Silken Windhound vs Great Dane - Breed Comparison

Silken Windhound vs Great Dane - Breed ComparisonGreat Dane is originated from Germany but Silken Windhound is originated from United States. Great Dane may grow 26 cm / 11 inches higher than Silken Windhound. Great Dane may weigh 70 kg / 155 pounds more than Silken Windhound. Great Dane may live 6 years less than Silken Windhound. Great Dane may have more litter size than Silken Windhound. Both Great Dane and Silken Windhound requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Companion dog
Hound dog
undefined
Germany
United States
Height Male:
76 - 86 cm
29 - 34 inches
47 - 60 cm
18 - 24 inches
Height Female:
76 - 86 cm
29 - 34 inches
44 - 55 cm
17 - 22 inches
Weight Male:
54 - 90 kg
119 - 199 pounds
10 - 20 kg
22 - 45 pounds
Weight Female:
54 - 90 kg
119 - 199 pounds
7 - 17 kg
15 - 38 pounds
Life Span:
9 - 12 Years
15 - 18 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 15
1 - 4
Size:
Giant
Medium
Other Names:
Apollo of Dogs, Dane, Deutsche Dogge
Silkens
Colors Available:
black or brindle - bi-color, Fawn
tuxedo marked or solid colored , white to black with brilliant brindles and solid red, in between. They can be spotted
Coat:
Short and smooth
silky coats of middling length longish to very long, with feathers. Some are straight, some are very curly
Shedding:
Minimal
Minimal
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Social, Territorial
Affectionate, Gentle, Intelligent, Outgoing, Playful, Stubborn
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

great daneKnown as the Deutsche Dogge or Apollo of dogs, the giant-breed Great Dane hails from Germany and not Denmark as many people believe.

The large Great Dane has been around for about 400 years already. They descend from mastiff-like dogs, being needed to protect country estates.

In the 18th century, apart from watching over estates, they were also popular with the upper class for sport.

silken windhoundThe Silken Windhound is a breed intentionally developed by Borzoi and Deerhound breeder, Francie Stull. Although the first litter of the Windhoud was not born until 1995, their development began in discussions ten years later. Bred as a cross between her beloved Deerhounds and Borzoi, the first Society for the breed formed in 1999 and they were recognized by the UKC in 2011.

Ms. Stull wanted another breed for her kennel and decided on a smaller sighthound than her Borzoi. She wanted a long coat, a good temperament, good health, and possessing the same athletic abilities, grace and poise as the sighthounds that are larger. She developed the Silken Windhound based on this vision.

With this in mind, the kennel purchased the pick of a litter from the American and English Borzoi Champion bitch, Stillwater Virginia Reel. This puppy was eventually bred to Stillwater White Lightning and produced puppy that was a blue brindle. This dog, Stillwater Kristull Peacock, had the coat, personality and structure that Ms. Stull wanted for the new breed. She was bred to Deerhound Windsprite Autumnal Xenon to form the foundation for the Silken Windhound.

Over time champion Borzoi were bred with multi-generation Whippet based dogs and small Whippet from coursing and show lines. Finally, all of this work was rewarded with an incredible little sighthound to fit in the line of sighthounds between the giant and large breeds and the smaller whippet type breeds.

The Silken Windhound lives today in 24 different countries. They take their place in hound competitions all over the world in obedience, lure coursing, and racing. They are a Limited Stake Breed in the ASFA and competed with 40 other dogs in 2010. Then they were accepted by the NOFCA or National Open Filed Coursing Association, also in 2010. Finally, in 2011 they were fully accepted by the UKC.

The Silken Windhound is recognized in addition to the UKC, by the Dog Registry of America, the Rarities Inc., the American Canine Association, the Kennel Club of Slovenia, the American Pet Registry, Inc., the International Silken Windhound Society and the International, All-Breed Canine Association of America.

Description

great dane puppy - descriptionThe Great Dame is a tall, lean, athletic, muscular, elegant looking dog. He can stand anything between 76–86cm in height and weigh around 54–90kg. The large head is long and narrow, and the medium sized floppy ears can be left or they can be cropped.

The tail is long and held low. The coat is short and smooth and can be in several colors such as fawn, black or brindle.

Temperament:

Any kind of aggressiveness was bred out of the Great Dane and today he is a gentle giant of a dog, getting on well with other dogs, children and everyone in his human family.

Even though he is a gentle giant, he will still require training and socialization just because of his size. Then they become the devoted pet that they are so well known to be. You'll want to know that when he comes indoors, he will obey you when you tell him to lie-down, sit or come, otherwise his sheer size will see him knocking things accidentally off table-tops.

He is an intelligent dog and is eager to please so he'll learn easily. He craves human companionship, so make sure that your social Dane has plenty of interaction with you.

silken windhound puppy - descriptionThe Silken Windhound is a breed of beautiful, athletic medium sized dogs. They have the long coat, athletic build and classic lines of the sighthound/coursing dog. Just looking at them and you know they have strength, balance and grace in those medium sized bodies. Their running ability is exceptional. They perform well in the confirmation rings.

They are sine boned, balanced with smooth muscles – a sleek hardy looking dog. They have almond-shaped, large, dark eyes with small folded ears. Looking in their faces you see intelligence, friendliness and alertness. The head is long with a well balanced muzzle and a dark, slightly down-turned nose. Her lips are dark and full and her neck long and slender. The Silken Windhound must have a flexible loin because they have a gallop of double suspensions and are amazingly fast. A deep chest is also a must with a flexible, curving tail. Her legs are straight and long, as she is built for speed.

Characteristics

great dane dog - characteristicsThe Great Dane is a large breed, bred to hunt wild boar. The intelligence, bravery and fearless nature of the dog meant that he was sought after for this task.

Known as the Apollo of Dogs, you won’t find the Great Dane being used for hunting purposes anymore, being more suited as a companion dog.

While developed as a working breed, today he is a well balanced, intelligent, calm, loving, social, dependable dog that just wants to be loved by his human family and to provide love, loyalty and companionship back in return.

Characteristics

silken windhound dog - characteristics1. Children friendliness – they are great with children and would romp with them all day.

2.Special talents – speed and agility.

3.Adaptability Like most sighthounds they can be couch potatoes but being medium sized they can live just about anywhere as long as it is inside.

4.Learning ability - They are smart but their learning ability can be hampered by their stubbornness.

Health Problems

great dane puppies - health problemsTypically of giant dogs, the Great Dane doesn't have a particularly long life-span and will live to be about 8 to 10 years of age. Also, giant-breed dogs like this are susceptible to what is known as bloat.

You'll notice it because there is swelling of the stomach with gas buildup and also twisting of the stomach. It's a life-threatening condition and you'll need to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. You can combat it by feeding him smaller, more frequent meals and perhaps buying a slow-feeder dish, forcing your hungry pet to eat slower and not gulp his food down.

Also, large dogs like this can develop hip dysplasia and with a dog like the Great Dane, it takes a while for the bones and joints to grow and then become stable. That is why it is important not to make him do any vigorous exercise till he is at least 18 months of age, as these exercises can put a lot of stress on the joints and bones which can lead to hip dysplasia later on.

silken windhound puppies - health problemsMost inherited diseases and conditions are rare. There is some drug related sensitivity, especially to ivermectin, and some dogs carry a MDR1 (multi-drug resistance gene) that is defective. Breeders are attempting to breed this out of the Silkens. A few other rare instances of concern include:

  • Cryptorchidism – a birth defect resulting in undescended testicles.
  • Lotus Syndrome – an occasional birth defect resulting in death.
  • Umbilical hernias – may require surgery.
  • Cataracts - may lead to old age sight problems
  • Deafness

Caring The Pet

Diet:

great dane dogs - caringThis is a large dog so you’ll notice that with commercially manufactured dog foods, there are those made specially for large- or giant breeds. It is important to choose the right dog food for his large size so that you can be sure he gets the right amount of nutrients in for him to grow strong and healthy.

If you aren't sure about what food would most benefit your Great Dane, ask your vet. While it is important to also feed him quality home-made food and raw meat, when buying kibble for him,check the label of the food you buy him and make sure that the concentration of protein isn’t more than 23 to 25%.

Remember to provide him with a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

Brush your Great Dane’s coat at least twice a week. He has a short, smooth coat so it will be easy, and the brushing will keep his coat soft and shiny. Use this time to also check for fleas and ticks or lumps. You will also need to check his nails and trim them if they don’t trim down on their own.

Exercise:

Your Great Dane will need to be exercised every day if you want him to maintain his lean, muscular shape. It keeps him happy too. He isn’t the kind of dog though that you want to turn into your running partner when you go jogging or cycling. He can go on a walk and play in the garden, but the exercising shouldn’t be for long periods of time.

His first checkup:

Every puppy needs to get to the vet for his first check-up when he is 6 weeks of age, and your Dane will also have to. As a puppy he will need to be de-wormed which will happen with this 6 week check up. He will also be vaccinated for distemper.

silken windhound dogs - caring1.Feeding the puppy This is a medium sized, active breed. They need high quality dog food with plenty of protein. Feed them 3 times a day from a food made for high energy active medium sized breeds.

2.Feeding the adult - Feed them 2 times a day from a food made for high energy active medium sized breeds.

3.Points for Good - Exceptional agility and speed.

4. Games and Exercises The breed is active, and they love to run. They need daily exercise and they usually excel at flyball, agility, obedience and therapy. Obviously, they are very good at lure coursing and racing. They love to run or jog with you.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Silken Windhound vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  2. Silken Windhound vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  3. Silken Windhound vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  4. Silken Windhound vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  5. Silken Windhound vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Silken Windhound vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  7. Silken Windhound vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  8. Silken Windhound vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Silken Windhound vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Silken Windhound vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. Silken Windhound vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  12. Silken Windhound vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  13. Silken Windhound vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  14. Silken Windhound vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  15. Silken Windhound vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  16. Silken Windhound vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  17. Silken Windhound vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  18. Silken Windhound vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  19. Silken Windhound vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  20. Silken Windhound vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  21. Silken Windhound vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  22. Silken Windhound vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  23. Silken Windhound vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  24. Silken Windhound vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  25. Silken Windhound vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Great Dane vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Great Dane vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Great Dane vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Great Dane vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Great Dane vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Great Dane vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Great Dane vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Great Dane vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Great Dane vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Great Dane vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Great Dane vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Great Dane vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Great Dane vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Great Dane vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Great Dane vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Great Dane vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Great Dane vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Great Dane vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Great Dane vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Great Dane vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Great Dane vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Great Dane vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Great Dane vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Great Dane vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Great Dane vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison