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What is the Breed Standard?
 History
We
discovered this breed while researching the internet and
interestingly enough, many other Windhound enthusiasts have arrived
at the same place following a similar path. In 2005 we travelled to
a dog show in Pennsylvania where we met our first Silken Windhound.
In May of 2006 we attended
Silkenfest in North Carolina and brought home sweet Bella, our first
Silken from
Windspirit Kennels. In August of 2007 we brought home
lovely Bacardi from
Renaissance Borzoi & Silken Windhounds in Iowa. The following is a
brief history of the Silken Windhound directly from the
International Silken Windhound web site and a wonderful source
of information on this breed.
"Too seldom are dreams brought to fruition, but Francie Stull has
done just that. The 1975 thought of expanding her champion borzoi
Kennel
Kristull to include an additional, smaller breed eventually
evolved in 1982 into the dream of creating a smaller, coated sight
hound with the attributes of her beloved Borzoi.
It was determined that this new breed would be carefully bred to be
small-medium in size, wonderful temperament, easy to care for longer
coat, healthy, and retain the poise and sporting heritage of sight
hounds.
"It would be nearly a decade before we finally bought our first
tiny, longhaired sighthounds from Windsprite", said Francie
referring to the 1984 visit to Walter Wheeler's Windsprite Kennels.
Mr. Wheeler had developed a coated, whippet-like hound from
exceptional quality whippet lines. While Mr. Wheeler refers to his
breed as "Longhaired Whippets", recent DNA studies support the
introduction of a herding breed into this charming breed.
In the early 1980's, Francie discovered one of the Silken Windhound
foundation bloodlines through an advertisement submitted to
Sighthound Magazine for a recent Borzoi litter. "This had to be one
of the most beautiful groups of dogs that I had ever seen," stated
Francie. "It included the famous bitch, Eng. Amer. Ch. Stillwater
Virginia Reel."
Not acquiring a puppy upon first visit to the breeder, the Stulls
left with the promise of first offer for the purchase Virginia
Reel's first daughter.
Eventually, Stillwater Virginia Reel was bred to Stillwater White
Lightning. As Francie remembers, "we were rewarded with our new blue
brindle passion, Stillwater Kristull Peacock. Peacock had the coat,
structure and charisma that we had bought her for." With her
breeding to Windsprite Autumnal Xenon, Peacock founded a new breed,
the Silken Windhound.
Francie combined her experience of breeding more than two hundred
champion Borzoi with her educational background in genetics and
started down the road to Silken Windhounds. The foundation dogs were
from some of the best show and coursing Borzoi lines in the United
States, Windsprite's whippet-like hounds, and a single Whippet
imported from Peruvian Kridoni Kennel infusing blood into the breed
from some of the most influential Whippet lines in the Americas
today.
"What has resulted from the wish I had in 1975," states Francie, "is
a magnificent little hound that seems especially designed to fill a
surprising gap in the line-up of Sighthound breeds -- a medium sized
elegant hound with long hair. The Silken Windhound is the perfect
breed to fill that empty spot. They are small, typically 18-24
inches, with devoted, loving and confident personalities. Their
easy-care coat comes in all colors, from pure white to pure black,
with reds, creams, brindles and silvers in solid and spotted
patterns to suit the most discriminating taste."
Typically, Silkens live very healthy, active lives. While most live
into their late teens, the oldest known Silken lived a few months
past her 20th birthday.
After years of selective breeding, Silken Windhounds arrived as a
breed with the first litter whelped in 1987. In 1998 the name Silken
Windhound was officially adopted and the Yahoo Windhounds list was
formed.
The International Silken Windhound Society, chartered in 1999,
maintains all pedigrees and DNA verified registrations for the
breed. The
ISWS closed its stud book in 2000.
In what seems like the blink of an eye, Silken Windhounds are now
found throughout the United States as well as Bahamas, Canada,
Finland, Germany, Japan, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, The
Netherlands, Union of South Africa, and United Kingdom. While
members of the
ISWS continue to move forward towards entry into
AKC's program for registering a new breed, these loyal Silken
companions are active in conformation, coursing, and racing events
as well as working as service dogs and training for cancer
detection."
For more information check out the source at the
International Silken Windhound Society. |
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