Bloat: Where the Evidence Stops
Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus, GDV) is a conformation risk, and Sloughi-specific data is thin. The IVIS Encyclopedia of Canine Clinical Nutrition (2008) names a narrow, deep chest as the most important risk factor, and the ASLA health page does not list bloat among conditions reported in the breed.
Without breed incidence figures, the sensible approach is the general one IVIS describes for at-risk dogs: several small meals instead of one, no raised bowls, no hard exercise right after eating.
Lifespan: Why the Sources Disagree
The ASLA gives 12 to 15 years on its health page, and 12 to 14 on average with many past 15 in its FAQ. Dogs New Zealand says 12 to 14 years. The Royal Kennel Club (2026) puts it under 10 years.
Both positions are on the record. Neither the ASLA nor the Royal Kennel Club breed page states the sample behind its figure.
Plan around 12 to 14 years, since a breed club and a national kennel club agree on it. Treat under 10 as the low-end reading that the breed’s small numbers cannot rule out.
How Does the Sloughi Compare With the Azawakh, Saluki and Greyhound?
The Sloughi differs from all three on coat, ears, proportion and origin.
The Azawakh comes from the Mali-Niger border and the Saluki from the Middle East. The Greyhound is British. Two of the three share the Sloughi’s FCI section.
| Breed | Origin and FCI section | Coat | Height at withers (FCI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azawakh | Mali and Niger, Section 3 | Short and fine, fawn with black brindle only | Males 64 to 74 cm, females 60 to 70 cm |
| Saluki | Middle East, Section 1 | Feathered, with a smooth variety, any color | Average 58 to 71 cm, bitches smaller |
| Greyhound | Great Britain, Section 3 | Fine and close, in black, white, red, blue, fallow or brindle | Ideal males 71 to 76 cm, females 68 to 71 cm |
Azawakh
The Azawakh standard fixes weight at 20 to 25 kg for males and 15 to 20 kg for females, which the Sloughi standard does not. Its body is more upright, with length at 9 parts to every 10 of height, and it carries a white stocking on every limb, at least as a trace, where white stockings disqualify a Sloughi. It is distant and very reserved with strangers, and gentle with family.
The Tuareg call the dog Oska, and the FCI standard (2019) describes it as a camp companion that also drives off hyenas, jackals and lions. The Azawakh is the closer lookalike, with a short coat and fawn color.
Saluki
The FCI keeps a smooth variety inside the Saluki standard, with the same points minus the feathering. That smooth Saluki is the dog most often mistaken for a Sloughi.
The Saluki standard allows any color or combination, calls brindle undesirable, and describes variation in type as normal and wanted. Body length is approximately equal to height. Temperament is reserved and dignified, and independent as well.
The FCI traces that variation to Middle Eastern tradition, where Salukis were given as marks of honour rather than sold, so dogs reached Europe from many regions. The Sloughi standard allows far less variation in type.
Greyhound
The FCI published its current Greyhound standard on 8 September 2026, and it files the breed in Section 3 beside the Sloughi.
Genetics separates them. ShowSight Magazine’s summary of the 2017 Cell Reports study puts the Greyhound in a UK Rural clade with the Borzoi, Whippet, Irish Wolfhound, Scottish Deerhound and Italian Greyhound, apart from the Sloughi’s Mediterranean group.
Greyhound ears are small and rose-shaped, a form that disqualifies a Sloughi. The chest is deep and capacious, and the back long, broad and square. Gentle and affectionate, the dog is also even-tempered and has remarkable stamina.
Which One Fits Which Household
The Greyhound is the easygoing first sighthound, since its standard asks for an even temper. The Azawakh suits someone who wants a reserved African sighthound with a fixed weight range, and the Saluki someone who cares about color freedom and, if wanted, feathering.
A smooth sand-to-fawn coat and a dog that stays aloof with visitors point to the Sloughi.
The Azawakh and Saluki standards both describe reserve with strangers, so neither is the easier first pick.
Which Kennel Clubs Recognize the Sloughi?
Every major registry lists the breed. The FCI accepted it on a definitive basis in 1934, the United Kennel Club (UKC) recognized it in 1995, the AKC gave full recognition on January 1, 2016, and The Royal Kennel Club places it in the Hound Group.
| Registry | Group | Recognition milestone |
|---|---|---|
| FCI | Sighthounds | Accepted on a definitive basis, 1934 |
| UKC | Sighthound and Pariah | Recognized, 1995 |
| AKC | Hound | Foundation Stock Service 1997, full recognition 2016 |
| The Royal Kennel Club | Hound | Listed as a Hound Group breed, Breed Watch Category 1 |
The sources disagree on two dates. The UKC’s own breed history says the FCI recognized the Sloughi in 1935, while the FCI’s breed database records definitive acceptance in 1934.
A few profile sites put UKC recognition in 1996. The UKC standard and the ASLA both say 1995.
The ASLA says it worked with the AKC to bring the AKC standard as close as possible to the FCI text, though the registries still word white markings differently.
It also keeps a Country of Origin Registry in partnership with the AKC, which allows dogs from Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria to be registered in the United States.
AKC Path From Foundation Stock to Hound Group
- The AKC accepted the Sloughi into its Foundation Stock Service in 1997.
- In 2004, obedience, agility, rally and tracking opened to Sloughis, with lure coursing on an exhibition-only basis.
- Sloughis could compete in AKC lure coursing trials from 2006.
- On February 23, 2010, the AKC named the ASLA as the breed’s national parent club.
- The breed became eligible for the Miscellaneous Class in January 2011.
- Full recognition and entry to the Hound Group came on January 1, 2016.
The AKC says recognition requires a minimum number of dogs spread across the country and an established national breed club. The Sloughi and the American Hairless Terrier joined together that day, taking the AKC breed total to 189.
Coursing bodies moved on their own schedule. The American Sighthound Field Association opened Miscellaneous Stakes in 1996 and recognized the Sloughi as an official breed in 2001, per the ASLA.
Who Should Not Get a Sloughi?
A Sloughi is the wrong dog for anyone who wants unquestioning obedience, a dog that greets every visitor, or a puppy on short notice. The American Sloughi Association describes the breed as independent and not eager to please, and Ocerico Sloughis says buyers seeking an unquestionably obedient companion should consider another breed.
It also goes badly in a handful of practical situations.
- There is no secure fence at home, or you plan to hike off-leash in open country
- Daily absences run long, since the breed does not tolerate isolation
- Cats or small pets live in the house and cannot be introduced to a young dog
- You expect the dog to welcome strangers
- You need to buy a puppy within weeks
How Rare the Breed Is
AKC’s 2025 registration statistics (published March 2026) rank the Sloughi 201st of 202 breeds, which makes it the second rarest in the United States.
The ASLA estimates fewer than 150 Sloughis live in the US as of 2023.
Numbers that small push responsible breeders toward genetic diversity. The ASLA Code of Ethics tells members to avoid mating highly inbred dogs and to weigh genetic diversity heavily in every breeding decision.
What Breeders Ask of Buyers
Breeders screen buyers before placing a puppy.
- Buyers complete a questionnaire and supply personal and veterinary references (ASLA Code, Section 6.07).
- The Code says litters should aim at conformation and performance candidates, not the pet market alone, so expect to be asked whether you want a show or performance prospect or a companion.
- Breeders ask which dogs you have owned and what happened to them.
- A return clause has the breeder take the dog back at any age if the dog or the home proves unsuitable.
Under the Code, no puppy leaves before 8 weeks and weaning. The puppy packet should hold a contract, the health or veterinary record, a pedigree and the AKC registration application, and most breeders microchip before handover (ASLA FAQ).
Read the contract before taking the dog home, and work only with a breeder who has signed the ASLA Code of Ethics.
Sloughi FAQ
How do you pronounce Sloughi?
The name is pronounced SLOO-ghee. The American Sloughi Association says the first syllable rhymes with boo, the g is hard as in good, and the second syllable rhymes with free.
How much does a Sloughi puppy cost?
The American Sloughi Association publishes no price, and breeders set their own. Quotes track what stands behind the litter, meaning parent health screening (PRA DNA test, eye exam, echocardiogram) and a contract with return terms.
Ask for the figure in writing before you commit.
Is a Sloughi a good guard dog?
It is a good watchdog and a modest protector. Dogs New Zealand rates watchdog ability high and protection ability low, so expect it to raise the alarm rather than confront an intruder.
Reports on barking conflict. Purina calls the breed vocal, and WebMD cites an AKC barking rating of 2 out of 5.
How can you adopt a Sloughi?
Start with the dog’s original breeder. The ASLA Code of Ethics requires breeders and stud dog owners to help place and care for any dog from their breeding that ends up in rescue.
The association also lists breed mentors who answer questions from prospective owners.
What to Arrange Before a Sloughi Puppy Arrives
Build the fence before anything else. Then brief a vet on sighthound anesthesia, and have a socialization plan ready that starts on pickup day.
The order follows lead time and what cannot be undone.
- The fence takes weeks to build, and an escape leaves no second chance
- The vet briefing is one phone call, made before the first appointment
- The socialization plan gets written now and runs from pickup day
The socialization plan carries the tightest clock. The ASLA puts the critical window at 3 to 14 weeks and its Code bars release before 8 weeks, so at most 6 weeks of that window remain once the puppy comes home.
That arithmetic explains why a puppy placed at 8 weeks needs a class or a set of planned outings booked before it arrives, not after.
