​Laelaps is an aspiring Silken Windhound kennel based out of Decatur, Texas, USA. (North West area of DFW.) Our dogs are raised in our home with us and are first, and foremost, loved pets. We live on 5 acres where the dogs have plenty of room to stretch their legs.

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The name comes from Greek Mythology. Laelaps was the dog who never failed to catch his prey. 

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Our goal is to produce versatile dogs who are sound in body and mind.  We want to maintain the prey drive that our dogs exhibit --what defines a sighthound-- while also focusing on not losing the desire to work for praise, food, or toys --what separates this breed from most other sighthounds and first attracted us to the breed, as we're sure is the case for many other owners or potential owners. 

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Given our desire to produce dogs who can eagerly work for their owners, we will be striving to put heavy emphasis on nurturing handler focus in our puppies through engagement-building early on. 

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Kennel Owner

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My name is Angela Renee Isek and I work as a dog groomer in the DFW area. Dogs have been my passion for as long as I can remember and I knew my life would revolve around them in some way.

 

I was heartbroken when my childhood dog passed away and I begged for another. It would be years before my mother allowed a new dog into our home. I got my "fix" by volunteering for a rescue/sanctuary at their adoption days on Saturdays. I spent my free time reading about dogs, especially training, and put it to use trying to get dogs forever homes. After a year of seeing dogs come and go, I met a new dog in the back of the van unloading adoptable dogs into Petsmart. This dog was huddled up in the back of the crate, making herself as small as possible and avoiding eye contact. She was clearly terrified and wanted nothing to do with anyone. After being coerced out of the crate, we made our way inside. She perked up around the other dogs and I gained her trust with treats. For some reason, I knew she was the one. Her eyes spoke to me and that was it. 

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My new dog was named Kat by her rescuer and it just stuck, as it suited her. She was a scaredy cat, after all, and had very defined whiskers too. She opened up a whole new world for me, in putting my knowledge into action and gaining experience with a dog that needed some serious work. She went from nearly feral to social butterfly over time. The only unfortunate thing was timing. I acquired her when I was 15 and dependent. By the time I had my own transportation and money, she was in her senior years. Most sports were off the table but we gave lure coursing a try. She didn't seem to like straying so far from her "mom." Then we tried Barn Hunt. She qualified in all three of her entries, earning her Novice title. It took a little more effort but she went on to get her RATO before deciding 11 years is too old to care anymore! 

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With the dog sport bug having bitten me and facing the reality of Kat's passing around the corner, I decided I needed to look into getting a new dog to compete with and do all the things I never got to do with her. I researched and many of the breeds I was interested in, I feared would not cope well with my otherwise lazy lifestyle. I needed a dog who would be fine with lounging around most of the time but still be eager to train when I wanted. I had started to become fascinated with Border Whippets but still hesitated at the thought of Border Collie energy and intensity. That's when I started to see things about Silken Windhounds. I weighed the pros and cons of each and decided ultimately that I preferred to have a coated breed and one I could show in conformation. 

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I started to read as much as I could about the breed, talked to owners, joined Facebook groups, and attended a specialty to meet some Silkens in person. I knew that the only way I would actually decide this was my breed was if I met the perfect breeder, as I really felt at that point that there were many breeds I could be happy with but only if the breeder's program aligned with what I was looking for. Well, I did meet that breeder. Cathi Wester at Clayborn. How perfect was the timing; she had a litter that she thought would have the right puppy for me. She matched me up with exactly what I desired and my life has changed. Athena was my perfect puppy. We got involved in showing, flyball, and barn hunt early on, then agility, and we took classes for just about everything before she was even 2. 

 

It wasn't long before puppy fever hit again. I went to Cathi for a second puppy. I wanted a little bit more of a "typical" Silken this time, as I thought --and still think!-- another naughty puppy might join forces with Athena and take over the world, ha. Enter Scylla. She really completed our home. She is Athena's playmate and loves to cuddle with the other dogs too --when she's not on MY lap, of course, as she is right now. 

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As time went on, showing really became our main focus. We also attended every LGRA, NOTRA and ASFA event we could. I did not think that the sighthound world of sports would dominate all breed competitions, given what I was wanting when I sought out my ideal dog, but I guess that's how I knew I loved the breed more than the fantasy of the perfect dog. I think I knew that this breed was exactly what I needed and that anything else would just not be the right fit.

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Falling in love with Silken Windhounds and becoming involved in the community, I started to take the idea of breeding a little more seriously. I researched pedigrees, structure, temperament, drive, genetics, puppy rearing, etc. I knew that starting my own program was meant to be.

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