Sloughi

Characteristics

Health & Longevity

Average Life Span: 12-16 years
The Sloughi is considered to be a healthy purebred dog. If you work with a reputable breeder, you can ensure that your pup is bred from quality lines and is not predisposed to any medical conditions.

While the Sloughi may not have many major medical conditions, they do have two that you need to be aware of which are bloat and progressive retinal atrophy. Some secondary conditions include muscle tone issues, skin allergies, and pyoderma.

Bloat is a condition that is fatal when not treated properly. It is important that you seek immediate veterinary attention if you believe your pup has bloat. While it is common in older pups, you may notice that your Sloughi develops it in his or her younger years.

Bloat is also known as gastric torsion or a twisted stomach and happens when too much air enters into the stomach. The air is unable to be released and causes the stomach to expand and place pressure on surrounding organs in the body. This pressure can cause a lack of blood flow.

Progressive retinal atrophy or PRA is an eye condition that may affect your Sloughi. This condition is progressive and will lead to blindness in your pup.

Your Sloughi may experience muscle tone issues from a lack of muscle to weakness in the muscles. It is important for you to work closely with your veterinarian to make sure that your puppy does not have any muscle tone issues.

Skin allergies can appear in your Sloughi and may be marked with irritation, hot spots, and red skin. You will find that your pup may or may not lick or scratch at the area. If you think that your Sloughi has a skin allergy, you should speak with your veterinarian to get the proper care he or she needs.

Lastly, pyoderma may affect your Sloughi and is considered to be a bacterial infection on the skin. This condition can present itself as cuts and lesions on your pup that are often pus filled. Pyoderma usually needs to be treated with medication.

The Sloughi’s life expectancy is 12 to 16 years.

Temperament & Train-ability

The Sloughi is a smart, well mannered, and affectionate pup that can be raised to live in your home with you. This breed is considered good with children and other pets, but it is important that you socialize him or her early on in life because there is a potential that your Sloughi will not get along with other animals.

You must remember that this breed does have a strong prey drive that may take over even in your home. You must be vigilant at all times because even if your Sloughi gets along with pets in your home, it does not mean that he or she will accept them.

This breed does not like to be away from his or her family for too long and will react to you coming home as if you were gone for ages. On the other hand, this also means that your pup can be destructive when you are away. You will find that your Sloughi puppy craves your attention and wants to be near you. Whether you are on the couch or in bed, he or she will try to curl up and lay on or with you.

This breed is known to be quite calm inside of the house and will respect your home too. You will not find them roaming around too much, but when you let him or her outside, you better watch out! The Sloughi loves to run and is FAST.

Your pup will need exercise and should have a fenced in yard to run around in. You will need to walk him or her on a daily basis and you should make sure that you have a good grip on the leash.

Training this pup is considered to be relatively easy and you won’t run into any problems. Of course, you may notice your pup has a stubborn streak or two, but you can overcome it. When it comes to training, make sure you are firm and consistent, but do not use harsh methods as your Sloughi will not respond to them.

Grooming

Your Sloughi does not have many grooming needs and you will find that he or she is easy to care for. In fact, this breed is one of few that is known to have no odor to them. Their coat only needs to be brushed once or twice a week.

Since the coat is resilient to dirt, you do not need to bathe your Sloughi often and only do so when he or she really gets into some mud or something that smells.

You will find that your Sloughi does not do well if left in either the heat or the cold for any length of time and should therefore be sheltered and protected from it.

In addition to the above, you will need to clean your pup’s ears once per week and trim his or her nails once per month or as needed.

Diet

You can expect your Sloughi to eat two and a half cups to three cups of high quality dry food per day. You want to make sure you choose a food that does not contain a lot of fillers.

Since your pup is a lean and mean machine, he or she will need a diet high in protein. As you shop for food, look for brands that use all natural and whole ingredients.
 

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Sloughi Puppies For Sale

Adopt A Sloughi

Cost

A Sloughi puppy will cost you anywhere between $500 and $1,200, but could range greatly in price depending on the demand and the breeder.

In addition to the cost of the puppy, make sure you plan to spend anywhere from $500 to $2,000 annually to provide care, supplies, and vaccines to your pup.

Paws ‘N’ Pups Ranking

Paws ‘N’ Pups ranks every breed out of 4 with 1 being easiest to integrate into your life and 4 being the toughest – The lower the ranking the better.

Ranking takes into account a few basic factors including cost, skill level needed, high vs low maintenance and how critical regular training is to success. The Sloughi is an entertaining and loving dog that likes to be around his or her owner. You will find that this breed is easy to train, but does have a high prey drive, which can be uncontrollable if training does not happen early on in life. This breed ranks a 2.

 

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