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Whippet

playful / affectionate / calm
Hound Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

19-22 inches (male)

18-21 inches (female)

Weight

25-40 pounds

Life Expectancy

12-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    60% 60%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    80% 80%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The ‘Poor Man’s Racehorse,’ the sleek, endearing Whippet, is incredibly swift. He is a kind, respectable, and kind man, but give him something to pursue, and he becomes all business. The Whippet breed is known for its sleek grace. The Whippet resembles a Greyhound but is smaller, measuring between 18 and 22 inches at the shoulder. The Whippet has the typical sighthound “inverted S” lines. A vision of an athletic, quick-footed person is created by the deep chest and trim waist, a narrow head supported by a long, arched neck, and slim but strong legs. Whippets prefer stretching out and unwinding for extended periods of time in between bursts of furious pursuit, relishing the role of a devoted and adored companion.

 

As long as they have the required exercise, whippets do well in cozy apartments as well as a fenced-in yards. Whippets rarely bark, which is a benefit for city dwellers. Despite having an elegant appearance, the Whippet is a sturdy, low-maintenance breed of dog.

What To Expect When Caring For a Whippet

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Whippet breed's structure is not designed to support a lot of weight. A mature adult Whippet should not appear ribby but rather should have two to four visible vertebrae and the hipbones should not appear sunk into dimples of fat. Young Whippets may look gangly and struggle to keep their ribs covered throughout the period of rapid growth. To those used to larger-framed, less agile breeds, a Whippet at a healthy weight may appear "skinny," but keeping your Whippet at the right weight throughout his life will increase his lifespan and prevent many orthopedic issues that are both painful and expensive to fix. Breeders who are ethical check their animals for ailments like cardiac disease, hearing loss, and eye problems.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation
  • BAER Testing
  • Cardiac Exam

Grooming

Beyond routine weekly brushing and the occasional wash, the Whippet's short, smooth coat requires little upkeep. If the nails are not already worn down naturally, they should be regularly clipped as excessively long nails can be uncomfortable for the dog. The ears should also be checked frequently for infection.  

Exercise

Whippets are sprinters by nature, so enough activity could be several challenging ball or flying disc retrieving sessions per week, many walks, or playtime with another dog in a secure yard. When outside of a fence, keep your Whippet on a leash at all times. The breed's drive and athleticism can also find beneficial outlets in organized sports like lure-coursing and agility.  

Training

Whippets are peaceful indoors and save their energy for fast, furious runs, ideally in a big, securely fenced area. Due to their intelligence, agility, mischievous nature, and ability to jump and climb, young Whippets must be safely contained when left unattended. It is advised to socialize puppies early and enroll them in puppy training sessions to help them develop into well-mannered, well-adjusted adults.  

Nutrition

The Whippet should thrive on premium dog food, whether it is produced commercially or is made at home under the guidance and consent of your veterinarian. Whatever the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior), the diet should be suitable. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.  

History

The Greyhound has served as a model for sighthounds for thousands of years, and the mild-mannered Whippet is a highly successful member of this family of lightning-fast sprinters.

The history of The Whippet starts in Victorian England. On their days off, northern coal miners participated in sports like dog racing and rabbit hunting. However, they lacked the funds and space necessary to properly exercise or kennel large athletes like Greyhounds. Breeding a smaller Greyhound was the miners’ practical response. Although it is unknown which breeds were used to create the Whippet, it is obvious that the miners did a good job. The Whippet, one of their creations, is the quickest breed of its size and can run up to 35 mph.

The Whippet breed was known in its early years as the “Poor Man’s Racehorse” and the “Lightning Rag Dog” because of its propensity to pursue rags over straight courses in an early form of lure coursing. The term “whippet,” an old word that means “a small dog that yaps,” appears to be the source of the name Whippet.

Workers in the textile industry from Lancashire began flocking to New England by the turn of the 20th century. Their Whippets were among the homey touches they carried to the New World. The Whippet was an immediate hit in America, and just like in England, Whippet racing—whether for money or for pure enjoyment—became popular with individuals from all walks of life.