Breed Characteristics:
Apartment Friendly
?How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?
Good For First-Time Owners
?Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?
Overall Sensitivity
?Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?
Tolerates Being Alone
?Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?
Affectionate With Family
?How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?
Kid-Friendly
?Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?
Friendly Toward Other Dogs
?Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?
Friendly Toward Strangers
?Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?
Drooling Level
?If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?
Easy To Groom
?Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?
Overall Health
?What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.
Prone To Obesity
?Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?
Trainability Level
?Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.
Intelligence Level
?Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?
Prey Drive
?Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?
Barking Level
?How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?
Energy Level
?Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?
Exercise Needs
?Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?
Playfulness Level
?Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?
Silken Windhound is a relatively new breed building its popularity within the canine world.
Does this dog seem familiar to you? If yes, you shouldn’t be surprised because this breed is often mistaken with the famous Borzoi. We will discuss the breed’s appearance later on, so this confusion can end once for all.
Silken Windhound is a clingy dog with strong affection toward his family members.
They are calm, gracious in appearance, and sweet when it comes to greeting both humans and other animals. They are so affectionate that they’re true companion dogs. As such, they are poor watchdogs. After all, if you want a watchdog you need to focus on getting abreed that was specially designed for that purpose.
On the other hand, if you want a companion dog who will love you 24/7 this is the breed to consider welcoming into your home. Does being affectionate mean that they will greet strangers with ease? In a way, yes.
The elegant Silken Windhound is so people-friendly breed that they’re most likely to greet strangers, instead of barks. This breed is yet to be recognized since it’s a relatively new breed.
At least, the Silken Windhound isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club, although this breed hit a huge milestone in 2011. That year, the Silken Windhound was recognized by the United Kennel Club, which enables breed showing up in the dog shows and competitions.
Interested in learning if this breed is perfect for you? Check the information below to see if its breed could fit into your life.
Quick Facts
Real name: Silken Windhound
Origin: Congo
Breed type: States
Weight: 20 to 55 pounds
Height: 18 to 23.5 inches
Lifespan: 14 to 20 years
Litter Size: 4 – 6 puppies
Color: Different collor or pattern
Coat: Silky and long coat
Silken Windhound History
The history of this breed is a short one. After all, the Silken Windhound is a relatively new breed, which means that their history is still building up.
Since the Silken Windhound is a new breed, there are some certain facts on this breed that are known. It’s known that the most relevant person for this breed’s existence is Francie Stull. Stull was the first one to bred and perfect this breed.
As a successful breeder of show and performance American Kennel Club (AKC) Borzoi and Scottish Deerhound, Francie decided to mix Borzoi and Whippet to create a new breed. As result, the first Silken Windhound litter was produced in far 1987.
In 1999, the International Silken Windhound Society was founded. In 2011, this large and elegant breed was recognized by the United Kennel Club. Today, this breed can be found across the globe.
Silken Windhound Physical Appearance
At first, Silken Windhounds seem like large size dogs. With a maximum of 45 pounds and around 24 inches, they are labeled as large dogs, although they may vary in size.
As it is the case usually, females are slightly smaller than males. It’s common for females to weigh between 20 and 45 pounds.
These tall dogs are often described as graceful dogs with silky coats of medium length. They come in many colors that can range from black to white. Some may be spotted, solid-colored, or tuxedo marked. This breed should always have a wedge-shaped head, long and strong neck, almond-shaped eyes of brown color, and small ears.
Their ears should always be gently set back along the neck. The nose should always be dark, and the legs should be set straight. Legs should be strong and long, adding to that overall graceful appearance.
Their coat should always be silky. As for the texture, the coat may be straight, slightly wavy, or curly. In appearance, the Silken Windhound is similar to Borzoi.
As such, this breed is the perfect choice for those who prefer a Borzoi-like appearance but want a significantly smaller dog.
Silken Windhound Personality
As mentioned earlier, the Silken Windhound isn’t the best choice if you want a watchdog. This means that they will always choose rather greet strangers than fight them off. The main reason for this behavior is that this breed is super-friendly. They are fast to greet people, whether they know them or not.
Thanks to their highly affectionate nature, they are great family dogs. They can thrive in families of any size, even with smaller children. However, it’s important to educate children on how to behave around dogs. They should know not to pull a dog’s tail, ears and to poke their noses.
Children and dogs should always be supervised, no matter how both sides behave correctly. This is especially the case when a dog is of large size, or tall as Silken Windhound is. This breed, like many others, needs early training and proper socialization.
Only through this, you will have a well-behaved Silken Windhound. The tall Silken Windhound will thrive when he is surrounded by his family members.
They are intelligent, affectionate, and a bit aloof. This is why socialization matters the most. Training should start as soon as you bring your Silken Windhound home.
Silken Windhound Training
As soon as you bring your Silken Windhound home you should start the training process. As an intelligent breed, the Silken Windhound will enjoy every training lesson, as long its:
- Engaging
- Short
- Fun
- Packed with treats
- Based on positive reinforcement methods
Make sure that you keep treats at an optimal level. obesity in dogs is on the rise across the States and you don’t want your Silken Windhound to be part of these statistics.
Weight gain is manageable, but it’s a long and challenging process. This breed loves being involved in activities.
As such, you might think about dog sports activities, such as agility. Be careful if your Silken Windhound is still a puppy because you don’t want to put extra pressure on the dog’s joint.
Did you know that dogs are more than capable of mastering basic commands at only eight weeks of age? Use this time to teach your dog commands, such as ‘no’, ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘come’.
Only through properly structured training and well-implemented socialization, you can be sure that your Silken Windhound will eventually become a good canine citizen. What if you’re getting an adult dog? Don’t worry.
A good training plan and a lot of patience can help an adult dog learn new tricks. Just have enough patience.
Silken Windhound Grooming
Silken Windhounds have a wonderful coat that only adds to their luxurious appearance. However, that beauty doesn’t come without significant investment.
You will have to place extra time and energy for brushing that long and silky coat. Having the right grooming tools on hand will help tremendously. With the right grooming tools, you will have an easy and fast brushing process.
Brushing should be seen as a bonding experience, not as a strict obligation. This is a great time to check a dog’s skin for any sign of skin infection or fleas.
All in all, brushing Silken Windhound won’t be too much work. If you feel that brushing takes too much of your time and energy think about hiring a professional dog groomer.
It may be pricey, but it will save you time. Plus, this way you will have more time to play with your Fido. Although this is an easy fix, you should bear in mind that brushing is a lot about connection, not only the work.
The rest is basic care:
- Check gums, ears, and eyes weekly
- Learn how to clean dog’s ears and when
- Trim or grind nails once a month
- Bathe only when needed
If your veterinarian insists on it, brush his teeth. Make sure that you only use dog-friendly toothpaste. If you notice any bad odor, make sure that you contact your veterinarian.
Start grooming your Silken Windhound while being a puppy. This way he will learn to be handled and won’t see grooming as a rough or stressful practice.
Instead, he will start seeing grooming as a process where he gets to be pampered only to receive a treat afterward.
Silken Windhound Health
Silken Windhounds are commonly described as healthy dogs. So far, it is not known that this breed is specifically prone to specific conditions.
Still, it’s normal for dogs to develop a condition during their lifetime. After all, there are many factors that can affect a dog’s health, such as:
- Poor nutrition
- Lack of exercise
- Missing veterinarian check-ups
- Ignoring symptoms of any disease
- Not providing proper grooming
Once you get a dog you are directly responsible for one of the most common diseases in dogs lately, and that’s obesity.
Obesity in dogs is a problem on the rise across the States, and you don’t want your Fido to be part of these statistics. Weight gain is a real issue and treating is still manageable, but it will require a lot of work and discipline.
To avoid obesity in your dog, you should do the following:
- Know how much you should feed your dog
- Learn how often your Silken Windhound should eat
- Learn which human foods is safe for dogs, and which isn’t
- Know pros and cons of raw food diet
- Provide regular veterinarian care and check-ups
Is Silken Windhound For You?
Silken Windhound is a breed for experienced dog owners, who have experience dealing with large dog breeds. This dog isn’t for you if grooming is something that bothers you and you don’t like taking out your silky dog on a rainy day.
On the other hand, if you are fine with walks on a rainy day, and you know your way around more large breed than this dog is to consider having.
Make sure that you can meet the needs of this dog for full and proper experience as a responsible dog owner.
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