Silken Windhound

About the breed

The Silken Windhound is an American sighthound breed that, as of 29 September 2026, the FCI recognises neither definitively nor provisionally, so no FCI standard exists for it. Elsewhere the picture differs: the United Kennel Club has recognised it since 2011, the AKC accepted it into its Foundation Stock Service in April 2026, and the UK's Royal Kennel Club has announced that recognition takes effect from 1 October 2026.

It is a sighthound with a soft, silky coat, 47–60 cm at the withers (medium-sized per the AKC, small to medium-sized per the standards of the International Silken Windhound Society (ISWS) and the UKC), developed in the USA in the 1980s from Borzoi, Whippets and small Whippet-based crosses. Breed clubs describe it as gentle and calm at home and a keen hunter outdoors, so it needs a safe place to run.

Recognition: who recognises the breed and who does not

As of 29 September 2026 the FCI does not list the Silken Windhound: it appears neither among the definitively recognised breeds of Group 10 (Sighthounds) nor on the separate list of provisionally recognised breeds, so there is no FCI standard. The United Kennel Club (UKC) recognised it on 18 March 2011. The AKC accepted it into its Foundation Stock Service (FSS) in April 2026, and the AKC states that FSS breeds are not eligible for AKC registration. The Royal Kennel Club (UK) announced in June 2026 that recognition takes effect from 1 October 2026, in the Hound Group on the Imported Breed Register; until an interim breed standard is published, the breed cannot compete at Royal Kennel Club licensed breed shows.

In Slovenia the primary statement is the notice of the Kennel Club of Slovenia (Kinološka zveza Slovenije, KZS): in November 2024 its board decided that the breed is shown at national (CAC) shows in FCI Group 10, where it would belong once the FCI recognises it. Other statements differ: the ISWS says the KZS has recognised it since 2004, the Sighthound Club of Slovenia marked a 20th anniversary of recognition at its April 2025 show (which would mean about 2005), and Kinološko društvo Posavje called it an unrecognised breed that Slovenes are trying to enter into international standards. What KZS recognition means exactly is not clear from public sources. In January 2026 the KZS president told the news agency STA that Slovenian dog people seek native-breed status; the AKC and the Silken Windhound Club of America (SWHCOA) describe the breed as American. The Croatian Kennel Club (HKS) does not include it in its Croatian translation of the FCI Group 10 standards (2025 edition).

Origins: Borzoi, Whippet and small hound crosses

The breed was created in Austin, Texas, by the Borzoi breeder Francie Stull; the first litter was born in 1985. The UKC standard says she wanted a smaller long-coated hound with good health and the sporting ability of the larger sighthounds. The foundation was Borzoi from show and coursing lines, a multi-generational line of small Whippet-based crosses, and Whippets.

The SWHCOA reports that DNA analysis shows Borzoi, Whippet and Shetland Sheepdog as the foundation breeds, and that MDR1 and CEA are thought to come from the Sheltie. The studbook has been closed since 2000 and parentage must be DNA-verified; under the genetic diversity programme only descendants of outcrosses to Borzoi or Whippets can enter it.

Appearance and size under the ISWS and UKC standards

Under the ISWS and UKC standards the Silken Windhound measures 47–60 cm (18.5–23.5 in) at the withers; the standards give no weight. The AKC breed page gives 25–45 lb (about 11–20 kg) for males and 22–35 lb (about 10–16 kg) for females, so weight here is approximate. The build is roughly square and sleek, never frail.

The coat is soft and silky, straight, slightly wavy or curly; longer feathering grows on the back of the forelegs, the brisket, hindquarters, neck and tail, while the coat on the face, feet and front of the legs is naturally short. It must not be woolly or so profuse that it hides the outline. Feathering around the ears and face is not trimmed. All colours and markings are accepted. UKC disqualifications: unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism, viciousness or extreme shyness, and albinism.

Temperament: gentle at home, a hunter outdoors

The ISWS and UKC standards describe an intelligent hound of balanced character, gentle, affectionate and devoted at home, with strong prey drive in the field. The ISWS writes that the dogs are friendly towards people, usually not territorial or aggressive towards other dogs, and that most are quiet and loving.

Prey drive, off-lead running and training

Off-lead running is sensible only in a fenced or otherwise secure area. The UKC standard speaks of strong prey drive, the AKC stresses running full out in a safe area, and the general Slovenian portal Smrček.si says the dog must be on a lead on walks.

The AKC advises early socialisation and gentle, positive training with enthusiastic sessions and little repetition.

Exercise and heat

An adult Silken Windhound needs regular periods of exercise, according to the AKC preferably with the chance to run flat out in a safe area. According to the ISWS the dogs adapt to the weather, but in high temperatures, especially for long-coated breeds, shade and fresh water are essential.

Flat living, children and other animals

A Silken Windhound can live in a flat if it has a chance for a safe run and a walk every day; size alone does not replace that. The AKC says adults are typically well-mannered in the home.

With children and other animals the answer is conditional. The Sighthound Club of Slovenia calls the breed an excellent family dog, but the dog is finely built and has prey drive, so constant supervision with small children is sensible, and gradual introductions with cats, rabbits or rodents.

Coat and grooming

The coat needs weekly brushing: the AKC gives weekly brushing and a bath about once a month or as needed, watching for tangles behind the ears and in the feathering. The ISWS says all dogs shed, but the Silken Windhound does not blow its coat like a Golden Retriever or a Borzoi.

Health: what the clubs and the OFA recommend

The SWHCOA calls the breed generally healthy but lists among conditions diagnosed in it Addison's disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, collie eye anomaly (CEA), copper storage disease, lotus syndrome (an occasional birth defect in puppies, per the ISWS), mitral valve disease and torsion of the stomach, lung and spleen. The list records what has been diagnosed, not how common it is. The ISWS writes that bloat has occurred very rarely and reports scattered cases of sudden death, mitral valve disease and congenital abnormalities.

The OFA, working with the parent club, recommends for all breeding stock an ACVO eye examination, an autoimmune thyroiditis evaluation, an advanced cardiac exam (cardiologist exam with echocardiography) and DNA tests for MDR1 and CEA; results need to be public, not necessarily normal, for a dog to receive a CHIC number. These are recommendations, not FCI requirements; the ISWS requires DNA-verified parentage for registration.

MDR1 and anaesthesia: what a vet should know

The MDR1 mutation is confirmed in the Silken Windhound and makes some dogs sensitive to ivermectin-related drugs. In a study by Firdová and colleagues (2016, European samples from 2012–2014) the mutant allele frequency in the breed was 28.1%, and Washington State University gives roughly 30%; allele frequency is not the share of affected dogs. The ISWS strongly recommends testing breeding dogs. Showing the result to the vet is sensible: according to WSU it lets the vet avoid some drugs or adjust the dose.

The ISWS states that Silken Windhounds, like all sighthounds, are sensitive to anaesthetics and advises talking to the vet before any procedure; Clinician's Brief says that sighthounds (particularly the Greyhound) metabolise some drugs differently.

How long does a Silken Windhound live?

Roughly 12–15 years, as the AKC gives on its breed page without naming a source; no registry data or large independent surveys exist. The ISWS writes that lifespan can easily extend into the mid-teens, the UKC standard that most live into their late teens, and the SWHCOA that dogs commonly live at least 10 years. All are statements by breed organisations, so read them as an estimate, not a proven average.

Silken Windhound, Whippet or Borzoi: the differences

The Silken Windhound reaches higher than the Whippet and is much smaller than the Borzoi. The FCI standard gives the Whippet 47–51 cm for dogs and 44–47 cm for bitches, and the Borzoi 75–85 cm for dogs and 68–78 cm for bitches; the Silken Windhound measures 47–60 cm under the ISWS and UKC. The Whippet coat is fine, short and close by the FCI standard, the Borzoi coat long, supple, silky, wavy or in large curls, and the Silken Windhound coat soft and silky with feathering that must not hide the outline. The Whippet and Borzoi have FCI standards and sit in Group 10; the Silken Windhound has none as of 29 September 2026.

What the Silken Windhound is and is not

• Not a miniature Borzoi. The Borzoi stands 68–85 cm under the FCI standard, the Silken Windhound 47–60 cm under the ISWS and UKC; Whippets and small crosses also went into the breed.
• Not a designer crossbreed. The SWHCOA stresses that the Silken Windhound is not a "designer dog" but a breed in its own right, with a closed studbook and DNA-verified parents since 2000.
• Not a breed without problems. The ISWS says the breed is not perfect and has a couple of health issues being researched by notable veterinary schools; the clubs name MDR1, CEA, heart and thyroid.

What to ask a breeder

With no FCI standard (as of 29 September 2026), the main proof of origin is a pedigree from a genuine registry. The ISWS requires DNA verification of parentage before a litter is registered, and names the UKC, the American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) and, in Europe, as worded by the ISWS, the "Slovenian Kennel Club" and the "Swiss Kennel Club" as registries where dogs are often dual-registered; it does not regard registries outside that list as legitimate. Ask which registry the litter is in, which results exist for both parents on the OFA list (eyes, thyroid, heart, MDR1, CEA) and what the parents' MDR1 status is. The ISWS advises looking up the parents in the OFA database and reading a contract under which a responsible breeder takes the dog back. Find a suitable breeder in the directory.

Who it suits and who it does not

It suits owners who have time every day for a walk and a safe run in a fenced area, accept regular brushing and choose a breeder with parental test results. It suits less a home where the dog cannot safely be let off the lead, a home with small animals left unsupervised, or an owner short of time to socialise the dog. Good conditions are early socialisation, running in a safe place and a vet who knows the dog is a sighthound.

Pros & cons