Azawakh

Azawakh

Typical Azawakh female
Other names	Idi Hanshee Oska Rawondu Bareeru Wulo (formerly) Tuareg Sloughi
Origin	Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso
Patronage	France
Traits Weight Male 20–25 kg (44–55 lb) Female 15–20 kg (33–44 lb) Height Male 64–74 cm (25–29 in) Female 60–70 cm (24–28 in) Coat Short, fine Color Fawn
Classification / standards FCI Group 10, Section 3 Short-haired Sighthounds #307 standard AKC Miscellaneous standard The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration. The AKC Miscellaneous class is for breeds working towards full AKC recognition. ANKC Group 4-(Hounds) standard KC (UK) Hound standard NZKC Hound standard UKC Sighthound & Pariah standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Azawakh is a sighthound breed of dog from West Africa. It is also used as a hunting dog, though relegated to a secondary function due to the lack of game in the region. With ancient origins, it is raised throughout the Sahelian zone of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. This region includes the Azawagh Valley for which the breed is named. While commonly associated with the nomadic Tuareg people, they are also bred and owned by other ethnic groups such as the Peulh, Bella, and Hausa. The Azawakh is more related to the Sloughi than it is to the Saluki.

Morphology is very similar to that of the Middle Eastern and South Indian sight hounds, all swift, high-bred coursing hounds, although there are several obvious differences. For example, a short, flat back combined with long legs place the hips higher than the withers. The Azawakh is almond eyed and thin. It moves with a distinctly feline gait and can be found in a variety of colors as well as varying degrees of refinement, though format is basically constant.

The standards call for a hound from 33 to 55 pounds (15 to 25 kg); its height is 24 to 29 inches (61 to 74 cm). The coat is very short and almost absent on the belly. Its bone structure shows clearly through the skin and musculature. Its muscles are "dry", meaning that they are quite flat, unlike the Greyhound and Whippet. In this respect it is similar in type to the Saluki.

In Africa, Azawakh are found in a variety of colors such as red, blue fawn (that is, with a lilac cast), grizzle, and, rarely, blue and black. The Azawakh in its native land also comes with various white markings including Irish marked (white collar) and particolor (mostly white). Because of this wide color variation in the native population, the American standard used by the AKC and UKC allows any color combination found in Africa. In the United States, the FCI standard is modified to have no color restrictions at a minimum and there is a strong sentiment that the FCI standard should be heavily edited or replaced.