Silken Windhound Dog Breed

The Silken Windhound is a member of the Hound group in most clubs (but as a new breed, is not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club). These dogs, while capable of hunting, were ostensibly created to be mid-sized, friendly hounds with longer, low-maintenance coats. The Silken Windhound is best suited as a companion pet for active families willing to give the dog some daily exercise.

A few Silken Windhound facts: they're medium-sized, averaging 21 inches in height and 40 pounds in weight (though their size can vary a good bit); they have medium to long, silky, straight to wavy coats that often have longer feathering on the neck, legs, and tail; and they have high prey drives, which often make them instinctively chase small animals.

Some advantages and drawbacks to owning this happy, athletic breed:

The Silken Windhound, like the Borzoi and Whippet breeds from which it was developed, is fast, friendly, and sensitive. These dogs, developed in the U.S. in the late 20th century, are kind towards basically everyone they meet (even burglars!)--but they're still hunters at heart.

A fast, agile hound breed like this one will do best if it gets plenty of daily exercise; Silkens will enjoy anything from long walks, jogs, or bicycle rides, to playing Frisbee in the yard, to a good romp in the park. It's a good idea to keep your Silken dog leashed when in public, though, to stop the dog from chasing every bird or squirrel it sees! And not just any leash will do. Because of their slim head shapes, regular collars will slip off easily; a martingale (or "slip") collar is best.

Obviously, this breed is active and athletic--and while not the strongest of dogs a Silken Windhound will need regular exercise to prevent unwanted behavior.

Some debate exists over whether the Silken Windhound is actually a variation of another breed called the Silken Windsprite (or Longhaired Whippet)--or if they're simply one breed with interchangeable names. Though different clubs, kennels, and breed sites explain the idea in various ways, the United Kennel Club (one of the first well-known clubs to recognize the Silken Windhound) gives a bit of breed history:

In the 1980s, a champion Borzoi breeder named Francie Stull sought to create a smaller, friendlier sighthound--so she bred a small Borzoi to a Silken Windsprite, and the resulting litter became the original foundation stock for the breed that eventually became the Silken Windhound.

So while the Windhound and Windsprite share a good bit of genetic material, they're in fact two separate breeds.

Within the Silken Windhound breed itself, few variations exist in physical structure or coat length and texture. And while these dogs can vary quite a bit in size (from 20 to 55 pounds in weight), no sub-types like "Miniature" or "Giant" exist.

Friendly, energetic, intelligent, sensitive, and at times needy, the Silken Windhound temperament is one of "happy activity." Dogs of this breed are basically glad to socialize with everyone and everything: family, friends, other pets, strangers (and unfortunately, even burglars). Silken dogs are great playmates for kids, and they generally get along with other pets too (but due to their high prey drives they might instinctively chase cats and other small animals, but won't injure them).

In regards to training: the breed is very smart, and usually learns tasks, tricks, and commands rather quickly. These dogs may get distracted easily, so trainers may need a few repetitions when teaching new things--but positive, fun, reward-based methods will normally be effective.

One skill the Silken Windhound sorely lacks, though, is as a watchdog. Though they're alert, these dogs don't bark much at all, so they're unlikely to sound a vocal alarm if they perceive an unknown sight or sound. And the Silken Windhound is about as far from aggressive as a breed can be--so their protection skills are basically zero.

The Silken Windhound is very healthy overall, but may suffer a few medical issues. Occasionally, puppies will be born with Lotus Syndrome, a fatal condition that causes major physical deformities. A few Silken Windhounds also have what's called the MDR1 genetic mutation, which causes the dogs to be highly sensitive to some medications. And athletic breeds like the Silken Windhound commonly suffer joint and structural ailments like hip dysplasia and patellar luxation.

As with any breed, it's always good to ask a breeder if their dogs have had medical screenings; if not, owners can have a veterinarian do them.

And the Silken Windhound has a long life expectancy: 14-20 years.