Common characteristic features of the Azawakh, the ancient origin of the variety, the ancestors of the breed, unique data and its application, popularization, recognition. Azawak or Azawakh, relatively tall and very lean, but athletic and strong dog. The dog is incredibly narrow between the chest and hind legs. He has incredibly long limbs. The tail is elongated and tapering, never curled. The head does not differ in size, it is short, as for a dog of this size, and also very narrow. The muzzle is moderately long. The eyes are almond shaped. The ears of the animal are medium, hanging down at the sides. The coat is short and thin over most of the body, sparse on the belly. Azawakh has almost all colors and patterns, including fawn, sand, red, white, black, blue, and variegated.
The emergence of the Azawakh breed
The breed was bred by nomadic tribes living in one of the most difficult places on Earth. Out of necessity, these people traveled frequently and therefore left little archaeological record. Until recently, the overwhelming majority of them were illiterate, since reading is of little use for a nomad. As a result of these factors, until the second half of the 20th century, almost nothing is known about the origin of the Azawakh. However, to the lack of information, much can be added by referring to genetic studies and observations of the species in Africa.
While it is unclear how many years the Azawakh has lived on Earth, it is almost certainly one of the oldest dogs of all, or at least a descendant of them. There is a lot of controversy between geneticists, archaeologists and other specialists as to when canids were first domesticated, 14,000 or 100,000 years ago. It is almost universally recognized that the first species of dogs tamed by humans originated from the wolf, and this was done in the same period in the Middle East, India or China. Genetic studies have confirmed that all canines originate from gray, Indian or Tibetan wolves (which may be unique species).
The first dogs accompanied groups of nomadic hunter-gatherers in the Stone Age landscape, and served as watchmen, hunting assistants and companion animals. Such pets turned out to be so irreplaceable that they spread throughout the world, and eventually lived almost everywhere where people lived. The only exceptions were a few outlying islands. The original dogs on the African continent probably got there by land, through the Sinai Peninsula, or by ships in the Red Sea.
Proof of their presence in the Azawakh home range leads to rock paintings. Petroglyphs dating from 6,000 to 8,000 BC show primitive dogs hunting wild beasts accompanied by humans. It is likely that these may be images of the first azawakh ancestors. At the time when the ancient writing was created, the Earth's climate was different, and the territory of the Sahara is more humid than today's desert. The vast areas that are now covered with dunes produced relatively fertile crops.
At the end of the Holocene era, the planet's climate changed, leaving massive parts of Africa dry. The Sahara stretched hundreds of miles in all directions, becoming one of the greatest barriers to the movement of life on Earth. This desert is bordered by oceans to the east and west and two agricultural production areas to the north and south. It is almost impossible to cross it without the help of camels or motorized vehicles. Until today, almost completely isolated dogs have been found on either side of its dunes. Thus, they developed independently of their northern cousins.
At first, all the dogs looked like a wolf and a modern Dingo. Eventually, humans began careful selection in order to exaggerate the qualities they most desired. The end result of this intervention was the development of unique species, including the Azawakh. The first definitive evidence of multiple unique species comes from Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The finds, dating from 5,000 to 9,000 years, depict dogs that have been identified as potential ancestors for a number of modern breeds.
Some are similar to sighting hounds, which are often depicted as chasing gazelles and hares. These ancient Middle Eastern hunting dogs almost certainly evolved into Saluki and Afghan Hound. As a result of conquest and trade, they spread throughout the world, transforming into many species of hounds. It was originally believed that the Saluki advanced to the Maghreb, where they changed into very similar slugs. It was the latter that were acquired by the Tuareg and Beja tribes. Many of these peoples are skilled in crossing the Great Desert and, according to theory, brought the sloughi south to the Sahel. Then, gradually in localized conditions, the Sahelian people developed these canines until they became Azawakhs.
The story of the ancestors of the Azawakh
The traditional Middle Eastern version of the origin has a number of supporters, but recent evidence has provided a new alternative. Genetic tests performed on dogs around the world are shedding light on the actual relationship between the two. They also showed that hounds were probably developed independently of each other throughout history, and the physical resemblance is the result of breeding for similar purposes rather than actual relationships. Research has shown that the Azawakh is closely related to African pariah dogs (randomly breeding and semi-domesticated) and Basenji from Congo (formerly known as Zaire).
The tests also revealed that the Azawakh possesses a unique gene diversity - glucose isomerase. It is known that foxes, jackals, Italian wolves, slousy and several Japanese breeds are also carriers of it. Therefore, it has been suggested that the ancestors of the azawakhs sometimes crossed paths with jackals. It was once thought to be impossible, but recent breeding efforts in Russia have proven otherwise.
The close connection between the pariah dogs and the Azawakh can be seen in the breeding practice of the Sahelian tribes. In much of the Islamic world, there is a clear distinction between al-khor (saluki, slousy and Afghan hounds) and kelb (pariah dogs). Al-hor are considered noble and pure, while kelb are filthy mongrels. The people of the Sahel make no such distinction, allowing all their canines to interbreed freely. As with wolves, these dogs have a complex social organization, with an alpha male and an alpha female producing the main offspring.
Unique data of Azawakh and its application
Although the Sahel is far more fertile than the arid Sahara, it is still very difficult to live there, as evidenced by the famine afflicting the region. The tribes do not have enough resources to maintain an excessive number of dogs, and therefore the dogs considered to be of the highest quality are selected. Moreover, this is done before the pet reaches maturity. In most cases, this is one puppy from each litter, and the rest are euthanized.
This practice may seem brutal to Western eyes, but is a necessity in the harsh conditions of the Sahel, in addition to allowing the mother bitch to devote all resources to one puppy and increase the likelihood of his survival. For many cultural reasons, males are preferred and females are kept when there is a need for more offspring.
In addition to artificial screening, the Azawakh experienced extreme natural screening. Any dog unable to cope with the high temperatures, arid conditions and tropical diseases of the Sahel will quickly die. In addition, the wildlife of Africa is dangerous. Predators actively hunted these dogs and fiercely defended themselves against them. Even prey species such as gazelles and ostriches can easily kill a dog. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants and other beasts are responsible for killing many azawakhs over the centuries.
The main purpose of a hunting dog is to chase and catch fast moving prey. Depending on the region, this is done for food, fur, sports, pest control, or a combination of the two. Azawakh is used in a similar way. It is capable of high speeds at extremely high temperatures. The breed can easily run in climates that will kill many species in a matter of minutes. However, the azawakh is unique among the hounds in that its main purpose is to guard.
Such pets are traditionally allowed to sleep on the low thatched roofs of the master's village houses. When the "strange" animal approaches the village, the Azawakh is the first to notice it. He warns the others and jumps down to drive him away. Other individuals join him on the offensive and work together to drive out or kill the intruder. Although the azawakh are not so aggressive towards people, they also warn their owners about the approach of strangers and sometimes attack them.
Popularization of the Azawakh
The dog was almost completely isolated for centuries, although it almost certainly crossed paths with other African dogs, and sometimes with slugs or saluki, which were located south of the Maghreb. Despite the growing interest in canine breeding, the European imperialists, who gained control of much of the Sahel in the 19th century, initially ignored the azawakhs. This began to change in the 1970s, when the French were in the process of granting independence to the rest of the colonies.
At the time, a Yugoslav diplomat named Dr. Pekar was in Burkina Faso. He became interested in the Azawakh, but local customs prohibited their sale. However, dogs could be presented as gifts. This man received his first pet as a token of gratitude for killing a male elephant that terrorized the village. Subsequently, Pekar was able to acquire two more littermates.
He brought these three individuals back to Yugoslavia, where they became the first Azawakhs to arrive in the West and laid the foundation for the breed in Europe. Shortly thereafter, French bureaucratic officials working in Mali returned to Europe with seven other azawakhs. All of these dogs were quite similar in appearance and are believed to be from the same region.
Initially, there was a heated debate about the true nature of the Azawakh. At first he was ranked among the slugi, and he was given the name "Tuareg Slugi". Both slugs and azawakhs were sometimes considered nothing more than smoothed saluki. By the late 1980s, this confusion was over and the three dogs were widely recognized as separate species. In 1981, the Azawakh was first recognized as a unique breed by the FCI under the name "Sloughi-Azawakh".
In 1986, Sloughi officially dropped the name. Although rare, the import of Azawakhs continued to arrive periodically. Three such specimens formed the basis of the Koppa lineage, which, together with the French and Yugoslavian lines, constitutes the majority of the ancestry of the western azawakhs. French breeders have developed a standard based on the descendants of the original seven dogs. These norms were very restrictive, especially with regard to coloration, and many later breeders felt that this did not justify the great variety found in the species.
While it is unclear exactly when the Azawakhs began to be brought into the United States, it was roughly in the mid-1980s. At first, all imports came from Europe. On October 31, 1987, the first confirmed litter appeared in America thanks to Ms. Gisela Kuk-Schmidt. All early specimens were red with white markings, most commonly found in European dogs.
As interest in the breed grew slowly in the United States, several dogs were imported directly from Africa. A group of Azawakh breeders gathered in 1988 to create the American Azawakh Association (AAA). As part of its mission to protect and popularize the breed, the organization set about creating a studbook and developed a written standard.
In 1989, the Azawakh tiger was imported to the United States, and the first American tiger droppings were released the following year from breeder Debbie Kidwell. In 1993, the United Kennel Club (UKC) gained full azawakh recognition as a member of the Sighthound & Pariah group, becoming a major American canine organization.
Many European fans wanted to bring more Azawakhs directly from Africa in order to expand the gene pool, improve the health of the breed and introduce more color variations. However, the FCI rules were and are very restrictive, which makes it difficult to register these newly introduced individuals. These conditions have significantly increased the containment of canine imports into the EU. In America, it was much easier for lovers of the breed, AAA was significantly loyal to imports than FCI, and many members actively sought to bring African dogs, especially those with different color schemes.
AAA's goals were aided by free US laws in this regard. The organization wrote its standard that allowed any color found in African Azawakhs, and also created a register of their registration. In the mid-1990s, the variegated male was imported directly from Burkina Faso. In 1997, a pregnant bitch was imported from Mali to Alaska, where she gave birth to a variegated and sandy litter.
Azawakh's confession
The ultimate goal of many American breed breeders is for their pets to receive full recognition from the American Kennel Club (AKC). They have applied for membership in the Foundation Service Federation (AKC-FSS), which is the first step towards their goal. This status grants some privileges to the AKC, but does not allow the azawakhs to compete in most AKC events.
The growing popularity of the breed in Europe led to the formation of the Burkinbe Idi du Sahel (ABIS) association, which sent several expeditions to the Sahel to observe and study the Azawakh in its homeland. Much of what is known about the traditional use and breeding of the breed is the result of the ambitious work carried out by ABIS.
The organization has collected a large number of genetic samples from azawakh and other local dogs, increasing global understanding of their history. In addition to studying the species in its region of origin, ABIS obtained many canines and exported them to the West. Many of these examples ended up in the United States, where they are easier to import, register, and display than in Europe.
In its homeland, the Azawakh is almost exclusively a working dog, and virtually every individual in the Sahel has a hunting and protective service. In the West, this breed is almost never used for such purposes, although it can sometimes be seen in bait competitions. Instead, western azawakhs are almost always companion animals and show dogs, tasks in which this species is well suited to be properly kept.
Fans of the breed are working to slowly but responsibly increase the variety in America, both through breeding and importation. Although still quite rare in the United States, the Azawakh develops loyally. Amateurs are making sure that one day they receive full recognition from the AKC.
