Page 148 - ShowSight - May 2020

shows are in the East. It’s very costly and time-consuming to reach Westminster and Royal Canin.
Any trends I see that I hope will continue or I’d like to see stopped? I would like to see more involvement with the new parent club and less criticism among the Treeing Walker people.
There are numerous Hounds that are considered “glamour” breeds, and some that are more familiar in make and shape. Does this affect their recognition in Group and Best in Show competi- tion? Not really. A great Hound is a great Hound.
The funniest thing I’ve ever seen at a dog show? I remember someone going into Breed with a puppy, going around the ring and the judge pointing to her. She tripped over the puppy, and she and the puppy rolled to the feet of judge. The judge handed her the rib- bon and told her that her dog had it, she didn’t need to show off!
ERIKA WYATT
We currently live in Illinois, about 60 miles west of Chicago. I have been involved in dogs since 1987 and involved in Sloughis since 1995. Outside of dogs, I am an attorney and my husband is a governmental affairs consultant in the wildlife sector. We are active also in horses, and although I have been on hiatus for the past cou- ple of years, I have competed in USDF Dressage shows since 2003.
We like to travel and are both involved in photography, although our best travels and photographs are usually related to Sloughis. We took some of our best Sloughi photographs in Morocco last year and we hope to return as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic permits.
A brief overview of my breed’s purpose, temperament and level of care: The Sloughi developed thousands of years ago in the North African countries of Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria to hunt game of all sizes, from fennecs and hares to gazelles, jackals and wild pigs. First and foremost, it is a coursing Hound that must be fit, able and tenacious enough to hunt over a variety of terrain, which is often rocky, tough and punishing. It is the sighthound of the North African nomads (the Berbers and the Bedouins), and Sloughis also guarded tents and herded flocks of livestock.
The Sloughi is a primitive breed that bonds extremely closely with its person or its family from an early age. Choosing a puppy from a reputable breeder and proper socialization from puppyhood are important to help ensure a happy and well-adjusted adult. A well- bred and well-socialized Sloughi is a stable, attentive, and exceed- ingly loving family member. The Sloughi is typically reserved with strangers and takes a while to warm up to new friends. The Sloughi also expects reserve from people they meet, and those whose over- tures are too familiar and demonstrative may be met with the chilly disdain of a cold shoulder.
They require daily exercise in order to meet their physical, emo- tional and mental needs. This is not a breed well-suited to apart- ment life without a planned regimen of daily exercise that includes galloping freely. They have been bred for millennia to course game and as a result have extremely high prey drive. They can be wonder- ful with cats, small dogs and other animals if they are introduced at an early age and learn that these other pets are not prey.
The current overall quality of the breed? The Sloughi is exceed- ingly rare with fewer than 150 representatives living in the US at this time. While there are many good quality Sloughis in the coun- try, the population needs improvement, particularly in the areas that are essential to a coursing Hound. The Sloughi standard states that the breed, “has a supple, smooth, and effortless gait with long strides, covering plenty of ground.” There are too many short- strided, hackney-moving Sloughis with weak pasterns; poor move- ment in Sloughis is a very serious fault. The head of the Sloughi is a distinguishing characteristic and one of the traits that sets the breed apart from other Sighthounds. Ear carriage in the US needs improvement. Small rose ears are a disqualification in the standard
and handlers must be able to demonstrate the correct, dropped ear set of their exhibits in the ring.
In addition, there are emerging cases of autoimmune diseases in the Sloughi, mostly in Europe. Protecting the health of the gene pool is necessary to preserve this breed.
What changes have I seen during my time involved in the breed? There has been an increase in the influence of country of origin bloodlines in the US population, which is a welcome change that brings with it authentic type, as well as genetic diversity. Also, inter- est in the breed has been gradually increasing.
Any particular challenges that I face in our current economic/ social climate? Yes, definitely. For the preservation of this ancient breed, it is imperative that breeders continue to have access to Sloughis from the countries of origin. The best quality and healthi- est Sloughis are in North Africa. The importation of rescue dogs of other breeds from foreign countries by groups or individuals that have circumvented or falsified their health papers has resulted in the introduction of diseased dogs landing on US soil from other coun- tries. In addition, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all commercial flights in or out of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are suspended. As such, no Sloughis can be shipped out of those countries at the present time. If it becomes more difficult and expensive to import country of origin Sloughis, American breeders will be less likely to tackle that endeavor, which is already an expensive and risky under- taking. This would be devastating to the US gene pool.
Any trends I see that I hope will continue or I’d like to see stopped? I hope that individuals with excellent representatives of the breed will continue to be active in the Parent Club and in the fancy. I hope that breeders will continue to focus on genetic diversi- ty and country of origin bloodlines. I hope that judges will continue to show the incredible level of interest that they have been demon- strating in learning about the authentic, North African Sloughi.
Biggest pitfall awaiting new and novice judges? The Sloughi is a unique breed and should not look like a smooth Saluki, an Aza- wakh or an Afghan Hound. The beautiful differences between these breeds are what make them unique. Please do not put up a Sloughi that would win as a Saluki. I would not say that there are pitfalls, but because judging is a subjective task, new judges should take the time to learn about the unique characteristics of the breed. Moderate angulation in a Sloughi is significantly differ- ent from moderate angulation in an Afghan Hound. The Sloughi’s body proportions are very different from that of the Saluki or the Azawakh. The best place to find lots of information on judging the Sloughi is the American Sloughi Association (National Parent Club) website. There are educational videos, descriptive texts and color photos available on the Judges’ Education page here: https:// sloughi-international.com/judges-ed/.
There are numerous Hounds that are considered “glamour” breeds, and some that are more familiar in make and shape. Does this affect their recognition in Group and Best in Show competi- tion? It probably does with some judges, but in my experience show- ing Sloughis, no. I think that most judges appreciate an excellent quality dog, regardless of the flashiness of the breed.
I’d also like to share that the American Sloughi Association will be holding its National Specialty as a designated specialty with the Gateway Hound Club in Gray Summit, Missouri, on September 11, 2020. There will be a total of two specialties and two supported entries that weekend, a judges’ education seminar and a workshop. Please join us in September to see Sloughis in person and to learn more about the breed.
HOUND GROUP Q&A
146 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2020