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Entry 294Filed under Breeding

Silken Windhound vs. Whippet: Coat, Grooming, and Appearance Differences

Silken Windhounds have a moderately long, silky coat with feathering; Whippets have a fine, short, close coat. Learn how grooming, outline, height, and color compare.
3-minute read By Animalso Team
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The clearest difference between a Silken Windhound and a Whippet is the coat: Silkens have a moderately long, silky coat with feathering, while Whippets have a fine, short, close coat. Both are sleek, athletic sighthounds, and their height ranges overlap, so coat—not size or color—is the more useful visual clue.

What is the difference between a Silken Windhound and a Whippet?

Feature Silken Windhound Whippet
Coat Moderately long, soft, and silky; it may be straight, slightly wavy, or curly. The UKC describes the breed as having “a moderately long, silky coat.” (UKC Silken Windhound standard) Fine, short, and close. The Royal Kennel Club standard describes the texture as “Fine, short, close in texture.” (Royal Kennel Club Whippet standard)
Feathering Longer hair appears on the backs of the forelegs, brisket, hindquarters, neck, and tail. (UKC Silken Windhound standard) The Royal Kennel Club standard specifies no tail feathering; the short coat gives the body a close-coated outline. (Royal Kennel Club Whippet standard)
Grooming guidance The standard favors a natural coat with minimal trimming and says not to trim the feathering framing the ears and face. (UKC Silken Windhound standard) AKC guidance says weekly brushing and an occasional bath are generally sufficient. (AKC Whippet breed guidance)
Height context The International Silken Windhound Society (ISWS) gives an accepted range of 18.5–23.5 inches at the withers. (ISWS standard) The American Whippet Club’s AKC standard gives ideal heights of 19–22 inches for dogs and 18–21 inches for bitches. (American Whippet Club breed standard)
Color All colors and markings are accepted by the ISWS standard. (ISWS standard) The AKC standard permits any color or markings. (American Whippet Club breed standard)

How can you tell a Silken Windhound from a Whippet?

Look at the coat and outline

A Silken’s longer coat and regional feathering soften the outline, especially around the legs, chest, hindquarters, neck, and tail. A Whippet’s short, close coat leaves the body’s streamlined shape more exposed. A Silken should not look woolly or so heavily coated that the outline is obscured or movement is hindered; the UKC standard calls for a moderate, functional coat. (UKC Silken Windhound standard)

Use height only as supporting evidence

The published ranges overlap: the ISWS accepted range for Silkens is 18.5–23.5 inches at the withers, while the American Whippet Club’s AKC standard lists ideal heights of 19–22 inches for dogs and 18–21 inches for bitches. These are standards, not a guarantee of an individual dog’s height. The Whippet figures come from a standard approved 9 October 2007 and effective 1 January 2008; the ISWS standard page was checked in 2026. (ISWS standard; American Whippet Club breed standard)

Do not rely on color

Color is not a dependable shortcut for distinguishing the breeds: both standards allow broad color and marking variation. (ISWS standard; American Whippet Club breed standard)

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Do Silken Windhounds need more grooming than Whippets?

The available breed guidance describes different coat care, but does not establish a direct comparison of time or effort. The Silken standard emphasizes maintaining a natural coat with minimal trimming; AKC guidance for Whippets says weekly brushing and an occasional bath are generally sufficient. That supports the practical distinction that a Silken’s longer feathering needs management, while a Whippet’s short coat has modest routine upkeep. It does not establish a particular Silken brushing frequency, bathing schedule, or professional grooming interval.

Silken Windhound: preserve the natural feathering

Keep the coat natural rather than sculpted. In particular, the UKC standard says the feathering that frames the ears and face should not be trimmed. A basic grooming comb is an optional, reasonable aid for working through longer feathering, but it is not a breed-club recommendation. (UKC Silken Windhound standard)

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Whippet: simple short-coat care

For Whippets, the AKC describes weekly brushing and an occasional bath as generally sufficient for the short, smooth coat. (AKC Whippet breed guidance)

Do Whippets have long hair or feathering?

Whippets have a fine, short, close coat, not the moderately long coat of a Silken Windhound. The Royal Kennel Club’s UK standard explicitly specifies no tail feathering. Silkens, by contrast, have longer feathering in several regions, including the tail. (Royal Kennel Club Whippet standard; UKC Silken Windhound standard)

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Which visual clue is most useful?

  • Choose coat first: moderate silky length and feathering point toward a Silken; a fine, short, close coat points toward a Whippet.
  • Check the tail: the Royal Kennel Club Whippet standard calls for no tail feathering, whereas Silken Windhounds have tail feathering.
  • Treat height and color as weak clues: the published height ranges overlap, and both standards permit broad color variation.

The standards cited here come from U.S. UKC, ISWS, AKC/American Whippet Club materials and the Royal Kennel Club’s UK Whippet standard, which was last updated 1 April 2025. Measurement conventions and standard details can vary by issuing organization. (Royal Kennel Club Whippet standard)

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