The breeds · sighthound · sighthound

UKC Sighthound & Pariah

Silken Windhound.

UKC: elegant small to medium sighthound with classic coursing lines and exceptional running ability; strong prey drive in the field, gentle at home. History: developed by Francie Stull (Texas) from Borzoi, Whippet and Whippet-based lurcher stock, aiming at a hound at home in the show ring and the field. ISWS: lure coursing is a functional test for sighthounds. Wikipedia: noted coursers..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightall null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

18.5 to 23.5 in

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

UKC and ISWS print the same range for both sexes; ISWS FAQ says males tend to be somewhat larger and heavier.

Coat

UKC and ISWS: soft and silky, moderately long, straight, slightly wavy or curly; longer feathering on the backs of the forelegs, brisket, hindquarters, neck and tail; face, feet and fronts of the legs naturally short; shown natural with minimal trimming. All colors and markings accepted. ISWS FAQ: some shed little, others more; they do not blow coat like Golden Retrievers or Borzoi; puppies often blow coat at 12 to 18 months.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC and ISWS agree.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · UKC/ISWS: moderately long silky coat, straight, slightly wavy or curly, with longer feathering; not woolly or profuse. ISWS FAQ: no trouble in any weather, but extreme heat should be avoided for any breed, especially long-coated ones.

DerivedInternational Silken Windhound Society

Derived from the standard (moderately long single silky coat = 3).

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

ISWS: like other sighthounds, need room to run and daily exercise, but are normally quiet and well-behaved in the house; occasionally an individual is more active than the norm. AKC page energy level band 3 (AKC band).

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

Club text; no numeric minutes source (no RKC page).

Grooming

ISWS: require little grooming and are naturally clean and tidy. AKC page coat grooming frequency band 3 (AKC band, not mapped to the 1 to 5 library scale). Wikipedia: no grooming figures.

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

Club and AKC band disagree in tone; both stand. No RKC page exists for the breed.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

UKC, ISWS and Wikipedia.

Primary game

Not hunted as a rule: the ISWS describes lure coursing as simulating hunting small game in the open field. UKC: strong prey drive in the field. Foundation: Borzoi and Whippet-based lurcher stock.

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

No source states live quarry; the breed is a modern performance and show sighthound.

Search pattern

Sight coursing: ISWS says Silkens show speed, focus, enthusiasm for the chase, agility and endurance on lure courses of typically 600 to 1000 yards; double suspension gallop at top speed (UKC, ISWS standard). Voice: ISWS FAQ says they are not a barky breed.

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

ISWS and UKC.

Field trial standard

ASFA lure coursing: Limited Stake from Dec 1 2009, provisional breed from Mar 1 2012, full ASFA recognition April 2014 (ISWS). LGRA straight racing: provisional 2012, full 2013. NOTRA oval racing: provisional 2013, full end of 2013. NOFCA (open field coursing) recognized the breed in late 2010 (Wikipedia). AKC lure coursing: Silken Windhound is a Foundation Stock Service breed and may compete for suffix titles only (AKC page). UKC also runs lure coursing and conformation. ISWS runs its own lure coursing program for European members.

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

ISWS history with the AKC lure coursing page; rulebooks not read.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Most common disorders

ISWS: a remarkably healthy breed; life expectancy can easily extend into the mid teens. UKC history: most live into their late teens; the oldest known lived a few months past 20 (breed-club claims, not a median). Some Silkens are sensitive to ivermectin and related drugs (MDR1 test available); a few cases of cryptorchidism; bloat, mega-esophagus and grain intolerance noted rarely; sensitive to anesthetics and most do not tolerate flea collars; Lotus Syndrome is a research project; Holter (cardiac) testing is a health project. Silkens were recently admitted into the OFA CHIC program.

Breed clubInternational Silken Windhound Society

Breed-club statements, not a survey; ISWS and UKC lifespan claims are not recorded as a median.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

USOFA CHIC program testsOFA CHIC (list not read) · International Silken Windhound Society, Health and Research (Internet Archive copy)
USLotus SyndromeISWS research project · International Silken Windhound Society, Health and Research (Internet Archive copy)
USHolter testing (cardiac)ISWS health project · International Silken Windhound Society, Health and Research (Internet Archive copy)
USMDR1 (ivermectin sensitivity) DNA testDNA · International Silken Windhound Society, Health and Research (Internet Archive copy)

No KENAI kennel lists the Silken Windhound yet. If you breed them, list your kennel free: it shows on this page and in the hunting dog breed finder, under every handler whose answers land on the breed.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 5 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called: Silken, Windhound

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