The Salukis has a silky, short coat with nice feathering on their ears and their tails. Because they are so prone to sunburn and more especially on their noses, care has to be taken during the hotter summer months. However, a Saluki's grooming needs are low, a daily brush paying more attention to around a dog's ears and their tail is all it takes to keep things tidy and to prevent any knots or tangles from forming.
Salukis shed throughout the year, but like other breeds this tends to be more during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when more frequent brushing is usually necessary to remove any dead and loose hair from a dog's coat. It's also a good idea to have a Saluki professionally groomed a few times a year which makes it that much easier to keep their coats looking good in between visits to a grooming parlour.
It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.
The Saluki is an athletic, high-energy dog and one that has a tremendous amount of stamina for such a slight, elegant hound. As such they need to be given at least 2 hour's exercise every day with as much off the lead time as possible. However, a Saluki, no matter how obedient, should only be let off their leads in secure areas because of their high prey drive. If these dogs are not given the right amount of daily exercise and mental stimulation they need, they can quickly develop some unwanted and destructive behavioural issues that make them harder to live with and control which includes separation anxiety.
A shorter walk in the morning would be fine, but a longer more interesting one in the afternoon is a must. These dogs also like to be able to roam around a back garden as often as possible so they can really let off steam. However, the fencing has to be extremely secure to keep these high-energy dogs in because if they find a weakness in the fence, they will soon escape out and get into all sorts of trouble and Salukis are known to be very good escape artists.
With this said, Saluki puppies should never be over exercised because their joints and bones are still growing. This includes not letting a dog jump up and down from furniture or going up or down the stairs. Too much pressure placed on their joints and spines at an early age could result in a dog developing problems later in their lives.
If you get a Saluki puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs can be fussy eaters and will usually only eat what they need to often leaving food in their bowls when they have had enough. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. These hounds prefer to have their food bowls placed off the ground which is a funny quirk of many Salukis.
Because Salukis have been known to suffer from bloat, it is really important that they be fed twice a day instead of giving them just one larger meal a day. It's also a good idea to invest in a stand to place their feed bowl which makes it easier for these large dogs to eat comfortably without having to stretch their necks down low to reach their food. You should never exercise a Saluki just before or just after they have eaten either because this puts them more at risk of suffering from gastric torsion.
