Saluki: The Desert Hound and the English Travelers Who Brought it to the West

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One of the oldest known breeds of domesticated dogs, the Saluki traveled throughout the Middle East with a number of nomadic desert tribes, who favored the dogs for their unparalleled ability to hunt desert gazelles. Famously carved into the walls of the Pharaohs’ tombs, the Saluki have an exotic history that piqued the interests of dog enthusiasts and breeders during the early 20th century, including notable Edwardian men and women who played significant roles in popularizing the breed and importing the Saluki to Europe and the United States.This book tells the unique, true story of the characters who brought the Saluki to the West, most notably the Honorable Florence Amherst, who became smitten with the breed during a family tour of Egypt and went on to breed a staggering number of 50 litters and 199 registered puppies. The author also brings into the story a range of other prominent world travelers who fell under the Salukis’ spell, including Lady Jane Digby, Lady Anne Blunt, Austen Layard and Gertrude Bell. Also covered in this book are a number of lesser-known but just as dedicated Saluki aficionados, mainly military officers who became addicted to hunting with their hounds in the deserts of Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt and who sought to replicate that addiction upon their return home.