Over the years, I think many of us in Europe have learned that importing new blood is about much more than pedigrees, COI percentages, or DNA panels.

Those tools are valuable — but they are not the whole picture.

Some traits and problems simply cannot currently be DNA-tested away. They have to be followed through long-term observation of families, lines, and breeding outcomes across generations.

Things like:

…often require historical knowledge of lines, not just modern genetic reports.

And in an international breed like the Silken Windhound, this becomes even more important because cosmetic practices and different breeding traditions may hide or obscure information that later becomes relevant in countries where those practices are not permitted.

Rear dewclaws are one example many European breeders have now encountered unexpectedly, despite generations without visible dewclaws in Europe.

The same applies to certain reproductive or congenital issues that may only become visible years later, when lines are combined in new ways.

None of this means we should stop importing, or stop cooperating internationally.
Quite the opposite.

But it does mean that preserving and sharing long-term line knowledge matters enormously — especially in a small global population.

DNA testing is a tool.
COI is a tool.
Pedigrees are a tool.

But responsible breeding still depends heavily on honest historical knowledge, transparency, and breeders willing to discuss not only strengths, but also recurring weaknesses within lines.