MyDogBreeds
Silken Windhound is originated from United States but Akita is originated from Japan. Silken Windhound may grow 10 cm / 3 inches shorter than Akita. Silken Windhound may weigh 34 kg / 74 pounds lesser than Akita. Silken Windhound may live 3 years more than Akita. Silken Windhound may have less litter size than Akita. Both Silken Windhound and Akita requires Low maintenance.
The 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.
Akita is a very old breed. The first information originates back in the 1600s. Akita was a royalty guard and a hunting dog. They were popular because of their bravery. Akita even attacked bears. Helen Keller brought the first Akita to America. She admired the breed because of the famous Hachiko, a dog that was known for his loyalty. Today, Akita is a popular dog in the whole world. They are lovely family pets, and if train properly they will be adorable part of any family.
The 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.
Akita’s average weight is 34-54kg, while their height is 58-66cm. Females are smaller than males.
Lifespan variates from dog to dog but an average lifespan of Akita is 11-15 years. However, if you take care of your dog with a proper diet and regular vet checks they can live longer than average.
Litter Size of Akita is 7-8 puppies, but again, litter size variates because of dog’s genetics.
Other Names for Akita are Akita-Inu and Japanese Akita.
1. Children friendliness – they are great with children and would romp with them all day.
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.
Akita is a very elegant breed. They are very strong and fast, so they had been excellent guards. They sometimes can be stubborn, but they are very loyal to the family. Akita has tendencies to be aggressive to other dogs. Because of their dominant character, they can be especially aggressive towards the same sex. They are the best for one-dog houses. With family, they are very loving and gentle. The best way to train Akita is by positive training with awards. The old-fashioned way like punishing is not recommendable. Constant and firm training is important, so if you are first time owner, it might be a big challenge. If you are first time owner, consider advising with a trainer who knows the breed.
Akita loves to be around family and to be included in family activities. They do not need a lot of activity, but daily routines of one-hour walks or jogging would be ideal for Akita. Visiting parks for dogs is not a good idea because of aggressive attitude towards other animals. If Akita does not have activities they can get bored, and you do not want bored Akita. When bored they start barking, digging, chewing, and sometimes even aggressive. Overall, they are very loving and gentle dogs who love to be around family and enjoy activities. But, they also need proper care and attention which require time and patience.
Most 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:
Akita is a very healthy breed in general. Nevertheless, almost as every breed, Akita can develop health issues. Hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, Progressive retinal atrophy are some of the issues Akita might have. Although, if you give your puppy Akita necessary vitamins, with a healthy diet and regular vet checks, it will a very happy and healthy dog. It is also important to know the genetics of your dog, so carefully choosing a puppy is very important.
1.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.
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.
It is always important to adjust feeding to size, activity age and built. Dogs who are bigger and have more activity will need more food. For an average Akita 3-5 cups of dry high-quality food, divided into 2 meals will be enough. They also love to eat vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and fruits like apples, oranges, watermelon, etc.
Akita puppy should have more meals per day plus additional calcium and vitamins. 3-5 meals per day would be an ideal for a puppy. It is a perfect way to develop your puppy into a healthy adult dog.
Grooming Akita is not the worst, but it will require some work. They have a double coat, but they are shedding a lot. Occasional vacuuming will be a new habit that every Akita owner needs. They shed 2-3 times per year, so it is not very bad. When it not shedding, everyday brushing would be a perfect way to groom your Akita.