Native to Morocco
Sloughiسلوقي
Origin: Morocco / North Africa
The Sloughi is Morocco's sighthound, a recognized native breed, reserved and deeply bonded to its family. Elegant and fast, it has a strong prey drive and a particular drug sensitivity to flag to the vet. A living heritage, too little known at home.
The Arabian sighthound: reserved, sensitive, deeply bonded to its family, with a strong prey drive. An ancient elegance, part of the country's heritage.
Heat (Morocco)
Watch the heat
First pet
Experienced owners
Availability
Market / breeders
Know this first
Like all sighthounds, it is sensitive to anaesthesia and some drugs (very low body fat): always tell the vet it is a sighthound. Under-appreciated at home, though it deserves to be known.
For you if
- An experienced, calm owner
- Anyone who can offer runs in a secure space
- Anyone who values a native Moroccan breed
Think twice if
- A first-time owner
- A home with small animals (prey drive)
Care essentials
- Flag 'sighthound' to any vet (anaesthesia)
- Runs in a fenced, secure space
- Soft bedding (low body fat)
- A close bond; it handles indifference poorly
Sloughi and Saluki: they are not the same dog
This is the most widespread confusion, including in Moroccan listings. The Sloughi is the sighthound of the Maghreb, recognised as its own breed. The Saluki, often called the Persian greyhound, comes from the Middle East and is a different breed. The Azawakh, the Sahelian sighthound, is a third one again.
The simplest marker is the coat. The Sloughi is short-coated all over, with no feathering. Many Salukis carry feathering on the ears and tail. The Sloughi reads as spare and dry, without ornament.
Why it matters in practice: if someone sells you a "Moroccan Saluki", the term is already contradictory. Ask for the documents and look at the dog, not the label.
Drug sensitivity: the point that actually matters
If there is one thing to retain before taking in a Sloughi, this is it. Like all sighthounds, it carries very little body fat and has a different composition from a dog of the same weight. That changes how its body handles some drugs, anaesthetics above all.
The practical consequence is simple and non-negotiable: tell any vet "this is a sighthound", every time, before any anaesthesia or sedation, even for something routine like dental scaling. A vet used to sighthounds will adjust the protocol.
Two more points tied to the same build: it handles cold and damp poorly despite its origins, and it needs thick bedding, because a dog with no natural padding quickly develops calluses at its pressure points.
Living with a Sloughi in Morocco
The Sloughi is a calm dog at home, often far more settled than its athletic outline suggests. It sleeps a great deal, bonds deeply with its household, and stays reserved, sometimes distant, with strangers. That is not fear, it is temperament.
What it genuinely needs is to run safely. A sighthound needs sprints in an enclosed space, not just long walks on a lead. And its prey drive is real: a cat bolting or a small animal triggers a fast reaction, which makes recall unreliable in open ground.
A Moroccan paradox: it is a native breed, suited to the climate, and yet little sought after at home, where imported breeds draw more attention. Adopting a Sloughi here is a choice that fits the country, provided you have the space and experience the dog demands.
The Sloughi, Morocco's sighthound
The Sloughi is a North African sighthound whose official country of origin is Morocco. The breed standard of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI, n° 188) states that the Sloughi "has existed for many centuries in North Africa" and that "nowadays most Sloughis are to be found in Morocco which is responsible for the standard". The current standard was published on 8 January 1998. The FCI classes the breed in group 10 (sighthounds), section 3, short-haired sighthounds; it exists in a single short-haired variety.
Morocco's full member of the FCI is the Société Centrale Canine Marocaine, the national kennel club.
What the standard describes
| Trait | FCI standard n° 188 |
|---|---|
| Height at the withers | Males 66 to 72 cm (26 to 29 in), females 61 to 68 cm (24 to 27 in) |
| Coat | Very short, dense, fine |
| Colour | From light sand to red sand (fawn), with or without black mask, black mantle, black brindling or black overlay |
| Use | Sighthound |
| Temperament | "Although noble and haughty, he is very attached to his master and defends him in case of need. With an instinct of hunter, capable of sustained effort, he also appreciates the home comforts." |
Where sighthounds come from
The Sloughi belongs to a family of dogs selected to hunt by sight and speed. A 2023 genome study of 123 sighthounds, including one African breed, six European, two Russian and four Middle Eastern breeds, found that sighthounds arose from local dogs independently, several times, and later mixed between breeds; in African sighthounds, the study found strong admixture from ancient wolves, more than from modern wolves (Li et al., 2023). Similar running dogs in different regions are therefore not necessarily one lineage.
A known inherited disease: progressive retinal atrophy
In the Sloughi, generalised progressive retinal atrophy, an eye disease that destroys the retina's light-sensitive cells and leads to blindness, has a known cause: an 8-base insertion in exon 21 of the PDE6B gene. In a large Sloughi pedigree, the mutation followed the disease in affected dogs and obligate carriers, and the disease is transmitted recessively (Dekomien et al., 2000). A dog can carry one copy without being ill; two carriers can produce affected puppies. Before buying a puppy, ask whether both parents were tested for this mutation.
This content does not replace a vet's advice.
Living with a Sloughi in Morocco
The Sloughi's short coat and lean build suit a warm climate, but a sighthound still needs shade, water and walks in the cooler hours in summer. Its hunting instinct and speed mean it should run free only in a securely fenced space: a Sloughi that sees a cat or a hare can be out of reach in seconds. The standard describes it as noble and haughty yet very attached to its master, and notes that it appreciates home comforts between efforts.
Sources
- FCI, standard n° 188, Sloughi, origin Morocco, publication of the official valid standard 08.01.1998 (fci.be).
- FCI, members: Morocco, Société Centrale Canine Marocaine, full member (fci.be).
- Li WL et al. (2023). Multiple Origins and Genomic Basis of Complex Traits in Sighthounds. Molecular Biology and Evolution 40, msad158. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad158
- Dekomien G, Runte M, Gödde R, Epplen JT (2000). Generalized progressive retinal atrophy of Sloughi dogs is due to an 8-bp insertion in exon 21 of the PDE6B gene. Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics 90, 261-267. https://doi.org/10.1159/000056785
Is a Sloughi right for you?
Temperament is not everything: your space, your time, and the climate matter as much. Let us see if your life fits.
Common questions
Why warn the vet?
Sighthounds metabolize some anaesthetics and drugs differently, with very low body fat. Flagging it prevents accidents.
Is the Sloughi a Moroccan breed?
Yes. The FCI breed standard gives Morocco as the country of origin, and states that most Sloughis today are found in Morocco, which is responsible for the standard. The breed has existed in North Africa for many centuries.
How tall is a Sloughi?
According to the FCI standard, males measure 66 to 72 cm at the withers (26 to 29 inches) and females 61 to 68 cm (24 to 27 inches). The coat is very short, dense and fine.
What inherited disease is known in the Sloughi?
Generalised progressive retinal atrophy, an eye disease that leads to blindness. In Sloughis it is caused by an 8-base insertion in the PDE6B gene and is inherited recessively (Dekomien et al., 2000). Ask a breeder whether the parents were tested for this mutation.
Who holds the Sloughi standard?
Morocco is responsible for the FCI standard (n° 188, published 8 January 1998). Morocco's member of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale is the Société Centrale Canine Marocaine.
Sighthound drug sensitivity: veterinary literature (digest). FCI native-breed status.