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Silken Windhound
Puppies for Sale
Silken Windhound
Silver brindle female is
Kristull Nocturn, owned by Francie Stull -
Kennel Kristull, USA
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Pronunciation |
Silken
Windhound |
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Description |
The Silken Windhound is a
small, hardy, strikingly elegant sighthound. Its classic, sweeping lines
and athletic build are the hallmark of a true coursing dog, which is evident
beneath the, luxurious, silky, yet protective coat. Its size, structure,
and coat enable the Silken Windhound not only to be a capable runner over a wide
variety of terrain and through unpredictable weather conditions but also to be
competitive in a variety of dog sports.
Viewing the Silken Windhound from the side, one should have the impression
of remarkable beauty integrated with exceptional running ability.
Beginning with its chiseled head, a long arched neck, dramatic depth of brisket
and an extreme tuck/up ending with the graceful sweep of the long, low carried
tail, the Silken Windhound is the embodiment of athletic beauty. The
moderately long silky coat complements the sweeping curves. |
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Temperament |
This is an intelligent and
responsive hound that demonstrates a strong desire to please its human
companions. Though sometimes dignified in its bearing, the Silken
Windhound tends to be quite expressive in its display of affection towards those
it is fond of. Similarly, though the Silken Windhound exhibits a
competitive spirit in the field, they are generally quite sociable with other
dogs. Most Silken Windhounds are very good with
children. They adapt to any family life very quickly and love adults and
children alike. This also will depend on the dog and the child. Some
of the dogs with a shyer temperament would not be suitable around noisy, loud,
or excited children. Be more careful what sort of temperament you have and
make sure that you take your children when you select a Silken so that you know
you have picked one that enjoys children. As long as there is
socialization with the other specie Silkens have no trouble living with cats,
chinchillas, birds or other species. The introduction of an older animal
may take more time but there are some guidelines that are used by many Greyhound
rescue groups that will help you adapt your Silken into your home. They
may alert you that a new friend in coming in the window, but they are not watch
or guard dogs. This breed is usually friendly with strangers but should be
socialized and have plenty of exposure to new experiences as a puppy to ensure
it will be social as an adult. This is a curious breed. Silkens
housebreak easily. Most of them
housebreak on their own account, without any training at all, but they need free
access to the outdoors to do it and will then more often than not be housebroken
by 10-12 weeks. For other training they want to please their owner,
but they are typical sighthounds and can be bored by long repetitions. An
owner of a Silken needs to be aware
that sighthounds have strong hunting instincts. They need to be able to
run free, but should never be let off leash around cars. |
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Height, Weight |
Height - 18-23.5 inches (46-60
cm) at the withers. One half inch above and below the extremes is
permitted.
Weight - Bitches 22-45 pounds (10-20 kg),
males 33-55 pounds (15-25 kg)
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Health Problems |
Silken Windhounds carry no
known significant genetic defects. |
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Living Conditions |
A
yard is definitely a plus since they do love to run, but they do live in an
apartment fine with additional walks and runs at the local dog park.
Silkens seem to have no trouble in any weather. They glory and frolic in
snow, splash through puddles, race in the wind and bask in the sun. They
will adapt their exercise and exposure depending on the temperature
outside. Do not let a Silken wander free without proper fencing as it is a
sighthound and has strong hunting instincts. It may run off chasing
something. This breed needs to be able to run but needs a fenced in yard
for its safety. |
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Exercise |
Silken
love to run like any sighthound, and need to go on a daily walk or jog. If well
exercised, they will be happy to snooze at their owners
feet or on the couch. They do need to get outside for walks and runs in
dog parks or large open areas, but they are not as high energy as a Border
Collie or other herding breeds. This breed makes a good jogging companion if
the dog is conditioned properly, although you should wait for a puppy to be a
year or older before starting long hard distance exercise. |
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Life Expectancy |
14-18 years |
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Grooming |
Coat
is usually a variety of longish to very long, with feathers. Some are straight,
some are very curly. All are acceptable. Some never shed and others
do shed but not in amounts like other long haired breeds such as Goldens or even
Borzoi that blow coat. A female that is pregnant/nursing will blow coat at
that time. Puppies will often blow their coat about about 12- 18 months of
age. Stress, estrus, diet and weather can all affect how much coat they
will grow. The silky coat is easy to groom. Brush regularly, at
least once a week. |
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Origin |
The first small longhaired
sighthounds appeared during the 1960's at kennel Windsprite in USA. They
were mainly based on Whippets, but exactly where the longhaired trait
comes from is covered in haze.
Kennel Kristull, USA, started during the beginning of the 1980's
with 2 males and 3 females from kennel Windsprite; the 3 females were pregnant
with yet 3 other males on arrival. Borzoi was added to enhance the coat
and Whippet to enlarge the gene pool.
The intention of the creation of the Silken Windhound breed is not,
contrary to some beliefs, to produce a mini-Borzoi or some kind of longhaired
version of a Whippet. It is to fill a niche that for so long has been
empty - the niche of a small longhaired sighthound.
The Silken Windhound is an established breed that is bred according to the
standard accepted by the International Silken Windhound Society.
The studbook of the Silken Windhound breed was officially closed in
December 2000. |
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Group |
Sighthounds |
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Recognition |
ISWS, RI,
IABCA,
KCS, APRI |
ISWS = International
Silken Windhound Society
RI = Rarities Inc.
IABCA = International All-Breed Canine Association of
America
KCS =
Kennel Club of Slovenia
APRI = American Pet Registry
Inc. |
Red brindle colored male is Kristull Northern Lights
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aka Nipsu, owned by Eija Achren in Finland -
Eija's Kennels
| Many thanks to Susann Stjernborg for
providing Dog Breed Info with this information. |
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