Saluki: smooth and feathered coats, the same breed standard
The Saluki’s outline is balanced by a body length approximately equal to height, a deep, narrow chest and a slightly arched loin. Smooth and feathered forms share the FCI standard, with different amounts of hair to manage.
Look beyond the coat-length label
The FCI feathered coat is soft and silky, with feathering on the legs and thighs; adults may also have throat feathering. Puppies may have a little woolly hair over the shoulders. Smooth Saluki lack feathering. The earlier UK short-coat category does not describe all of those differences.
FCI gives an average height of 58–71 cm, with females proportionally smaller. It does not supply a separate female interval or a numeric weight range. The wording matters when comparing the Saluki with a breed whose standard lists two sex-specific height ranges.
Weekly grooming, with attention to feathering
The earlier UK grooming category is weekly. AKC care advice likewise describes weekly brushing for both forms, paying extra attention to feathering on the ears and tail where present. Bathing is needed occasionally rather than as a fixed weekly task.
For dogs with long ear hair, the guide suggests a snood to keep it out of the food bowl. That is a practical option for managing the coat, not a requirement for a smooth Saluki. Identify the form and the areas of longer hair when planning grooming time.
Exercise and a suitable setting
The UK guide lists more than two hours of exercise daily, with a large house, large garden and country setting. AKC describes daily walks on a leash and access to a fenced running area. A useful plan names the actual walking routes and the enclosed place available for running.
Having a garden does not by itself supply the shared activity described by the care guidance. Consider how exercise and coat checks fit around the rest of the household’s day.
Two different coat comparisons
The Afghan Hound has a long, fine coat with a shorter saddle on the mature dog, a different arrangement from Saluki feathering. Sloughi have a very short, dense, fine coat and a body slightly shorter than high. Compare those specific outlines and coat areas alongside the shared need for a workable exercise plan.
Sources and further reading
Saluki at a glance
These earlier UK breed guides are starting points for comparison. Details may have changed, and individual dogs vary.
- Breed group
- Hound
- Size
- Large
- Daily exercise
- More than 2 hours per day
- Grooming frequency
- Once a week
- Coat length
- Short
- Sheds
- Yes
- Suggested home size
- Large house
- Town or country
- Country
- Garden recommendation
- Large garden
- Lifespan
- Over 12 years
FCI breed standard
Standard guidance describes the breed ideal; individual dogs vary.
- Origin
- Middle East /
- Group
- 10 - Sighthounds
- Section
- 1 - Long haired or fringed Sighthounds
- Height
- Average: 58–71 cm; Females: proportionately smaller; no exact figure given
- Weight
- Not specified in this standard
Feathered and smooth Salukis share this standard. The average height is a reference followed by proportionally smaller females; the text supplies no separate female numbers.
Official FCI standard (PDF)
Standard effective from 2000-10-25; checked 2026-10-15
