Any Saluki owners??

[Jackanory1978]

Hi, I’d really appreciate some advice/views from any owners of Salukis.

We are seriously considering rehoming one from a rescue centre. She’s 7, and has lived with her owner (plus a whole range of animals!) for 3 years after being found as a stray. She’s being rehomed as she attacked one of their cats.

I’ve met her & she is incredibly calm & very gentle. Was an angel with my toddler & got on with my JRT. We spent nearly two hours with her & she seems great.

However, I’ve been researching Saluki’s and they sound quite high maintenance! I work two days a week, so the dog walker will take her out those days. But usually my current dog has only 1 40-60 minute walk a day. Would that be enough?! We have a dog field nearby that is fully enclosed & hired by the hour, so she would have a weekly burnout there (I realise she can’t go off lead due to her high prey drive). Also how are they at being left alone? Currently she’s only alone for a max 4 hours. I’ve also read that they can howl??! My neighbours would hate that!

She does seem a lovely chilled out girl though & the rescue centre is very reputable. Any thoughts??!

Thank you 😊

What have her former owners said about her exercise needs? I have a part saluki and have fostered several part salukis and none have excessive needs at all - what you have described would be more than enough for mine.

Mine will howl if started off by someone else, but doesn't do it when left - presumably your dog walker will come part way through the day so they won't be alone all day?

Salukis can bond really strongly with one person . My ddog1 is bonded with my son and though he's very affectionate to us, its ds that he loves more than anything in the world.

You could get a basket muzzle if they have good recall otherwise so they can go off lead generally. They let the dog breathe and drink and they accept them well.

Thanks! I feel a bit more positive. It’s such a massive commitment, I don’t want to rush into it lightly. I’m having a second visit again next week so we’ll see.

We have a lurcher who is part saluki.We got her as a rescue when she was around 3 years old.Funnily enough we have a JRT too!
She gets 2 walks a day,one in the morning (30 mins) then one in the afternoon (45 mins).She does like to have a good run off the lead though & burns quite a lot of energy off that way,but her recall is selective (!),but with you having an enclosed field to exercise her in that won't be an issue.the rest of the time she sleeps.
Occasionally the JRT & her will have a play together in the garden,but she is definitely not high maintenance.
The longest we have left both dogs is 4/5 hours (but we usually only leave them for a couple of hours) & she was fine,although she has a penchant for getting all dd's soft toys out of the toybox & mouthing them (she never chews them)!