Sloughi Dog Names

The Sloughi was introduced to millions of Americans in February of 2017 after it was given full AKC status and was showcased at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club’s annual dog show. A member of the Hound Group, the Sloughi is an elegant scenthound that is similar to the Greyhound in look and personality. This breed has not been in the United States for very long. Tagiurie el Sian was the very first Sloughi to be imported into the United States. Tagiurie el Sian was imported by Kathy and Carl Rodarty in 1973. She was never bred; in fact the first United States born Sloughi litter was not born until 1981. Her sister, Damiela, was imported into Holland and became a foundation dam, producing two large litters.

Carole Cioce of California imported two Sloughis from Germany in 1979. With an interest forming within the United States, Sloughi breeders Jacques and Ermine Moreau-Sipiere of France moved their breeding operation to California in 1979. They had been breeding the Sloughi since 1973 and produced the first U.S. born Sloughi born litter in 1981. This was not the typical breeding program since they only brought one female, a Tunisian import named Jilsa. They did bring three French bred Sloughi males named Pharaonne Kahloul de la Treille, Pamiya Kahloul de la Treille and Phitoussi Kahloul de la Treille. The Moreau-Sipieres were a part of the founding of the Sloughi Fanciers Association of America (SFAA) in 1988. The SFAA did not last long and dissolved by the end of 1988. In 1989 the Moreau-Sipieres helped found the American Sloughi Association (ASLA). The ASLA is still going strong today. While Tagiurie el Sian was honored as the first Sloughi imported in the U.S., it was the four dogs imported by the Moreau-Sipieres that are considered to be the foundation stock for many of the Sloughis born in the U.S. today.

Another important Sloughi breeder, also from France, moved their breeding kennel to the U.S. in 1990. Dr. Bernd Fritzsch and Dr. Dominique de Caprona founded Shi’Rayan Sloughis in the 1980s and once they moved their operation to the United States began incorporating dogs from the Moreau-Sipiere kennel along with European imports they felt best suited their ideals for the breed.

The Sloughi that represented their breed at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 2018 was Champion Ocerico Essam. Called Essam for short, he won best of breed and competed in the Hound Group. He is owned by Erika and Andrew Wyatt and is the son of Champion Dune des Sources de l’Oumerrbia CM and Amiass Shubah al Warda. Essam was only the second Sloughi to grace the group ring at Westminster. While he did not win anything in the Hound Group, Essam intrigued people across the country.