Saluki - A History

Every Friday, the sixth-grade class at Clark Middle School got to choose their history lesson for the day.

On one special Friday, the Clark Middle School History teacher - Ms. Jones - brought her newly adopted Saluki dog to class.  At the time, the class was learning about Ancient History and the Saluki breed offers an extensive background.  The students were eager to learn more about Ms. Jones's dog and so chose her Saluki dog as the Friday history lesson.

Saluki - A History

The Saluki's pure-bred origins began in the Fertile Crescent - the Middle Eastern region comprised of modern-day Iraq, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, the southeastern edge of Turkey, and the western edge of Iran - as far back as 6,000 to 7,000 B.C.E.  Images of the Saluki are etched into pottery, wall carvings, book illustrations, and tombs as well as mention in poetry.  Saluki-like dogs can also be traced to the Ming Dynasty in China via the Silk Road trading route from ancient Iran to China.

The King of Bahrain was known for traveling the Arab world with his Saluki pack on hunting trips during the 1930s.  The Saluki as a pure-bred dog is registered with the Kennel Club of Bahrain.

Saluki prominence in Europe dates to the 1920s - specifically Germnay, the Netherlands, and Sweden.  After World War I, Salukis became increasingly popular in the West.  In 1923, the breed was registered in the UK Kennel Club.  In 1929, the breed was registered with the American Kennel Club.  In 1927, the Saluki Club of America was founded.

"The Saluki is independent and requires gentle and patient training.  The Saluki is not one for fetching activity.  As a natural hunting dog by sight rather than by scent, the Saluki is known for chasing moving objects such as cats, birds, and other animals...even bugs!  The Guinness Book of Records lists the Saluki as the fastest dog at over 42 miles per hour..."

On that note, the bell rang.

The History class was the last for the students on this Friday and they thoroughly enjoyed their lesson...and of course their teacher's pet.