Think of them as cousins shaped by different desert jobs. This breed is the coursing hunter from North Africa, a little heavier at 40 to 63 pounds and generally quieter in character. The Azawakh comes from further south, stands leggier and more upright, and guarded camps as well as hunting, which makes it the more intense dog.
Start with the Sloughi's own numbers: medium size, 40 to 63 lb, 10 to 15 years, and 45 to 90 minutes of daily exercise. Comparisons only make sense against a fixed record like this one. Sloughis are gentle, reserved and deeply devoted to their families, with a sighthound's independence and a notably noble, quiet dignity. They bond completely and communicate in looks and leans. Puppies are leggy, bright charmers; adults are graceful, devoted companions that gallop gloriously and rest beautifully. Owners describe living with desert royalty: sensitive, serene and entirely loyal.
Children, other pets and housing each vote in the decision. The breed that wins on your household's actual constraints beats the breed that wins in the abstract.
Energy scores 3 out of 5, the middle of the scale: the Sloughi needs its 45 to 90 minutes daily and then settles like a sensible dog. Grooming effort scores 3 out of 5: the Sloughi needs regular brushing and coat checks, an honest routine that stays home based for most owners.
Household arithmetic worth doing once: a Sloughi year holds about $405 of food and $408 to $732 of insurance, before vet care and grooming enter the ledger.
Size context from the growth table: 4 months at about 13 to 20 lb, 9 months at about 30 to 47 lb, 18 months at about 40 to 63 lb mark the Sloughi's first year, against an adult standard of 40 to 63 lb. The Hound group is where the record files the Sloughi; its home ground is Morocco.
Put against the daily exercise bill of 45 to 90 minutes, the picture stays consistent. Households should choose with that dog, not an imagined one, in mind, and the Sloughi profile shows the real animal in full. Everything behind these answers, from growth tables to the health list, is laid out on the full Sloughi breed profile.
Breeders of both breeds are worth interviewing: the honest ones will tell you who should not buy their breed, and their answers rarely overlap.
More often than people admit: 24 to 29 inches and 40 to 63 lb decide cars, stairs, sofas and how a dog feels in a small flat. Handling both breeds as adults, at full size, settles arguments that photographs keep alive. If the household is split, the person doing the daily care gets the casting vote; they are the one living the routine.
The one whose exercise, grooming and company needs you can meet on your worst week, not your best. Set the Sloughi's record, 45 to 90 minutes daily and grooming 3/5, against the other breed's with our comparison tool, and weight trainability and energy above looks. There is no rematch clause in dog ownership: the 10 to 15 year version of the decision deserves the extra week of thought.
Compare the apartment verdicts and the barking scores together: the Sloughi reads With enough exercise with barking at 2/5. Flat living is decided by exactly that pair of facts more than by size alone.
The Sloughi lifespan in full: what the range means, the life stages and the health checks that protect the top end.
The Sloughi with children, rated and explained: family life, supervision, other dogs and visitors.
Lightly, as the breed's record shows: regular brushing keeps loose hair to a minimum in the house.
Last updated: November 6, 2026