Whippet
A medium-sized, affectionate sighthound: lightning fast outdoors, quiet and cuddly indoors.
At a glance
- Size
- Medium
- Height at the withers
- Males 47–51 cm · Females 44–47 cm
- Weight
- Males 12–18 kg · Females 10–15 kg
- Life expectancy
- 12–15 years
- Exercise
- 45–90 min a day
- Grooming
- Once a week
- Coat
- Smooth, short
- Colours
- Most colours
- Bred for
- Hunting by sight, Companionship
- Country of origin
- United Kingdom
- FCI
- Group 10, no. 162 · Sighthounds
Breeders on Kuldo
- Kennel Vindhundegården (Odense, Fyn)
Living with the breed
| Affectionate with family | 5/5 – Very high |
|---|---|
| Good with children | 4/5 – High |
| Good with other dogs | 4/5 – High |
| Good with cats | 2/5 – Low |
| Open to strangers | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Energy | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Playfulness | 4/5 – High |
| Needs mental stimulation | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Easy to train | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Prey drive | 5/5 – Very high |
| Watchful and protective | 1/5 – Very low |
| Barking | 1/5 – Very low |
| Shedding | 2/5 – Low |
| Grooming effort | 1/5 – Very low |
| Drooling | 1/5 – Very low |
| Good for first-time owners | 4/5 – High |
| Suits apartment living | 4/5 – High |
| Adaptability | 4/5 – High |
| Copes with being alone | 2/5 – Low |
| Copes with heat | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Copes with cold | 1/5 – Very low |
Kuldo's own guidance from the breed's typical traits. Every dog is an individual, so talk to the breeder.
Is it the right breed for you?
Great if you …
- want a quiet, clean dog that enjoys cuddles
- can provide safe areas for free running
- live in a flat and still walk a lot
Think twice if you …
- have pet rabbits, guinea pigs or unfamiliar cats
- need reliable off-lead recall in open country
- live in a cold home without soft bedding
Care
Temperament
Gentle, affectionate and usually good-natured with people and dogs, the Whippet can be playful in bursts and then very calm. It is sensitive and does not cope well with harsh handling.
Exercise
A couple of walks a day plus regular off-lead running in a fenced area keep most Whippets happy. Lure coursing, racing and agility are popular outlets.
Grooming
The short coat needs only a weekly rub with a soft mitt and sheds lightly. A coat or jumper helps in cold, wet weather.
Training
Whippets learn well with positive methods and short sessions, but recall around fast-moving animals is a lifelong challenge.
Health
Whippets are a generally healthy breed, though heart murmurs from valve disease, some inherited eye conditions and deafness in mostly white dogs are seen. Ask the breeder for heart and eye results on the parents.
Health tests breeders usually do
- Heart
- Eye examination
- Hearing (BAER)
Ask the breeder to show you the parents' results.
About the breed
The Whippet developed in northern England in the 19th century, bred from small greyhounds and terrier-type dogs. Working people raced them on straight tracks and used them to catch rabbits, and the breed earned the nickname 'poor man's racehorse'.
Today it is one of the easiest sighthounds to live with. It is gentle, clean and quiet in the house and loves warmth, blankets and close contact with its people. Outdoors it needs safe places to run, as it will chase anything that moves. Its thin coat and skin mean it feels the cold and can pick up small cuts.
Did you know?
In northern England Whippets were sometimes called 'snap dogs' for their skill at snapping up rabbits.