The Sloughi has a short, tight coat and they only grow an undercoat if the weather turns cold. As such they are low maintenance on the grooming front. A weekly brush and a wipe over with a chamois leather will help keep their coats shiny and looking good. With this said, Sloughis only shed a little although more so during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when they tend to shed a little more than at other times of the year. One lovely trait about the Sloughi is that they like to keep themselves extremely clean and are very cat-like in their grooming habits.
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 Sloughi is an intelligent, high energy hound and as such they need to be given the right amount of daily stimulation and exercise to be truly happy, well-rounded dogs that are a pleasure to have around. Ideally, a Sloughi needs at least 2 hour's exercise every day and as much off the lead time as possible, but always in a safe and secure area because if a Sloughi picks up an interesting scent, they will be more than tempted to go off in search of what's at the end of it.
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.
With this said, Sloughi puppies should not 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 serious problems later in their lives.
If you get a Sloughi 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. One thing worth noting is that Sloughis prefer to eat their food off the ground much like other desert bred hounds.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. 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. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
