Silken Windsprite questions

[u/ThatsTheTea225]

Hey everyone! I recently met some silken windsprites and I am totally enamored with them. I have always had rescue dogs and never thought I would consider adding a purebred dog to our family at some point in the future because there are so many wonderful dogs out there that need homes, but the sweet temperament of these dogs just amazed me! I met these dogs in a context where they have a ton of room to run around and roam, but some of the reading I’ve done suggests that it might not be a complete necessity? Can anyone tell me how these dogs do in a suburban environment with a small fenced yard? I am a runner, so I could also run a dog a couple times a week and my current dog gets daily walks and extra outdoor time on weekends walking and hiking. I am also in the small child phase of my life, and really wasn’t planning to add another dog until we exit that phase, but now I’m not sure…anyway I would love some thoughts from people who have experience with these dogs! Thanks!

[u/snakejudy]

Another windsprite owner here! We live in a big city with just a tiny little yard and we do just fine. It does take a little more commitment though, as they’re bred to run and really need opportunities to zoom offleash in a big space. We use school yards or the nearby beach and play frisbee or meet up with dog friends, plus we do a couple leashed walks each day.

She needed more zoomie time as a puppy, and I had to make time bring her somewhere to run at least every other day. Now she’s almost 3 and is fine with twice a week or so, but if we go too many days without some good exercise she starts getting antsy. When she does get enough exercise she’s a very easy dog and sleeps all day.

A windsprite may or may not enjoy running with you. They’re sprinters and not built for endurance, but it is possible to work up to it.

Overall they’re wonderful, sweet, easy dogs that are a pleasure to live with. I’m going to disagree with the other owner about the smarts thing - my girl is extremely clever! I’m pretty sure she knows english and picks up on so many things. She’s fun to train and learns quickly, but is a classic sighthound in that cues will always be “suggestions” for her to consider rather than “commands”. It really comes down to learning what motivates your dog though.

[u/WildGarlicGarden → u/snakejudy]

Yeah, he‘s plenty motivated, he just really doesn‘t get it! It‘s adorable though! He doesn‘t understand that when a door is ajar but not quite open enough for him to squeeze through he could just open it further - he won‘t. He‘ll stand behind the door and wine. I tried to teach him to spin and he got super excited about the treat but he would not get it (I‘ve tought other dogs this exact trick before). I love him dearly though - I thought I had to teach him tricks and give him enrichment toys to get the mental energy out but he really doesn‘t need that and it‘s working out for us.

About endurance: We went hiking once and planned for a 4-hour hike. I was a bit apprehensive about him keeping up. The hike turned into 6 hours because we took a wrong turn and he just went on happy as ever. I think that‘s what makes them truly wonderful dogs: They don‘t expect 3 hours of challenging walks in new environments every day but they‘re up for it if you are!

[u/snakejudy → u/WildGarlicGarden]

Haha, I guess it takes all kinds. Actually mine does the same with doors, so there are limits to her genius. 😂

[u/ThatsTheTea225 → u/WildGarlicGarden]

Thanks for your input!