An African sighthound - the standard is French. The azawakh is believed to be a really old breed, and is closely related to the saluki and the sloughi. It originally comes from central Nigeria, where the Azawakh valley can be found. The dogs were used to hunt different types of game, mainly antelope and hare, but were also kept as guardians and companions. Typical for the breed is that it never kills the prey on its own, since the meat would soon be wasted in the heat.
It wasn't until the 1960's that the dog was discovered and brought to Europe, and then mainly France (which is the reason France is mentioned as home country of the breed). It reached Germany in the 1970's, and today it can be seen in several countries.
The ideal azawakh is described as ''fast enough to catch a gazelle, hare or wild sheep, brave enough to scare off large predators, with the endurance of a camel, and beauty of an arabian horse''. The head is carried proudly, with a slight stop and long, thin muzzle. The ears are small and held close to the head. The neck is long and elegant, the chest deep. The topline should be straight, but the loins are often placed higher than the shoulders. The tail is long and thin. The coat is short and fine.