Debbie Lashinsky, age 11, of Omaha, Nebraska, for her question:

What is a saluki?

A saluki is a large and handsome dog, swift and graceful as a deer. His shape reminds you somewhat of a sizeable greyhound, about 28 inches high at shoulder level and weighing about 60 pounds. However, his head is larger than a greyhound's, and he is a great deal smarter. He wears some shade of brown, often with patches of white and darker brown. His smooth coat is soft and silky, with feathery tufts on his legs and floppy ears.

Some people call the saluki a gazelle hound or a gazelle dog. This is because in: ancient days he was trained to hunt the fleet ¬footed gazelles of Africa. Sometimes the human hunters went forth with their salukis and trained hawks. This method of hunting goes back some 6,000 years. And most experts agree that the graceful saluki is the very oldest of all domesticated dog breeds.