The Whippet

A lot of times when people look at a Whippet they tend to think that it is a fragile and nervous breed of dog. Nothing is further from the truth, the Whippet is a friendly outgoing dog that is a lot tougher than it looks

The Whippet is a mid-sized dog with males being 19-22 inches high at the shoulder and females being 18-21 inches at the shoulder. They come in a variety of colors, brindle, black, fawn, blue, brindle and white, red and white, fawn and white, black and white just to name a few. Females tend to be a little more independent, while the males tend to be more playful and loving. Whippets are a very loyal dog and become very attached to their owners, but they are very friendly to strangers. When strangers come some will bark and others won't, so they don't make the greatest guard dog.

Whippets, like all other dogs require a good quality dog food and plenty of fresh water. They require regular exercise, a good run 4 or more times a week. In the winter months, this may be harder to do depending on the area in which you live. Whippets are not outside dogs, due to their lack of coat and body fat, they are extremely sensitive and care must be taken so that they are not left outside in the cold for long periods of time. Care must be also taken in the summer months as Whippets can sunburn easily. Grooming is minimal, regular gentle brushing, nail trimming and the occasional bath is all that is generally required.

Whippets are one of the healthiest breeds of dogs around, with proper feeding, regular exercise and routine veterinary care a Whippet can live a long and happy life, it is not uncommon for Whippets to live well into their teens. They are not prone to a lot of ear infections, skin conditions, PRA, hip dysplasia, slipped stifles, and other genetic problems that plague a lot of other breeds. It is a good idea however to have your dogs eyes checked because eye problems have been found in the breed although they are still fairly uncommon.

Whippets like to be comfortable, they dislike lying on something that is hard and cold and prefer something that is soft and warm , so it is just about impossible to keep them off your furniture. They also like to curl up under the blankets with you, which is really nice on a cold winter's night. They tend to be couch potatoes most of the day, but will joyfully leave their beds for a good run.

Provide the Whippet puppy with plenty of chew toys, as Whippet puppies like most other puppies will chew on just about anything they can sink their teeth into. The chewing habit tends to disappear as they get older. Whippets can be very sneaky about taking things to chew on, so if your children have toys, they will have to learn to keep their toys out of puppies reach.

Whippets are housetrained fairly easily, but with all dogs supervision is required or accidents will happen. One item that aids in housetraining any dog, is a crate. A crate provides the dog with a safe place to be in, it becomes their den and even their wild cousins don't like to relieve themselves in their den. A crate also protects your home while you are away, that way nothing is destroyed when you return home and there won't be an unsightly mess in the middle of your living room carpet either.

Supervision is also required when your dog is outside, I have a had a 4 month old puppy escape from a 4 foot fence, by just hopping up, grabbing the top of the fence and pushing himself over and out. I have heard of others that can sail over the top of a 6 foot fence with no trouble at all, so it is not wise to leave your Whippet alone outside for long periods.

The Whippet is a very versatile breed, even though they love to sleep most of the time there are many activities that you and your dog can become involved in such as lure coursing, skijoring, agility, flyball, scent hurdling, obedience and many others.

If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to e-mail me and I will get back to you.