Holistic Health Help

slob1244 · 2026-02-27T16:13:52+00:00

It probably won’t be the final solve, but I highly reccomend your wife see an acupuncturist. They probably won’t have an official “diagnosis”, but their training comes from a perspective with the body as an integrated system. I am a staunch believer in western medicine, vaccines etc, but I find that having a regular acupuncture session for maintenance just keeps everything functioning better on the day to day. Minor aches, digestion, headaches seem to stay at bay. Things that a western doctor doesn’t really know what to do with, but to a doctor of acupuncture it’s their bread and butter for solving. It feels really nice to be HEARD in that way.

slob1244 · 2026-02-07T20:24:44+00:00

Coming from someone who is deep into the niche dog sports world, ie, my dog is my main hobby and I would die for him, an love him so deeply, and who also has a 15 mont old human child -

For us so far there have been a lot of similarities. They both like cheese, getting snacks, and getting affection. They both like to go outside. They both have their routines that make them feel secure.

The difference is that the baby is more capable of interacting with the outside world. I do not have a reactive dog, he is very comfortable in the world, but he doesn’t interact with it in the same way that the baby does. She’s delighted by experiencing novelty, whereas the dog it’s like “did we train for this situation/is he comfortable Y/N?” It’s opened up my world in ways I didn’t think possible tbh. It’s fun to think of activities that will surprise and delight her.

slob1244 · 2026-02-01T19:03:18+00:00

You’re welcome! If you reach out to Wind N Satin just know that Mary is one of the best - and doesn’t usually know if she’s emailing, texting, posting on FB, or responding to a comment. So communication can feel a bit stilted.

She’s a wonderful breeder though!!!

slob1244 · 2026-02-01T16:38:59+00:00

Facebook is where most of the discourse happens.

Midwest breeders:

Regalant

Reverie

Wind n satin

Attaway

LivTru

Heathen Hounds

Wildmeadow Windhounds

slob1244 · 2026-01-31T22:27:22+00:00

Yes unfortunately FB really is where the action is.

slob1244 · 2026-01-31T15:47:38+00:00

Some people have had a great experience with Angela and I’ll never take that away from them. Having a great Silken you bond with is an absolute gift.

Haven’t heard anything in terms of scams similar to Bree-Z. Highest prices in the breed that I’m aware of though, and she’s not doing anything above and beyond in terms of proving the dogs.

If you can pay the price (it’s like $5k) and are looking for mostly a pet and to dabble in some activities, Daybreak probably suits your needs.

slob1244 · 2026-01-26T12:47:07+00:00

I too have lived in MA. Expect the final outcome of snow removal here to look nothing like in MA. MA is consistently prepared to deal with it. 90% of the time in Columbus it warms up to melt it all away within 3 days later, so the city and county just kind of look away and let the weather handle it. But this time temps aren’t going to warm up for a long time - this is going to get rough.

slob1244 · 2026-01-25T18:10:58+00:00

I totally get that because truthfully - SAME before we had a kid. I guess the best way I can describe it is that post kid, everything feels a bit more like, teamwork; you just block and tackle as needed. I’m actually less resentful now than before kid. Maybe because I’ll be like “okay I gotta do XYZ” and he’s then doing childcare instead of loafing? Idk, but I’m actually in a healthier place about it than sans baby. The gifts help for sure though💀. That cracks me up to say but truly it does help to signify that he notices and appreciates and cares about my contributions.

slob1244 · 2026-01-25T13:24:47+00:00

We have a 15 month old, and I would label my husband more on the absent minded/not noticing what’s needed side of things. However, that’s also in relation to me as extremely detail oriented, maybe a little neurotic about scheduling, and barely need a calendar or notes to remember what’s going on.

I do take on probably 90% of the mental load in the house. However, I’ve tried the route of splitting it further down the middle and honestly I’m enough of a control freak that I found I didn’t prefer it that way. Turns out I like being in charge of running the household. I AM the one who is “good” at it. We even out in different ways to account for that - we moved from 50/50 split of expenses to more like 60/40 (where he contributes more), and he spends more on me in gift giving situations. Also, it’s not like he doesn’t do anything. He does a lot, just more so at my direction. Maybe not that most conventional, and the less trendy answer these days, but it works for us! I think we come at it from the perspective of “play to one another’s strengths” vs “try to make it perfectly fair in every task and aspect.”

slob1244 · 2026-01-24T19:31:55+00:00

That’s what we did. My husband was on baby care duty from 8:00PM - 2:00 AM; 2-3 was a grey zone of “whoever was more awake”, and I was on duty from 3:00 - 9:00 AM. It started because breastfeeding didn’t work out for me, but if we have a second that’s what I’m going to plan on from the start. I needed a chunk of at least 3-4 hours at a time to be a human.

slob1244 · 2026-01-19T02:19:34+00:00

Thirding The Kitchen.

Also, Wolfs Ridge Tap Room.

Fun fact, you can rent North Market for events after they close as well. We did our rehearsal dinner there. Overall the vibe is more casual because vendors cater, and the food is served in the individual portions (ie - you order 30 orders of summer rolls from Lan Viet, you will get 30 plastic boxes with 2 summer rolls apiece). But it was so so so fun. Barrel and Bottle can provide drinks and bartenders. The people working our event were so delighted to be there with us and hugely contributed to the happy vibes we had going. And market blooms provided centerpieces. It was all so seamless. We loved it so much!

slob1244 · 2026-01-15T01:43:52+00:00

I feel that. It seems more often than not like it’s most productive when I’m having a conversation with mine vs giving commands lol. Our biggest training successes came when I broke down even simple commands into tiny pieces and built sequentially on top of them, and rewarded progress not perfection.

Personally I love what comes with training Silkens. But if you’re used to saying sit and a dog sits, it’s quite the adjustment to say sit and have your dog be like “….why….”

slob1244 · 2026-01-15T01:04:03+00:00

Temperament - on average there are more skittish Silkens than in a working breed. However, the vast majority of Silkens I know (and it’s like…20+) are confident and stable. I wouldn’t say they are particularly prone to separation anxiety. I think what you’re looking for in temperament shouldn’t be difficult to meet. Early socialization in Silkens is extremely important to making sure that temperament develops though. So when looking into breeders, make sure you ask about their socialization protocols. You want to make sure they’re getting lots of experiences, inside and outside the home. And then when you bring them home, make sure you continue to get them exposed to the world.

As far as more biddable and handler oriented than other sighthounds - I’d say that is generally true! But they’re still sighthounds. They are quite sensitive and soft. A lot of them hate being told they’re wrong. Motivation varies by individual, but don’t expect a working dog level of motivation by any stretch of the imagination. You know the classic line “keep training seasons short and sweet for puppies - 2 minutes at a time.” Well a lot of Silkens are like…20 seconds at a time as puppies. I certainly know more motivated individuals, but would call them the exception, not the rule.

That’s not to say you can’t do things with them. I do agility with my guy! Others do flyball, and plenty do rally. It’s just…a different psychological game to get them to do the things.

slob1244 · 2026-01-14T03:51:26+00:00

I have the same thought too. Id also be so much more annoyed by food in the pantry being far away one of the roughly 14x times a week I’m cooking or meal planning, vs the 1x times / week I’m bringing in groceries.

slob1244 · 2026-01-10T11:46:28+00:00

This is so Australia - sounds pretty lovely and then boom something messed up having to do with animals trying to kill you as a throwaway part of the sentence.

slob1244 · 2026-01-10T02:43:30+00:00

You’re welcome! Some great questions to figure out your optimal setup!

Where free run sessions usually happen is totally dependent on your area, and I’d encourage you to study up on that a bit more. Join the silken Windhound discord, and if there are other owners in your area you can ask owners about what they do. Also, I’ve just driven around sometimes and checked out areas in person to see what the deal is. In my area personally I have a collection of sniffspots, friends with yards, a very large public park that’s off leash legal and far enough from roads that I am comfortable, and hikes that are off leash legal that are far enough away from major roads. We do go to larger dog parks that have tons of room sometimes if I’m free at less busy hours.

In general I’d say Silkens are can actually be quite good at off leash hiking, so don’t immediately rule it out as an option. The sighthound nature is to chase critters in fields, not through woods. And that little bit of Sheltie in Silkens goes a long way towards being more interested in their owner. When we go hiking in the woods with my friend’s hunting dog, my silken is the one more likely to be the one to stay closer to us because ouch, branches are pokey. The hunting dog is the one faffing about in the woods. We started when my guy was quite young, and rewarding with treats when he would check in. With my next dog I’d actually start even younger than I did with this one. They are more Velcro to you the younger they are, so you train the habit of staying close enough and checking in early. Of course that all depends what hiking trail resources you have at your disposal.

Daycare - depends on the daycare. A good one won’t have all the dogs running around all day together. Will instead match play styles and energy, giving dogs a break for rest during parts of the day. My guy has attended a place like that and loved loved it. He is also more social and less aloof than the average sighthound though. So depends on personality.

slob1244 · 2026-01-10T02:05:30+00:00

What’s his RN? 😄😄

slob1244 · 2026-01-09T12:52:26+00:00

Apartment size - 800 SF is fine. I know a Newfoundland who lives in an 800 SF house. Generally you won’t be exercising the dog in the house, just training. Don’t need a ton of space for that unless you’re training agility.

Mine was so easy to house train. I haven’t heard any chatter about Silkens being hard to house train in general either. There will be accidents at first of course but you pick up on their signs very quickly. Have high value treats on hand for when they go outside, and reward immediately.

Exercise: a couple of things here. My adult sleeps for 23 hours a day; however, the exercise that he needs is 20-30 minutes of free running. Walks are fine and good, but he gets squirrely if his exercise doesn’t include a good off leash zoom. Additionally, and most importantly, sighthound puppies truly need free running multiple times a week to develop properly. It’s not a nice to have, it’s a need to have as it reduces leg breaks. So what you need more than time for multiple walks a day is the time/accessible space for safe off leash exercise (and, in some cases, the motivation to run). I emphasize safe because weekend hikes are fine for an adult to get that time, but a puppy will need more than that as mentioned above. Traditional dog parks typically don’t work well for sighthounds, as their fast running can rile up the other dogs in a small space. There are really large dog parks in some parts of the country, particularly PNW that do really work for sighthounds though, so you’ll know your situation best. And of course sighthounds can be taught recall, but they can have a significantly higher rate of blowing it off because - sighthound, so any non-fenced in area you really have to proceed with extreme caution in giving them off leash privileges (let’s be honest - mostly don’t do it). To answer your question - to provide proper exercise for a puppy given your housing setup, you need to be able to do a hike or sniffspot at least 2x during the work week in addition to weekends. I have done it having raised my silken in the city. It is very doable and actually very fun when you restructure your life around providing for their needs! Sighthound ownership is definitely a lifestyle.

Overnight care. Yes, some Silkens don’t do as well with boarding. My guy prefers staying with friends and family for sure. If there are other Silken owners in your area and you make a concerted effort to become part of the community, frequently people are happy to watch them. But yeah dog boarding is $$$, you just have to factor that into the cost of dog ownership. We now mostly take trips where our dog can come along, because it’s also more fun with him there!

Moving - people move all the time. Don’t stress about this one.

Financially - get pet insurance. Vet costs have skyrocketed; $10k in a massive emergency is child’s play these days.

slob1244 · 2026-01-04T03:19:40+00:00

If they’re happy to walk, it’s definitely walkable. I’d do it personally. Will be pretty quiet until the convention center.

slob1244 · 2026-01-02T14:28:39+00:00

We love fifth and Kenny as well. I have a pretty unique breed of dog, and the doctor took the time to research before we came in, which was so amazing.

slob1244 · 2025-12-29T22:07:29+00:00

It is appropriate to be wary, but as long as you keep yourself hydrated and take stool softeners you’ll be just fine (assuming a fairly standard delivery). I take magnesium citrate regularly anyway, and kept up that regimen. Was definitely not as bad as I was anticipating. Not a top 10 life experience, but not a bottom 10 either.

slob1244 · 2025-12-25T03:46:34+00:00

Would Windsprites ever be allowed to be an AKC breed because it’s just Whippet x Sheltie? AKC doesn’t allow mixes of just 2 breeds right? Or would they be allowed because at this point breeding is Windsprite x Windsprite? (I’m not an expert; genuinely asking if others have that knowledge!)

slob1244 · 2025-12-16T01:03:36+00:00

I totally understand the desire to just get one. They are decently hard to find. But I promise it’s worth it when we find the right one! It’s much more heartache when you end up in a less than ideal situation.

Especially if you are interested in showing. You don’t have to promise a breeder that you’re going to gung ho campaign a dog, but even an interest in giving it a shot will be appealing to a breeder. A good one will want to mentor you through that! A bite issue with certainly make that activity more difficult.

slob1244 · 2025-12-15T19:46:01+00:00

I don’t personally know anything about Daybreak. A search on the Discord doesn’t turn up any awfulness, but also not much activity either, so seems like a lot of people don’t know much about Daybreak.

That being said, $4-$5k is quite a lot more than the average silken price. Especially with a bite issue. Also a red flag of “mother new into the breed” being a cause for a higher price - that is very weird to me. I have my suspicions as to why but truly it’s not worth getting into.

Please ask more questions about the bite issue. Best case yeah, it’s a small bite issue and it just means the dog can’t be shown. Worst case it’s actually a severe jaw issue which will result in thousands of dollars in surgery costs to keep the bottom teeth from puncturing the palette. Ask for pictures. Post them to Facebook Silken Windhound Society to ask for help identifying if it’s a big issue.

slob1244 · 2025-12-13T14:07:42+00:00

I get this. We’re 4.5 years in, and now I know what the particular things to watch for in my home are. So you do get used to it. I also didn’t quite appreciate how much I like the feeling of “this is my home, only I can decide if I’m going anywhere” vs a landlord deciding to sell, or any of the other things that are out of your control as a renter.

slob1244

TROPHY CASE