Whippets

Amazing first pets for families!

Whippets

Amazing first pets for families!

About

Whippets make wonderful first pets for a family and can be introduced to households that already have dogs, or that have young children. They are generally very affectionate with family and not too wary of strangers.

A healthy breed with few uncommon conditions that are handled well by breeders. Exercising Whippets well and checking their coat for injuries will keep them healthy and happy!

Originally bred to help with hunting, Whippets need a good amount of mental stimulation and can benefit greatly from enrichment activities.

Health

When compared with other breeds, Whippets have a low number of health issues and the most common issues generally still only affect a small number of dogs.

Some rare genetic conditions, such as issue with a Whippet’s eyes or congenital deafness, can be ruled out with testing before breeding.

Whippets are fairly active dogs and will need to be well exercised to remain in good health.

Mitral Valve Disease

Symptoms: heart murmur, low energy, weight loss, fainting

Resulting in issues with the heart’s Mitral Valve, this kind of disease makes a Whippet’s heart work much harder to pump blood around the body. Symptoms can be mild at first and will gradually get worse.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Symptoms: bumping into things, slow, cautious movements, physical changes to eyes

An uncommon issue that is dealt with well in the breeding process. Progressive eye issues will get worse over time and can lead to blindness.

Appearance

Whippets most often range in height between 45cm and 56cm.

A Whippet’s weight should ideally be between 11kg and 18kg, depending on their size.

Grooming Whippets isn’t too intense, and isn’t needed often as they shed very little and have soft smooth coats.

Unlike many other breeds, Whippets can have a wide range of recognised colours either as a single-colour coat or in a combination of colours.

These colours include: Black, Blue, Brindle, Cream, Fawn, Red, Silver, and White. In addition to single-colour coats, many combinations of colours are recognised in the Whippet breed standard.

Behaviour

Whippets make fantastic family pets! They are generally very affectionate with family members, deal well with other dogs, and are gentle around small children.

Training a Whippet can take some time but starting positive training early can help to reinforce good behaviour. Whippets are clever and can learn more complex commands but this will require patience.

Not known to bark much at all, Whippets may bark when bored or in need.

Friendly with Children

Friendly with Dogs

Suited to Compact Living

Happy with Strangers