Prepare for unexpected vet bills
The fast-paced canine sport of flyball involves a team of four dogs racing relay-style down a straight track punctuated with hurdles. At the end of the track, the dogs activate a box that releases a tennis ball for the dog to retrieve, which they return to the start of the track. The height of the hurdles, which are positioned every ten feet on the track, is typically based on the shortest dog on the team. The Sloughi breed dog is a very fast runner with a strong drive and is well known for their jumping ability, making them a very able flyball competitor.Â
Sloughi dogs, like other deep-chested breeds, are somewhat prone to a dangerous condition known as bloat or gastric dilatation and volvulus in which the stomach fills with gas, sometimes causing the stomach to rotate on its axis. This condition causes blockages in blood flow and a build-up of toxic products in the body and is sometimes instigated by a dog gulping their meals too rapidly. Playing search for your supper provides your dog with a little extra mental stimulation during their day, and in some cases may help to slow their rate of eating by preventing them from gulping their food.Â
The Sloughi, like most sighthound breeds, was initially developed as a hunting dog. Unlike hounds who use their noses to track prey for the hunter, these dogs hunted by sight and were expected to not only locate prey but also to run down and dispatch animals ranging from rabbits to wild pigs. They have an instinctual desire to chase anything that moves quickly, a trait that makes them excellent candidates for the emerging canine sport of lure coursing, in which dogs are enticed to chase a mechanically drawn lure that moves across the field in a zig-zag pattern that is designed to mimic fleeing prey animals.Â