Saluki Grooming

About the Saluki

One of the oldest breeds there is, and a coat built in an unusual way: the body is smooth, short and silky with no undercoat, and then there is long silky feathering in three specific places, the ears, the tail and the backs of the legs.

So it is a low maintenance dog with three high maintenance patches. Weekly brushing over the body takes minutes; the feathering needs a comb through and it will mat if left, particularly on the ears, which are long, low set and heavily fringed.

There is also a smooth variety with no feathering at all, which occurs in the same litters and is a legitimate Saluki. If you have one of those, this is a ten minute a week dog with nothing to comb.

The rest of what matters is sighthound anatomy: thin skin, no body fat, and nails that need frequent attention.

The body, and the three feathered places

The body coat is short, smooth and silky with no undercoat, and it needs a soft brush or a rubber mitt once a week. It sheds very little, which is one of the practical attractions of the breed.

The feathering is the work, and it is confined to three areas.

The ears carry the longest and heaviest fringe, hanging from a long low set drop ear. This is where mats form first and fastest, particularly where the fringe meets the head and behind the ear.

The tail carries a long fringe on the underside.

The backs of the legs, especially the thighs, carry lighter feathering, and some dogs have a little between the toes.

Comb those three areas through with a metal comb once or twice a week. Slowly and gently, because the hair is fine and the skin underneath is thin.

Trimming is minimal: the hair between the pads cleared, and the feathering tidied if it drags or collects debris. The breed is not sculpted and the body coat is never clipped.

Thin skin, no padding, and handling

Salukis are extremely lean by design, with very little body fat, thin skin and a coat that provides almost no cushioning. A correctly conditioned Saluki has visible ribs and hip bones, and owners used to thicker set breeds routinely assume the dog is underweight.

The skin tears more easily than on a thicker coated breed. Scrapes from undergrowth, a crate door or a hard surface can open a wound needing veterinary attention rather than a wipe.

At a salon, ask for a padded surface: a lean dog on a hard table gets uncomfortable quickly, and bony hips and elbows bruise.

Handle gently and avoid restraint battles. Salukis are sensitive, dignified dogs that do not respond well to being manhandled, and they remember it.

Sighthounds are also well known to be sensitive to some anesthetics and sedatives because of low body fat, which is a conversation to have with a veterinarian before any procedure rather than during one.

They chill easily too. Warm water, warm rather than hot drying, no damp dog in a cool room, and a coat outdoors in winter.

Nails, and why sighthounds are different

Nails matter more on a sighthound than on most breeds and they are the part owners most often let slide.

The quick, the living tissue inside the nail, tends to grow long in sighthounds, so a nail that has been allowed to get long cannot simply be cut back to the right length in one go without cutting into it.

The answer is little and often. Take the tip every one to two weeks rather than a lot every couple of months, and over time the quick recedes and you can get back to a correct length.

Long nails change how the foot loads and how the dog stands, and on a lightly built animal that runs very fast that is a genuine soundness issue rather than a cosmetic one.

Teach nail handling in puppyhood. A Saluki that objects is not going to be held down comfortably.

Check the feet after runs on hard or rough ground, since thin skinned pads split, and check between the toes for grass seeds after work in cover.

Some Salukis have feathering between the toes that collects debris and is worth trimming level.

The ears, and the rest of the routine

The ears are long, low set and heavily feathered, hanging flat over the canal, which is the architecture that causes trouble in spaniels and setters.

Salukis get less ear disease than those breeds because the canal is not as densely haired and the dog is not usually swimming, but the same rules apply: lift weekly, look and smell, keep the hair around the opening trimmed, and dry after any bath.

The ear fringe itself mats where it meets the head and pulls on the ear when it does, which is a comfort issue as well as a grooming one.

Bathe every eight to twelve weeks with a plain gentle shampoo. There is very little coat between product and skin.

Teeth need brushing. Salukis are long lived at twelve to fourteen years and generally healthy, so dental disease has plenty of time to become what limits them.

Check the whole dog over weekly. A smooth coat shows everything, so there is no excuse for missing a lump, a scrape or weight change.

What to tell your groomer

Say whether the dog is feathered or smooth, since the smooth variety needs almost nothing.

Ask for the feathering on the ears, tail and thighs combed gently with a metal comb, and the ear fringe checked where it meets the head.

Say the body coat is never clipped and the dog is not sculpted.

Ask for a padded surface and gentle handling, and no restraint battles.

Ask for nails little and often, and explain that the quick runs long in sighthounds.

Say the dog chills easily: warm water, warm drying, and not left damp.

Keeping the coat between grooms

Common Questions About the Saluki