Silken Windhounds

[furtech]

My friend, G, up in the BArea (Sunnyvale) called to tell me about some unusual dogs he was seeing on his own dogwalk. As described, they sounded like whippet-sized Afghans...


He asked the lady what they were and she said they were " Silken Windhounds ". I had never heard of the breed. They're absolutely gorgeous!


Apparently they've been around for a few decades and only recognized by the AKC this year. They are, indeed, a cross between Borzois and whippets. I'm really looking forward to seeing them the next time I'm up there dogwalking!

Comments

[lironess.livejournal.com]

OMG does that mean that the Borzoi is the size of a Great Dane?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Borzois are very tall (about dane height), but very thin. When they curl up it's cute because they fold up to about 1/4 their size. I think Borzois are considered a giant breed, though-- which is kind of bad because the giant breeds don't live long (usually 8-10 years).

[lordgloria.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's AWESOME!! I never heard of this breed -- finally: an apartment-sized Borzoi!

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

I heard of them a few years ago. They are a very cool breed.

[oats-a-plenty.livejournal.com]

Awesome, I heard of these guys a while back when I was showing and lure coursing (with the ASBA, which recognized more gaze-hound breeds) sight hounds. Awesome I get to finally see a picture of one. In the late 90's some people were trying to make a smaller version of a Rhodesian Ridgeback. No one outside of the UK recognizes Lurchers :( Maybe it's because they are more of a type than a breed.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Lurchers: that, and I'm sure the name doesn't help. When I hear "Lurcher" I think of a dog that's a cross between a R. Ridgeback and a mastiff...not the sleek animal that looks more like a cross between a herding dog and a whippet. As opposed to, say, "Silken Windhound" which sounds like something out of faerie.

[oats-a-plenty.livejournal.com]

OMG, I was one this page: http://www.silkenfest.com/ and saw that the chairman for Silkenfest 2012 in PA was Judy Lowther, who would have thought that she would get into silkens. She was super gung-ho about mini-ridgebacks. She was chairman and secretary of the North Coast Lure Coast Coursing Club in Ravenna, Ohio and was big into breeding whippets. Wow, smallll world.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

That could explain why the breed got recognized so quickly: they had high-level breeders/show people behind it. I'm a little disappointed about this. It's not much more of an established breed than a labradoodle or any of the mutt-breeds (puggles, Chiweinerdogs, etc.). At the same time, I'm not surprised: the AKC is in the business of selling paper after all.

I guess she got involved with them because of the whippet-half of the breed. I am guessing that they got very high-quality whippets and borzois to start the line. I'd be curious as to how the whippet and borzoi communities feel about this, generally. I know that Aussie breeders are split about the mini-Aussies and the same with Siberian breeders and the Klee-Kai.

[oats-a-plenty.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing Whippet breeders would be split about it too. Whippets were originally bred by crossing a greyhound with a terrier and eventually became it's own breed. I guess the UKC is starting to recognize them, I know the UKC doesn't just "sell papers" but you need to have a minimum of 3 proven generations of this linage to even start to be considered. I'm not sure what Brozois started the line, but I can tell you that the whippets that did were indeed champion lure coursers.

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

mini-Aussies....and the Klee-Kai.

I find that these sorts of breed seem to be popular with people who prefer larger breeds of dogs, but simply don't have the space for them or ability to provide the exercise area and time the regular larger versions need.

(Me, I prefer to stick with my "big-dog-in-a-small-package" Cardigans, who with their large heads and typical mid-range body size (my 2/3-size "mini-Corg" Leila is an unintentional exception to her breed) are clearly mid-sized dogs (and being Herding dogs they have the "bigger-dog" temperament) though they often erroneously get type-cast as "small dogs" due to their short-leggedness. :p)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

My friend who is considering bringing a dog into her life liked Corgis, but had real concerns about back problems (especially with older dogs). Any thoughts on this?

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

Those are really beautiful dogs :D

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I imagine that if Elrond or Legolas lived in an apartment, this is what they would own.

[hbruton.livejournal.com]

I just saw one of these recently and was quite charmed. The one I met had a great personality!

[desertcoyote.livejournal.com]

Pretty dogs! We had some (traveling) borzois come through the dog park here earlier this year (just in time for me to photograph them for inclusion in my book) and I was impressed by how beautiful those dogs are! "Mini borzois" would be beautiful too, I'm sure. :)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I love the bright-eyed look they get from the Whippet half. They look so elfin.

[shoka.livejournal.com]

Oo, yah, they've been around a while. I have always wanted a borzoi and found the silken windhound when someplace online mentioned they were like mini versions. They're gorgeous dogs.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

They're great dogs for runners!

[shoka.livejournal.com]

Someday, someday. Though I may still go with a corgi for a running buddy. I know some runners locally with a cardi who loves it. Heck, I have to think any breed'll do with the right attitude. Ran a 10k(6.2 miles) over Thanksgiving where I got beat by chihauhua! It was trying to drag the owner at the start and every other time I saw it on the course. It was at the finish bouncing up and down while the owner looked beat :D

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

I totally would put a supportive plug in here for Cardigan Welsh Corgis! They may have short legs, but they have some really amazing energy! ...But, I am relatively biased; having been family with 5 members of this really affectionate, friendly, intelligent, energetic and enthusiastic breed since 1989. ^___^

[shoka.livejournal.com]

Wow, *envy* on 5 cardis. I'm not in a position to have a dog atm, but when I can a corgi's high on my list. But it'll be a hard call between cardi and pem. Both have their charms :D

[iisaw.livejournal.com]

All I can think of is what a nightmare they'd be to brush burrs out of!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

But only half as nightmarish as a full-size Borzoi!

[vulpesrex.livejournal.com]

Absolutely Beautiful Dogs.

But a Terrible Name. _Sounds_ too crafted, as though for marketing purposes.

And you would expect something dubbed a "Windhound" (especially when someone can call it that with a straight face) to literally have Gryphon-style wings.

We know this breed!

[karisu-sama.livejournal.com]

They are absolutely lovely small dogs; rather much like long-haired whippets. A friend of ours who had a couple of them used to visit our house with her dogs; they were very, very sweet and gentle, with excellent temperaments. Sadly, our friend is disabled, and her husband passed away a couple of years ago from cancer; due to her health issues she was recently finally forced to find other homes for all her dogs (the Silken Windhounds and the Alaskan Klee Kai (a really darling little mini-Husky).)

Re: We know this breed!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I feel awful for your friend! At a time when she needs a companion like a dog the most, she has to give them up.

I have a friend who's seriously looking at getting a Klee-Kai or a Shetland sheepdog. Or a personable mix. Let me know if you hear about any that need homes and we'll see if there's a match (she has cats).