What is going on in the Dainty Acres training studio
GCH Dainty's Big Red RI CGC TKN is OFA CHIC certified!!!
May 27, 2026 - GCH Dainty's Big Red RI CGC TKN is OFA CHIC certified!!!
We still have some spots open for live coverage with GCH Dainty's Big Red RI CGC TKN with an approved partner. Redmond is a 7 year old Italian Greyhound sire that is CHIC certified with OFA and a proven producer.
CHIC is a title that pure bred dogs can carry if they pass the breed recommended tests listed on the OFA website. He passed his Thyroid, Eye, Patella, Hips and FEH. OFA (The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) manages a database of canine health results for breed related genetic disorders. A popular site for 4H and FFA for managing the health tests of champion breeding stock. OFA has determined Italian Greyhounds are prone to genetic eye disorders, Hip Dysplasia and Patellar Luxation. As a responsible breeder, it makes sense to use all the tools available to pick and pass on the best quality. DNA testing is another tool we use through UC Davis, and all those results are posted on the public OFA site as well as some other breeder research sites.
In my opinion, good health is the most important quality to pass on. I want a long, healthy and loving life for all of my pups. A few of my pups will make it into the show ring or as a service dog. Maybe one will get to be a breeding partner. But all of my pups will be someone's loving pet.
#DaintyAcresItalianGreyhounds
#ItalianGreyhoundBreeder
#AKCBreederofMerit
By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas
Amaylas Machiato x CH Infiniti Cashmere Pose for a Champion Photo
March 27, 2026 - This photo is one of my favorites and it is also my favorite AKC Dog Show memory, Amaylas Machiato x CH Infiniti Cashmere on Melia's Trophy table for our Championship win.
As of today these two are the proud producers of 1 Grand Champion, 2 Champions and 4 title holders. These two have amazing brains, bods and athleticism. Here at Dainty Acres, all of our pups are pets, and may one day go off to live with a special fur-family. We may have a few that have what it takes to enter the showring and win. Even fewer will go on to become champions. Then there is that special pup that one day is selected into our breeding program. In making that decision, we monitor our pups health, we watch how they interact with others and we evaluate conformation as they grow. We cultivate relationships within our small Italian Greyhound breeder community. We test for diseases like Glaucoma, PRA, FEH and we use DNA testing for the available genetic markers. So A LOT goes into each breeding and every pup.
Each pup has a unique personality and we love meeting new fur-families as they search for their new fur-baby. We want to be a resource for that process. Italian Greyhound people are very special people, not everyone can handle the clingy, needy co-dependent nature of an Italian Greyhound. IG owners have wardrobes with tiny Iggy cloths and leashes that match, and are un-afraid to snuggle with their fur-baby in public. And they make great service dogs too! All our pups stay here at our place for 8 months as they go through our basic service dog training and to be evaluated for their future specialty. This breed is especially good for the mobility disabilities, as they are small, nimble, agile, smart, adaptable and food motivated.
#DaintyAcresItalianGreyhounds
#ItalianGreyhoundBreeder
#AKCBreederofMerit
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By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas
Genetic Programming through Selective Breeding of the Italian Greyhound
"Breed Character attributes, coat and work ethic; 98% of people showing miss all this." Eric Salas
Selective Breeding or "Artificial Selection" "is an evolutionary process in which humans consciously select for or against particular features..." UC Berkeley Museum of Paleontology June 2020.
The goal of selective dog breeding is to pass on to future generations a pure bred dog, with selected qualities that a breeder feels are important to the future of that pure bred dog. To preserve the original purpose and type of the breed. Stephanie Hunt-Crowley wrote about pure bred dog breeders that there are 3 types of Preservation Breeders. Breeders who follow the AKC rules, Breeders who believe in the ancient and original Preservation of the breed and those that want to preserve a rare breed. I have my own definition of a Preservation Breeder, and I put health first. I believe sticking with the original breed character of the dog's mind and heart are second most important. And third is conformation. All are important! But I won't breed a beautiful carrier of disease. "Conformation" is spelled out in the IGCA Breed Standard. As a member of the AKC Italian Greyhound and the Toy Breed Group, I am selecting breeding pairs based on health, temperament and conformation. That means studying old lines, researching current lines and observing the offspring of these great old lines and seeing who has great health, mind and body and a pedigree diverse enough to not throw a health defect. Healthy and happy comes ahead of beauty. All my puppies become pets, some will show, but only a few will breed in my Dainty Acres line. I want the Judges, spectators and breeders to see a healthy, happy and well put together dog on the end of my lead.
#EricSalasWorkshops
#DaintyAcresItalianGreyhounds
#DaintysCashmereBeret
Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel @ItalianGreyhounds
By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas
Food Drive
Food Drive: "Build a "Food Drive" by holding the food bowl when puppies are 8 weeks." Kent Boyles
When the garbage man comes or there's a squirrel in a tree, my husband plays with the pups and says, "Watch it!" Little did we know he would be teaching an Eric Salas verbal sign! "Watch-It" has been very helpful at showing off my dog's focus as well as triggering expression. Bexar is in the ring with me, and he has heard "Watch-It" all his life. He is rusty on his show ring moves, but nailing the "Watch-It"!
#DaintysCashmereStetson
#EricSalasWorkshops
Italian Greyhound Practicing on the Judge's Table
Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel @ItalianGreyhounds!!! If you like what you see please punch the "like" button and SUBSCRIBE, and thank you for watching! Today in the Dainty Acres training studio we are adding a little fun to the 3 times a day Head-Straight thing we have been doing all month. The fun starts as soon as we get into the training studio, but the training starts as soon as we touch the yellow target. At the yellow target I am asking CH Dainty's Big Red for a "touch", and a "stay". My goal this month is to get my dogs comfortable on the Judges Exam table so they stand still and allow strange hands on them. I have lowered my grooming table and set an Ottoman next to it, so they can have some fun on the way to the table. My verbal signs are are "touch" and "load-up", while I point to the places I want him to touch or jump up on. I am not worried about a perfect stack, I just want my pups to enjoy the journey to the edge of the table. They think it is fin, and I think I am training my dog. Win! Win! I have a target on the Judges Exam Table, that is where I want my dog to walk to and "touch". We do this 3 times a day, for just 3 minutes and always start and end with some fun.
Apply It:
#Touch #LoadUp #HeadStraight #EricSalasWorkshops #CHDaintysBigRed
"Mutual Respect, Admiration and Trust"
I'm adding R- for Respect, that way it plays into my R-A-T mantra. Respect, Admiration and Trust. And it's the most MOST important of all these assignments! R-A-Ting is mutual! It has to go both ways for a relationship to thrive. So mutual R-A-Ting means I seek out things she likes, and we do them together. She already knows what I want, we are in the ring doing what I want. But what does she want? She likes plastic water bottles, tossing bait, walks and swizzle sticks. Am I admiring her every move, expression and structure? Am I smiling at her and telling her how wonderful she is? Am I trusting her character? I can't expect her to be fabulous if I don't treat her as I expect to be treated.
#DaintysAcresItalianGreyhounds
#RATtest
#MutualR-A-Ting
Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel @ItalianGreyhounds
By Dana Taylor, owner, handler and small hobby breeder of Italian Greyhounds at her Dainty Acres Kennel in Spring Branch Texas