Whippet Dog Breed

Whippets are classified as sight hounds and have made names for themselves in the lure coursing and racing arenas as well; note, lure coursing is a humane replacement of the hare coursing for which they were renowned. There are many other desirable aspects of Whippets besides speed and hunting abilities; they are loving, affectionate companions that will always want to be in your lap, next to you or, at least, near you. They are excellent indoor dogs for families or individuals that have a house with a nice yard; if you are gone more frequently than you're at home, this is NOT the dog for you. Their low percentage of body fat makes them averse to cold temperatures and hard surfaces so if you don't want to share your home, furniture and bed with one--this is also NOT the breed for you. Whippets are not dangerous unless you happen to be a small, furry creature resembling a rabbit (yes, this includes cats). Here are some quick Whippet facts (pros and problems) to see how you match up with this breed:

PROS

• Makes an affectionate friend for gentle, well-behaved kids
• Affectionate, loving, will want to be with you 24/7
• Calm indoors, energetic outdoors
• Eye-catching looks
• Excels in sight hunting activities
• Speedy racing and coursing hound
• Great exercise buddy
• Lives well with other dogs
• Is not aggressive towards strangers
• Low maintenance grooming
• Fairly healthy and long-lived breed

CONS

• Not a watchdog or guard dog
• Not hypoallergenic, sheds regularly
• Does better in a home than apartment
• Cannot tolerate extremely cold temperatures
• Prefers to lounge on the bed and furniture
• Large yard highly recommended
• Daily outdoor exercise required (of an hour or more)
• Prone to separation anxiety, excessive greeting
• Not for owners who don't spend much time at home
• A Bully Whippet with two copies of the Myostatin mutated gene will be grotesquely muscles and unable to compete in club organized activities; this often causes no physical harm to them, though.

A Whippet is lightning fast with the elegant, graceful body of a sprinter. There is much more to this breed than the centuries of lure coursing and Whippet racing, running up to 35 miles per hour-- no, in him you will find a loving personality that cannot be beat. These dog are also eye catching with their muscular yet lithe silhouettes and deer-like faces. Below you'll find some basic Whippet information and breed info can also found in video form via Animal Planet's Dog's 101 Whippet episode.

1. Intelligence- Since this sight hound breed acts without direct commands from the hunter, they may seem independent or stubborn when it comes to training, however, with patience, praise, and treats you'll eventually get there. Impatience and anger will only hinder your Whippet's progress and hurt their sensitive feelings. Keep in mind, this breed retains a high prey drive and will need early socialization and training to not chase small critter (including cats) indoors and, especially, outdoors. The American Whippet Club also highly recommends training them to not excessively greet you or strangers and that this behavior can turn into an obsession and actual disorder!

2. Kids, Pets, Strangers- Whippets are velcro dogs that MUST be around the family and enjoy playing with kids outdoors. They are frequently caught in photos snuggling with children! Unfortunately, rambunctious and rough kids may cause them to hide. This breed certainly does not make for a good guard dog or watchdog since they don't bark and it is virtually unheard of to run across a stranger-aggressive Whippet. Finally, while this breed meshes pretty well with other dogs, they need immediate socialization to live peacefully with cats (if that's even enough).

3. Exercise- Hare coursing and Whippet racing in the UK quickly became popular "across the pond" here in the U.S. and, as such, the breed remains highly active outdoors; however, they are perfectly serene indoor dogs. Time to run outdoors, everyday, is mandatory so, unless you are an athletic runner, you will need a large yard (fenced). Taking them out on walks, hikes, trips to the dog park, etc. should be done in addition to the outdoor playtime. A bored, under-exercised Whippet can be destructive to themselves or your home.

The Whippets origins are thought to be in the English Greyhound, although Rat Terrier and Italian Greyhound were also said to have made appearances in the bloodlines, and mentions of the Whippet date back to the 1600s. They were not, themselves, recognized as a breed by the English Kennel Club until 1891. Prior to this time these dogs were utilized for hare coursing and later, when bloodsports became outlawed, snap-dog competitions were popular activities; these are events for gambling purposes saw Whippets being put into enclosures with multiple rabbits and the one that could snap up the most was the winner. Later, Whippet history entered the modern era where we mostly see them as racing dogs-- the handlers would stand at one end of a track waiving a rabbit skin and the dogs would sprint at lightning speeds until one crossed the finish line first. In fact, the breed earned several nicknames during these times including the "Poor man's Greyhound" and "Poor man's racehorse". These events now involve coursing of mechanized lures.

The Whippet was brought to America in the 1800s by English Mill Workers; racing them quickly became popular and they were recognized by the AKC by 1888. Meanwhile, across the pond the Duchess of Newcastle was able to gain recognition for the Whippet Club which sparked a large upswing in respect and popularity in their home country. Whippets have proven themselves as spectacular show dogs and all around champions due to their excellent temperaments and incredible physical abilities.

The overall outline of the Whippet is perfectly descriptive of a lightning fast sight hound. Individuals are lean muscled with elegant contour-- they are the epitome of graceful dogs. The back is long with a deep chest and defined tuck up. The Whippet's long, thin face is almost deer-like with her large round eyes set widely apart; she has an alert and inquisitive expression that is irresistibly adorable and somewhat goofy. Long, lean necks arch seamlessly into the bodies. The legs are straight and well-muscled lending to the appearance of a dog built for speed; Whippet paws are small with well defined toes and thick pads. Members of this breed have long/ tapered tails that they carry low, even when in action, and only slightly turns up.

Whippets have a short, fine coat that can be any color and may be multiple colors (usually a color plus white).

Whippets don't have many variations. Most often, the coat is short and close, in fact, long haired Whippets are disqualified from being shown in several Kennel Club competitions. Additionally, this breed comes in one size range (medium) and although there are probably breeders offering "Miniature Whippets", it's likely these are just small Whippets crossed with other undersized ones-- which may produce puppies that will experience poorer health over their lifetime.

The Whippet temperament is truly a pleasure to behold by anyone looking for a relatively active companion dog. As hillspet.com puts it-- they're small enough to cuddle but just large enough to be an exercise buddy. In fact, the calm, affectionate personality of the breed often causes them to be referred to as "velcro dogs" because they always want to be around you. Indoors (which is where he/she should live) they will be serene-- even couch potato like and you will often find them cuddled up next to (or on) their owners.

Barking is not at all a prominent Whippet characteristic-- they rarely do so unless it's to alert you to something necessary; this also means they are not good watchdogs or guard dogs. This breed can be aloof or friendly around strangers but is never aggressive. They enjoy children but, in the presence of a rough or rambunctious one, may prefer to hide.

Time alone is one thing the Whippet does not enjoy and it may cause anxiety in him/her. The Whippet's trait of dignity indoors will be replaced by enthusiastic athleticism when outdoors. A fenced yard is a necessity unless you plan to keep them leashed all of the time; they retain strong prey drives and can clear a block in the blink of an eye to chase a cat or small furry animal. Also, this breed can be a little mischievous and her propensity for jumping onto furniture and counters may result in you losing the snack you just prepared!

The Whippet is a fairly healthy purebred and often lives 12-15 years. Feeding them as directed, exercising them frequently and attending all regular vet checkups will ensure the best possible health for them. There are still a few health concerns to keep in mind when considering this breed:

• Sensitivity to anesthesia
• Sensitivity to some vaccines like Leptospirosis
• Heart problems such as murmurs, valve diseases, etc. that can progress to heart failure
• Hypothyroidism
• Addison's Disease
• Eye disease in the form of blindness, blurry vision or general aging problems
• Congenital deafness or Unilateral Hearing
• Von Willebrand's Disease involves blood clotting
• Arthritis and Spinal Cord problems (in old age)
• Cold intolerance (in old age)
• Cancer (in old age)
• Kidney Disease (in old age)

Keep in mind, this list contains common and rare issues; this is general information and it should not be assumed your pet will have all or even more than one of these concerns.

1. At it's fastest, a Whippet can reach 35 miles per hour and still be capable of making hairpin turns.
2. Whippets may be prone to excessive over-greeting; they will greet you with extreme enthusiasm whether you've been gone ten minutes or ten days!
3. When people refer to a Laguna Whippet they are referring to a strain originating from the British kennel Laguna and it's originating stud dog Ch. Laguna Ligonier. This strain previously had great influence, even in America, and has produced countless Champion show dogs.
4. Bully Whippets result from a Myostatin mutation (two copies of the mutated gene) that causes muscle to be created in excessive amounts; these dogs are disproportionate and not suitable for competition. There are also those that have one copy of the mutation that experience increased muscle that leads to better/faster athletic performance.