The First American Sighthound ~
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introducingThe the silken Silken windhound Windhound The first American Sighthound ~ http://silkenwindhounds.org List of Photos: introducing the silken windhound Front Cover: Female age 4 years Page 11: Male age 3 years; Male, age 6 years Page 12: Male age 2 years; Male age 2 years Page 13: Male age 13 months; Male age 2.5 years History Page 14: Male age 1.5 years; Male age 3 years Page 15: Female age 1 year; Female age 15 months Page 16: Female age 1 year; Female age 3 year The Silken Windhound is a modern sporting sighthound of American Page 17: Female age 2 years; Female age 3 years origin. It is a moderately sized and elegantly coated breed. Page 18: Female age 6 months; Female age 4.5 years Page 19: Male and Female age 16 weeks; Male age 7 weeks The Silken Windhound originated with Francie and Chuck Stull at Kennel Page 20: Males age 5 weeks; Males age 7.5 weeks Kristull in Texas during the 1980’s with the selective breeding of founda‐ Page 21: Male and Female age 7 weeks; Male age 14 weeks tion bloodlines until true‐to‐type offspring were produced. The three Page 22: Female, Female and Male age 3 years; Male aged 4 years; Male breeds represented in the foundation of this breed are Borzoi (B), Whip‐ and Male aged 3 years pet (W) and a longer coated Whippet‐style dog (LHW) developed by Page 23: Male age 1.5 years; Male age 2 years Windsprite Kennels. Page 24: Male age 6 years; Male age 4 years Page 25: Female age 15 months; Female age 2 years The first true Silken Windhound (SW) litter was whelped in 1985 when a Page 26: Male age 7 years; Female age 3 years breeding of (LHW) Windsprite Autumnal Zenon to (B) Stillwater Kristull Page 27: Male age 2 years; Male age 1.5 years Peacock resulted in (SW) Kristull Decadence and Kristull Darque Page 28:Male age 5 years; Male age 3 years Decision. Page 29:Males age 4 years; Male age 4 months Page 30:Female age 2 years; Female age 4 years Through a process of refinement from the original foundation dogs, with Below: Male age 3 years; Female age 8 weeks a focus on selection for type, soundness, health and temperament and in a breeding program spanning several decades, the Silken Windhound Photographs contributed by Joyce Chin, Rick Steele, Dave Mills Photo‐ has emerged as its own breed. graphic Arts, Crystal Buckey, Eero Juhola, Teri Timm‐Miller, Michelle Smith, Karen Fink, Jay Cusker, Alison Ruhe, RLynn Shell‐Whitlock, Cyndi Dell, Jay Berenblit , Donna Winton, and Kemp Photography The club The name Silken Windhound was officially adopted in 1998. The Interna‐ tional Silken Windhound Society, based in the U.S. and chartered in 1999, maintains all pedigrees and DNA verified registrations for the breed and sanctions all regional and international clubs and specialty events. The breed standard was ratified by ISWS in 1999. The International Silken Windhound Society has established a unique registration system based closely on the AKC’s registration process. All breeding Silkens are DNA verified with the assistance of the Veterinary Page 2 introducing the silken windhound introducing the silken windhound Candids The club cont Genetics Laboratory. Additionally, the ISWS has incorporated an extra step with its two‐tiered registration system allowing breeders the opportunity to assess and upgrade their puppies to breeding status with the ISWS when they reach maturity. The ISWS also sponsors health testing for the breed and stages health testing events. Males Breed Standard The breed standard was originally adopted by the ISWS in March 2001 and revised in December 2005. GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Silken Windhound is an elegant, small to medium‐sized sighthound with a moderately long silky coat. Its classic lines and athletic build are the hallmark of a true coursing dog. When viewing a Silken Windhound, one has the impression of grace, balance, and strength integrated with exceptional running ability. SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE: The accepted measurements for Silken Windhounds are 18.5 ‐23.5 inches (47‐60 cm) at the withers. Dogs over or under the ideal shall be penalized to the extent of the deviation. In proportion, Silken Windhounds are approximately square or slightly rectangular. Silkens that are excessively longer or shorter than they are tall should be penalized according to the extent of the deviation. The build of the Silken Windhound is sleek, through a balanced combination of fine bladed bone and smooth muscle, and never looks frail. Heavy, round, or coarse bone is faulty. HEAD: The Silken Windhound's expression is alert, friendly and intelligent. Eyes are rather large and dark, almond‐shaped and set somewhat obliquely. Pigment around eyes is full and dark. Ears are small and fine in texture, folded and lying back along the neck when Page 30 Page 3 introducing the silken windhound introducing the silken windhound Breed Standard cont Candids in repose. When alert, ears may prick or semi‐prick. Hanging, or drooping, houndy ears are undesirable. Moderately long in head, the Silken Windhound has a fairly narrow back skull which, when viewed from above, tapers gradually through a full muzzle to the nose. The muzzle is in good balance to the skull. When viewed from the side, the top plane of the muzzle is parallel to the plane of the flat skull, with a barely perceptible stop between. The head is well chiseled, skin dry and tight, with noticeable veining. The nose is dark, and may be slightly down‐turned at the end. Lips and flews are tight, in keeping with the dry head. Pigment on lips is full and dark. Jaws are strong to accommodate the teeth, which are large for a dog of this size, with full dentition and scissors bite. Missing teeth should be penalized. NECK, TOPLINE, BODY: The neck is long and slender. It is slightly arched, well muscled and powerful, never ewe necked. The neck is free from dewlap or throatiness, widening gradually and symmetrically into the shoulder. The topline rises gradually from slightly behind the withers, with the highest point of the arch being over the last rib, flowing smoothly over the muscular loin, carrying through and falling gradually over the long croup. The back is short and the loin moderately long, wide, muscular and arched. It is important that the loin be flexible to sustain and drive the double suspension gallop, which Silkens exhibit when running at top speed. A flat back with steep croup is not a loin arch and should be faulted. The chest is deep with moderate spring of rib. A barrel shaped or slab sided body is faulty. The brisket reaches as nearly as possible to the elbow, with a graceful upsweep to the tuck‐up; this creates the distinctive underline of the Silken Windhound. The tail is long and flexible, falling in a sweeping curve, free of kinks and reaching past the hock. When carried, the tail should not Borzoi Male and Silken Windhound Male size comparison Page 4 Page 29 introducing the silken windhound introducing the silken windhound Candids Breed Standard cont rise above the back. A tightly curled or gay tail is faulty. FOREQUARTERS: The shoulder blades are well laid back and are long and smooth with flat muscle. Fine withers are preferred. Good return of upper arm is desirable, bringing the legs well under the withers. Elbows turn neither in nor out. The forelegs are straight and strong, with pasterns straight or slightly bent, but never knuckled over. Dewclaws on front legs are acceptable. The feet are well knuckled with tough, thick pads. Both the hare foot, with its longer middle toes; and the cat foot, with its shorter middle toes, is acceptable. Hare foot is preferred. Nails are strong and of moderate length. HINDQUARTERS: Hindquarters are well angulated, with a long second thigh and well developed thigh muscles. Viewed from the rear, the hindquarters are slightly wider than the front, well muscled, without any suggestion of cowhocks. Stifles are well bent, and hock joints broad and strong. Hocks are short. Rear dewclaws may be removed. The feet are well knuckled with tough, thick pads. Both the hare foot, with its longer middle toes; and the cat foot, with its shorter middle toes, is acceptable. Hare foot is preferred. Nails are strong and of moderate length. COAT: The coat is soft, and silky in texture. In no case should the coat be woolly or profuse enough to obscure the outline of the Silken Windhound, nor so long as to interfere with the function of a coursing hound. The coat may be straight, slightly wavy, or curly. There is longer feathering along the back of the forelegs, the brisket, hindquarters, around the neck, and tail. Coat on the face, feet, front of forelegs and hocks are naturally short. Feathering that frames the ears and face adds to the dog's expression, and should not be trimmed. The Silken Windhound is shown in a natural coat with minimal trimming. Page 28 Page 5 introducing the silken windhound introducing the silken windhound Breed Standard cont Candids COLOR, MARKINGS: All colors and markings are acceptable. GAIT: The Silken Windhound moves with a smooth effortless trot, which has good reach in front and good drive from the hindquarters. Restricted or wasted motion of the legs or body, when viewed from the side, is faulty. Paddling, hackneyed gait, toeing in, and toeing out are faults in front movement. The hocks should not roll in or out when rear movement is viewed. While the hind legs are wider apart than the front, the feet, both front and rear, seek a center of balance closer to the centerline when the dog moves at a fast trot.