Azawakh Information & Dog Breed Facts

The original homeland of the Azawakh is the endless arid regions of the southern Sahara and the Sahel zone. Geographically encompassing the border region of Mali and Niger lies in the center of the Azawakh Valley. The Azawakh breed is also known as the Tuareg Sloughi, named after the Tuareg nomads. The breed has a few alternative names, including “Idii n’ illeli”, which means sighthound of the free people, or noble dog of the free people. The Azawakh is regarded as a respectful breed and enjoys appreciation from the nomads.

Moreover, while it is unknown exactly how old the Azawakh is, it is probably among the most ancient of all dogs, or at least directly descended from them. Genetics, archeologists, and other specialists disagree over when the dog was first domesticated, with estimates ranging between 14,000 and 100,000 years ago. Several archaeological findings spanning from 5,000 to 9,000 years ago show dogs that have been identified as potential ancestors to a number of modern breeds. Among the oldest of these varieties were dogs that closely resemble sighthounds, which are frequently depicted running down fleet-footed gazelles and hares. These ancient Middle Eastern sighthounds almost certainly developed into the Saluki and the Afghan Hound, two of the world’s oldest breeds. For many years, it was widely assumed that these two breeds spread over the world as a result of conquest and trade, eventually resulting in the profusion of sighthounds that can now be found all over the world. It is believed, that the Saluki spread to the Maghreb where it was developed into a very similar breed, the Sloughi. The Sloughi was then supposedly acquired by the few tribes who managed to survive in the Sahara such as the Tuareg. According to one theory, the tribes traveling brought their Sloughi dogs south to the Sahel, and then the Sahelian people gradually bred the Sloughi to localized conditions until it developed into the Azawakh.

However, while this traditional Middle Eastern theory is still possible and is supported by many, recent evidence has provided an alternative that seems more reliable. Genetic tests conducted on dogs across the world have shed light on the actual relationships between them. They have also demonstrated that sighthounds evolved independently several times over history and that the similarities in appearance are the result of being bred for similar purposes, rather than actual relationships. The tests have shown that the Azawakh is more closely related to the African Pariah dogs than it is to other sighthound breeds. Moreover, these tests have also indicated that the Azawakh possesses a unique variety of the glucose isomerase gene, which can be found in foxes, jackals, Italian wolves, Sloughis, and a few Japanese breeds. This has led to speculation, that the Azawakh’s ancestors may have interbred with jackals occasionally.

Furthermore, the Azawakh has gone through a difficult time when people were forced to abandon their dogs as the Sahel was a very difficult place to live and still is as many famines strike the region. There are not always enough resources for a tribe to support an excessive amount of dogs, therefore only the dogs considered the highest quality are selected to live. In most years, one puppy is selected from each litter, and the others are euthanized. This practice may seem cruel to Western eyes, but it is a necessity in the harsh environment of the Sahel. For cultural reasons, male Azawakhs are greatly preferred over females, and most of the puppies kept are male. Females are usually only kept when there is a need to produce more dogs. The Azawakh was subject to extreme natural selection, in addition to man-made selection. Any dog who was unable to cope with the Sahel’s high temperatures, arid conditions, and tropical diseases, passed away.

Moreover, the primary purpose of the sighthound is to chase down and catch fast-moving prey. The Azawakh is similarly used and is capable of reaching very fast speed in extremely high temperatures. They are exceptional hunters with an eye for obtaining meat and are known to hunt hare, antelope, and wild boar. They are renowned for their relentless stamina and ability to run 40 mph. They were previously trained to protect camps and hunt with owners, although today, the Azawakh prefer to hunt within a pack.

The breed was almost entirely isolated for centuries. Despite the growing interest in dog breeding, the European imperialists that gained control of much of the Sahel in the 19^th century paid little to no attention to the Azawakh. This began to change in the 1970s when the French were in the process of granting independence to their remaining colonies. At the time, a Yugoslavian diplomat named Dr. Pecar was stationed in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. He became interested in the breed, but local customs prohibited their sale. These dogs could be offered as gifts, and Dr. Pecar was given his first female in thanks for killing a bull elephant who was terrorizing a community. Pecar was later able to acquire two littermates. He brought these three dogs back to Yugoslavia where they became the first Azawakhs to arrive on the European continent. Shortly after, French bureaucratic officials working in Mali returned to Europe with seven more individual Azawakhs. In 1981, the Azawakh was first recognized as a unique breed by the Federation Cynologique Internationale under the name Sloughi-Azawakh. Five years later, the Sloughi was officially dropped from the name. Although rare, imports of Azawakhs continued to arrive periodically. Three such dogs formed the basis of the Coppe Line, which together with the French and Yugoslavian lines constitute the majority of the descendants of the original seven dogs. Although, it is not exactly clear when the first Azawakh was imported to the United States, it was probably during the early 1980s. The first confirmed litter whelped in the US was born in 1987. All of the earliest American Azawakhs were red with white markings, the most commonly found colors in Europe.

As interest in the breed slowly increases in the US, a few dogs were imported directly from Africa, and a group of breeders met in 1989 to form the American Azawakh Association. In 1993, the United Kennel Club granted full recognition to the Azawakh as a member of the Sighthound & Pariah Group. The Azawakh is also recognized by the AKC as a Miscellaneous breed.