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I've had an office in a large humane society and the volunteers all have huge hearts, but not a huge amount of practical knowledge. If a dog is not a Labrador or a weenie dog, they probably can't identify it. As it is, they often misidentify Labradors.
They had an American Water Spaniel in there that was listed as a poodle. I told them it was a water spaniel and they insisted it was a poodle. I pulled rank and insisted not only was it a spaniel but that they look through the call sheets to see if anyone had called about a missing water spaniel.
What do you know, the owner had called every day for 3 days and had been told that there was no water spaniel in the pound and nothing that could be a water spaniel.
Just to mention, if you have a lost dog, go in and look in person. This was not any evil intentions on the part of the kennel help. They genuinely didn't know and were delighted to reunite the dog with his owner.
He thought she was a mutt because the shelter told him she was part Labrador and poodle. No way. She was a Silken Windhound. Absolutely. I told him to google it. How could a shelter not know? Aren't they supposed to be dog experts?
Hopes,
Please do encourage your friend to contact the breed rescue, or even a specific breeder who might be near him. The community of Silken Windhound owners and breeders is always concerned when one of these dogs ends up in a shelter or rescue outside of the breed club's own rescue organization. It happens only rarely, but it does happen.
By tapping into the Silken Windhound community, breeders and people well versed in the breed history can quickly identify the breeder and even the specific parents of his dog. Then he can get useful information - like whether his dog is clear (or at risk) regarding future health issues. The good news is that it's a pretty healthy breed, and what few issues they do have are extensively tested for. He can also find out if there are other people with Silkens near him. It's a whole new group of friends!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes
How could a shelter not know? Aren't they supposed to be dog experts?
Absolutely not. The workers are generally in two groups: people looking for any job to pay the bills, and people who simply like to help animals. Neither description involves actual expertise about breeds, or even general types of dogs. The majority I have met are kind-hearted people who want to help but don't have much actual knowledge. A few are animal geeks who know a lot, but they are relatively few.
What do you know, the owner had called every day for 3 days and had been told that there was no water spaniel in the pound and nothing that could be a water spaniel.
Just to mention, if you have a lost dog, go in and look in person. This was not any evil intentions on the part of the kennel help. They genuinely didn't know and were delighted to reunite the dog with his owner.
That's sad and frightening. Great advice to go look in person.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilkenOwner
Please do encourage your friend to contact the breed rescue, or even a specific breeder who might be near him. The community of Silken Windhound owners and breeders is always concerned when one of these dogs ends up in a shelter or rescue outside of the breed club's own rescue organization. It happens only rarely, but it does happen.
By tapping into the Silken Windhound community, breeders and people well versed in the breed history can quickly identify the breeder and even the specific parents of his dog. Then he can get useful information - like whether his dog is clear (or at risk) regarding future health issues. The good news is that it's a pretty healthy breed, and what few issues they do have are extensively tested for. He can also find out if there are other people with Silkens near him. It's a whole new group of friends!
I'll let her know, but I can't imagine how the community could figure out which Silken Windhound ended up in the kennel even by looking at the dog. Is it possible? Regardless, it would be a great benefit to tap into the community.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilkenOwner
Absolutely not. The workers are generally in two groups: people looking for any job to pay the bills, and people who simply like to help animals. Neither description involves actual expertise about breeds, or even general types of dogs. The majority I have met are kind-hearted people who want to help but don't have much actual knowledge. A few are animal geeks who know a lot, but they are relatively few.
You are making me feel like I should go volunteer. I'm not an animal geek, but I do know a lot. Most importantly, I know what I don't know and how to research it. Unfortunately, I'm too kind-hearted, and I wouldn't be able to endure seeing all the suffering on a constant basis.
By tapping into the Silken Windhound community, breeders and people well versed in the breed history can quickly identify the breeder and even the specific parents of his dog. Then he can get useful information - like whether his dog is clear (or at risk) regarding future health issues. The good news is that it's a pretty healthy breed, and what few issues they do have are extensively tested for. He can also find out if there are other people with Silkens near him. It's a whole new group of friends!
Ahem.
I echo the welcome; however, photos are de rigueur here!
........ I can't imagine how the community could figure out which Silken Windhound ended up in the kennel even by looking at the dog. Is it possible?........
Many pups from responsible breeders are microchipped before they leave for their new home. Some shelters are not as good about checking for chips as they should be. It's very rare, but sometimes chips migrate, or the shelter might not have a universal reader that identifies all brands of chips.
But, yes, a serious breeder can very often identify what kennel a dog has come from. If they are really serious, they can look at a dog and give you a very good guess about who the parent dogs are and what is in the pedigree.
Dogs do not all look alike to the people who care deeply about them.
To you, perhaps all Scottish Deerhounds look alike, but I could identify over 150 of them by name, breeder, and pedigree, and that's not including hundreds of them from the past.
I imported a Scottish Deerhound from Scotland and while in the USA, a breeder from Australia, who had never met me or the dog, walked up and said "You don't have to tell me that is an Ardkinglas". Then she said, that must be "*** and she named him exactly, complete with titles, and parentage.
To you he'd be a gray dog. To a Scottish Deerhoud fancier, he had an Ardkinglas head, Ardkinglas feet, an Ardkinglas coat. and an Ardkinglas body. He was Ardkinglas all the way down to the expression n his face.
Owning a Silken windhound I do know how tight the community is though Daz and I are not really a part of it as I do not show him or race him and until 3 yrs ago there was not even another one in this town unless the ones in San Luis Obispo were down here visiting relatives. Some breeders could tell me that Dazzle would be the first one in Santa Barbara and where the next ones lived in relation to me. When I had him a year and took him to the big silken event I even had people asking me is he was from such and such a breeder as they said they could tell by his beautiful head piece. The community is very responsible and interested with making sure the breed stays the healthy breed it is and that was one of the things that impressed me when I was considering the breed. I think when you get one you not only get a great dog but the support of the community if you so desire it and God forbid you have to give one up there are too many great options to end up dumping it at a shelter.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I wouldn't have know the different appearances of sight hounds, particularly Silken Windhounds, if Dashdog didn't share her pictures here. This ended up being useful knowledge yesterday when visiting a friend. He had a beautiful black and white Silken Windhound. He thought she was a mutt because the shelter told him she was part Labrador and poodle. No way. She was a Silken Windhound. Absolutely. I told him to google it. How could a shelter not know? Aren't they supposed to be dog experts?
They don't know.
I have frequently looked at the dogs they are offering and am amazed at some of the descriptions they come up with. People who work at animal shelters should have some kind of course on breed recognition.
Glad the Windhound got a good home. They are a very rare breed and expensive to buy. I wonder if there is someone who is missing their beautiful beloved dog.
I had never heard of the breed until reading Dashdog's posts so I'm not surprised that someone, probably a volunteer, at the shelter could not correctly ID the breed. At this point I believe that the AKC reconizes overr 150 breeds but some of them are rather rare in the USA.
I do agree that Lab/Poodle is way off.
A decade ago I shocked the heck out of a neighbor when on a walk with my dogs when I correctly identified her two dogs as Spinone Italiano. I was the first person she had ever encountered who recognized them in the 7 years she had owned them.
Just based on this photo what would you have assumed them to be?
I love Spinonis! I have two friends with them and have shared hotel rooms with them at shows. Great dogs!
I was walking on a path along the Thames during our last trip to England. I pointed to a dog and told my husband "Look! A Petite Brussels Griffon Vandeen!" The owner smile and said that actually he was a Grande but he was still impressed!
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Hopes' Friend - Lab/Poodle or Silken Windhound?
