- Silken Windhound
Infobox Dogbreed
Rarities group = Hound
ISWSstd=http://www.silkenwindhounds.org/standard.html
SKC group = Group 10 (Hounds)
name = Silken Windhound
altname = Silken
country =United States The Silken Windhound is a rare American
breed ofdog , a member of thesighthound family.Description
Appearance
The Silken Windhound is a graceful, small to medium-sized
sighthound with a moderately long silky coat. This breed owes its unique appearance, elegant build, and the athleticism of a true coursing dog to championBorzoi andWhippet ancestors. The Silken Windhound can be any combination of coat colors and markings, from spotted to solid, black and tan, saddled, brindle and sable, pure white and reds to deep black and blues, and a rainbow of colors in between.Temperament
Silken Windhounds are as comfortable in the sporting fields as they are on the couch at home with their humans. They are generally affectionate and playful, and make ideal family companions and good playmates for gentle children. They are unsuited as
guard dog s due to their trusting and friendly nature. Like all sighthounds, Silkens excel in racing orlure coursing but have also proven to be intelligent and responsive enough to also enjoy less typical sighthound activities. There are successfulagility , therapy,flyball andobedience Silkens, as well as those that perform asassistance dog s. They do well with smaller household pets indoors if socialized to them properly, but their sighthound nature means that many small, fast running animals in the field may be chased.Training
The Silken Windhound is a gentle, intelligent breed, they train easily and most effectively using reward and affection based training in short, positive sessions. Using positive training methods, Silkens will work eagerly and form strong relationships with their owners. Harsher training based on corrections do not work well with this breed, and will often create a fearful Silken rather than an obedient one. Like many in the sighthound family, most Silken Windhounds can slip out of a standard buckle collar, and the collar most often used with these hounds is a
martingale dog collar, or a semi-slip collar.Health
With proper care, many Silken Windhounds will live into their late teens, with some living until they are 17 to 20. Bone and joint ailments like hip dysplasia are generally not a problem, nor is
bloat . Some dogs in this breed are sensitive toIvermectin and related drugs; a simple test is now available to find out if a dog is aMdr1 (multi-drug resistance gene) carrier. [cite web |url=http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-vcpl/ |publisher=Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine |title= Multidrug Sensitivity (e.g. ivermectin) |accessdate=2008-04-11 ] Responsible breeders are working to eliminate this faulty gene from the breeding pool. There have been some cases ofcryptorchidism ,umbilical hernia , and lotus syndrome, as well asdeafness andcataracts ingeriatric dogs.Thanks to the efforts of the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, Silken Windhounds are going to be the first dog breed to have their genome mapped. [cite web |url=http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/cghg/silkens.php |publisher=UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory |title=Canine Genetic Heritage Projects |accessdate=2008-04-11 ]History
The Silken Windhound was created by Francie Stull, a successful breeder of top show and performance
American Kennel Club (AKC)Borzoi andDeerhound who utilized her decades of experience with AKC hounds in the formation of this breed, combining the best aspects of some of the top performance Borzoi andWhippet bloodlines in the Americas. The first Silken Windhound litter was whelped in 1987, and the breed club was formed in 1999. Silken Windhounds now are located all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Silken Windhounds were bred to be a small to medium-sizedsighthound . Like other members of their group, they hunt by sight, and can course game in open areas at high speeds.Event Venues
In addition to specialty shows held worldwide, in the US, Silken Windhounds are welcome to show in the rare breed show venues Rarities, IABCA, and NCA, competing as part of the
Hound groups. InSlovenia , the Silken Windhound is an accepted part of the Slovenian Kennel Club, member of theFCI , and also participates in theHound group. Silken Windhounds are also able to participate insighthound performance sports, and in addition to competing alongside other sighthounds in Finnishlure coursing and straight racing events, the ISWS has an established straight racing program that enables Silkens to race and win points towards their straight racing championships (SRC) in race events around the USA.References
External links
* [http://www.silkenwindhounds.org/ Silken Windhound Breed Club]
* [http://www.silkenwindhounds.org/standard.html Breed Standard]
* [http://silkkivinttikoira.net Finnish Silken Windhound Club]
* [http://www.casilkenwindhound.com/ California Silken Windhound Breed Club]
* [http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/research/canine/projects/silkens/ UC Davis Silken Windhound research project]
* [http://www.raritiesinc.ca/index.htm Rarities & North American Kennel Club]
* [http://www.iabca.com/ International All Breed Canine Association]
* [http://www.nationalcanine.com National Canine Association]
* [http://www.silkenwindhounds.org/racing.html International Silken Windhound Racing Association]
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