[NAGDU] Training request, and (Jewel) Why a Silken Windhound?

[Peter Wolf]

Jewel!

Great writing!  You had me totally cracking up at the afghan story, and also how stupid the guy was, not realizing he was an inferior life form.  

We can write or talk on or offline about training, and perhaps I might benefit hearing about yours.  Everyone, I still would like to hear about your successes, please share on or offline- specifically in harness-handle training when your dog had a curious nose.  We’ve been on leash, and it’s time to harness.  Metukah is going to have a challenge, because with my equilibrium, I catch myself stepping on her feet at least once or twice a day.  So she keeps a little distance, which will have to close with a handle.  I at least am learning to sense it and back off my foot and not crunch her.  That’s progress.  Handle will be good also because I’ll always know exactly where she is and won’t step on her anymore.  Once we convince her she won’t get stepped on…Gotta get past that catch 22.  Comments anyone?  Time to get started.  I need help.

The breed:  Because my dog is so slender and bony, it’s a process getting to the actual harness order with Julie but we are close, figuring out how to fit those narrow spaces.  One photo below for anyone who can make it out is a shot on the beach, where we can tell how lanky this girl is.  I know that having her only barely pull will solve a lot of my concern for “dog breakdown” in harness, and it will be a softer harness.  At that, the way I hold her in the photo significantly spreads her front legs at the chest, like double of actual width.  These people are airblades.  The whole front of dog is only 5.5 inches wide!  

Now, onto your message Jewel.  For the rest of you, indulge if you want, from here on, but it’s me, talking about Silkens, and some photos if you can make them out.  Yes Jewel, as we hear it, there was some distant sheltie influence way back in forming Silkens.  As we understand it, however, how Silkens arrived was from Russian Borzoi breeders starting in the 80’s, combining long haired whippet with Russian Borzoi.  The woman credited for it is a horse rancher/borzoi breeder from Texas named Francie Stull.  We met her at a SilkenFest, which is an annual event.  I asked her what on earth she was thinking, that a human could actually create angels.  Francie, with perfect, crusty rancher voice:  "Well, I wanted to shrink down the borzoi and take the bitch out of her, make a dog so gentle a child could force it into the corner, and the dawg would just lick-er”.  A bit harsh, but hey, Texas.  

When we got the girls, a condition was that we had to show, and possibly let them run some races.  We held to integrity, and did show at first, the first year as promised.  Even did private training to show elegantly.  We both seriously dragged our heels at that, but then I found it to be a fantastic puppy socializing and task forming discipline.  For one thing, as you know there are huge amounts of dogs, hanging out between events in their standing X-pens, and also milling all around.  Then, the silent line of dogs all together in a row on leash, before and soon into the ring. Then, to show, as you know there is a lot of training and focus required, and head up walking fast on that little slip know shoelace of a what is more a string than a leash.  It turned out to be a perfect puppy socialization to stay on task and focus amidst a LOT of activity, noise and other dogs.  That’s in any population.  And some aren’t as nice as ours, even barkers and snarlers.  Our girls bark once or twice a month.  It’s been said, if you want a watchdog…don’t get a silken!

But we only let the girls run once, and at no racing, and just solo, after a lure on the lure course, and just a straight line to the end of the football field, because we did not want to develop prey drive.  We had the fun, then said “ok, thanks” and never went back to that.  Holy smokes, here's at what a flying silken looks like.  It’s Kira.  Her back feet have just left the ground:


I loved your pillowcase story.  What we tell people they are, depends on the situation, or their possible sense of humor.  In this case, I’d say, Comfort Hound!  Young Kira (my wife’s dog) and Metukah… his and hers dogs!!  They are cousins, three months apart - their mothers are sisters.  
 
That’s me, under the puppy pile…I’ll never get up…

Here’s my dad in L.A., napping.  Hey, nice blanket...


Heres’s 1 year old Metukah, tolerating being snatched up in my arms for a moment during a beach run with a bunch of other silkens in San Diego.  She’s running like she’s on crack, and about to launch back into action.  We have a joke around here (a few actually, because these people are Humor Hounds)!   It goes like this…someone asks, “Hey, wanna grab a drink after work?”   We reply, “No thanks, we have a couple of Long Necks waiting for us back home!” 

Ok, enough fun for now.  Thanks for celebrating.  Cheers!
Peter

On Sep 29, 2016, at 1:37 AM, Jewel <jewelblanch at kinect.co.nz> wrote:

> Peter!  According to Wikipedia, the Shetland Sheepdog [Sheltie] played a part in the creation of the 
> Silken Windhound.  What a picturesque breed name!
> I will be very interested in your training as, for many years,  I owned, bred and showed Afghan 
> Hounds, another of the sight hound fraternity, both in conformation and in competitive Obedience.
> The noted dog behaviorist, Stanley what was/is his last name?  I have, temporarily, forgotten it: 
> Warren?   fell off the radar as far as I was concerned when he rated Afghan hounds as being stupid 
> beyond belief when they refused to take part in  the idiotic games that he set for them!
> "You want me to do what?"  get that piece of cheese from under that can?"  It is no skin off my nose 
> if it stays just where it is, but if you want it, you get it as it was you who put it there in the 
> first place!"
> 
> "You want me to get out of this pillowcase that you have stuffed me into?  I admit that I did put up 
> a battle when being stuffed in, but now that I am here, I really find it  quite comfortable, so I 
> will stay where I am if it is all the same to you, and if it isn't all the same to you, I really 
> don't give a rat's arse!"
> 
>          Jewel
> 
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>