Silken Windhound

I'm not sure if I really want a dog, but if I ever do get one, I think it would be a silken windhound.

I originally wanted a borzoi for the elegant build, long fur, and funny long face. Owning one would be unrealistic though. I would be walked by the dog and not the other way around.

This led me to whippets, which are typically short haired, but there have been breeds like windsprites and then I stumbled across silken windhounds.

From International Silken Windhound Society
https://silkenwindhounds.org/activities/

The Big Facts

• 12-20 year life spans
• 35-55 lbs depending on the gender
• 45 - 60 cm tall
• 45 min of exercise required daily
• UK recognized breed, not yet approved by the American Kennel Society.
• Breeds true
• Head and snout is the cross between the borzoi and whippet. Has slightly more pronounced snout.
  • I like the snout of the windhound a lot more! What an elegant division compared to the curved borzoi.

Background

• First ones were made by breeding a wind sprite (long haired whippets with recessive long hair mutation with whippet x sheltie) with a borzoi.
• There has never been a direct whippet and borzoi cross from the progenitors but have been crossed between offspring with borzoi to add more structure and frame.
• Actively trying to create project pups in order to increase genetic diversity.
  • Starting the line took some inbreeding - peacock was a 4x removed grandmother
  • Now being outcrossed at a minimum of three generations to other windsprites, borzois, and greyhounds to help increase the genetic pool.
  • May take 3 generations to be considered a silken windhound from this project.
• https://silkenwindhounds.org/history-of-the-breed/
• From breeders only, may take anywhere between 1-5 years to get a puppy litter pick
  • Need to talk with facebook and discord people to find reputable breeders

Grooming

• Long coats which means they will shed
• However are water, dust and dirt proof
• Only need grooming once a month or two months
• Need lots of brushing though! Will invariably shed.

Training

• Will get bored easily so not entirely easy to train
  • May need micro training sessions in 2 minute rounds to make progress rather than long puppy training courses
• High prey drive in some
• Treat oriented but bred to be mild and not as ambitious as herding dogs
• Can be trained as coursing dogs or oval racing dogs

• Capable of pulling large loads when trained - 450 lbs

Health

• They can have risks for cardiovascular issues like other greyhounds.
  • At least three different known conditions like ventricular sepal disease (hole in heart), mitral valve disease, and spontaneous heart issue
• Huge possibility with gasto issues
  • Bloat is when the stomach inflates with gas and can be extremely uncomfortable for a period but it can go down
  • The danger is when there is gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) where the stomach bloats and blocks the entrance and exit of the stomach so the gas is unable to escape. This is heightened when the stomach torques and twists to lead to emergency surgery! This is life threatening!
  • Gastroplexy is a procedure that will prevent the torsion but not the bloat. This reduces GDV chances immensely though.
    • Expect ~$2000 as a preventative when the dog is spayed/neutered compared to $7500 for emergency surgery.
  • Elevated food and water bowls increases the likeliness of bloat.
• https://silkenwindhoundclubamerica.com/health/
• Can teeth for up to a year
• First heat for females aground 18-24 months