Pound for pound, Whippets are the fastest canine.
Whippet FAQs
How can I find out more information about whippets?
What activities can I do with a whippet?
Whippets in general can excel at all sorts of activities, including showing, racing, lure coursing, obedience, rally-o, agility, tracking, nosework, and flyball. Several Whippet owners also volunteer in animal-assisted therapy programs. A whippet is generally quite happy to go along with you and do the activities that you are interested in. Just remember that whippets are sighthounds, so their eyesight is quite keen, and this, coupled with the prey-drive of an efficient hunter, does not add up to make an off-leash everywhere dog. Misadventure with cars is the number one cause of accidental death for whippets, so please keep your companion on leash, except in a safe, fenced, and secure area, far from roads and cars.
Whippets are also great at snuggling with their owners and snoozing in all sorts of incredibly uncomfortable-looking positions. The more ways you can find to include your Whippet into your life, the happier both of you will be.
What activities can I do with a rescue whippet?
Rescue whippets can participate in almost any activity besides conformation (showing) and racing. To sign up for some of the events (including lure coursing, obedience, tracking, and AKC agility), you need to apply with the AKC for an PAL (Indefinite Listing Privilege) number, which involves sending in a short application form and two photos. Rescue whippets also excel at snuggling and napping!!
Why do so many Whippet owners have more than one Whippet?
Whippet owners say that whippets are like potato chips ("can't have just one")! Most whippet owners end up with a second one sooner or later. In addition, whippets are very attached to their owners and may have varying degrees of separation anxiety if they are left alone day after day. They tend to love other whippets, and do better being left at home during the day if they have a friend to keep them company.
Can I get a small brindle (or fawn, white, blue, etc.) female puppy through rescue?
Rescue whippets come in all shapes and sizes, colors and ages. Temperament, personality, and trainability are more important qualities than color when it comes to placing rescues and matching the right dog to the right home. We rarely ever get puppies into rescue, so if you have your heart set on a puppy, please contact a responsible breeder. You may want to check out our Breeder Listing service in order to find a good Bay Area/Northern California breeder.
I've heard that female (or male) dogs make better pets. Is this true for whippets?
There are devotees of each sex of whippet, however males and females really do make equally nice pets. Males are often more demonstratively affectionate than the girls, with the females being a bit more independent, but both sexes are loving, loyal companions. Most male whippets are not afflicted with those annoyingly "male" bad behaviors of marking and indiscriminate peeing, and the few that are bad boys in this department are usually the result of a lack of training, not an innate trait. Both males and females generally get along well with other dogs, with bitches occasionally being "bitchy" with other girls.
What are the behavioral and health problems peculiar to whippets?
Whippets are an incredibly healthy breed, with lives of up to fifiteen years plus not uncommon, and many whippets are hale and hearty up in to their midteens. Skin lacerations, sometimes nasty ones, can be a problem when a thin skinned dog comes up against another dog's teeth or pointy objects. Whippets are remarkably sturdy for their size, however, their tendency to run very fast and zig and zag at speed can lead to broken bones, and tendon and ligament injuries. A small perecentage of whippets have been afflicted with heart problems, with Mitral Valve Disease being the most common condition. Since there can be a hereditary component to heart disease, please be sure that the breeder of your whippet does the proper screening of their breeding animals for the conditons that can be tested for. There have also been some incidences of heriditary eye anomolies, such as lens luxation and PRA in the breed, so be sure that your breeder tests for these conditions as well. Most whippets love to bask in the sun, often lying flat as pancakes baking their brains out for lengths of time that seem deadly to we humans. Due to this sun worship, some whippets are afflicted with sun-exposure-induced skin tumors as they age. Some of these tumors are benign, and some can be cancerous, so it is always a good policy to get a vet opinion of any skin growth on a whippet and have them removed if possible.
On the behavioral front, it must always be remembered that the whippet is a sighthound, bred for centuries to chase game at speed, so they are not good off-lead dogs. Even the most obedient whippet can see a squirrel three blocks away, and if they are off-lead tragedy can occur before you can blink an eye. The breed was developed to have a close relationship with their pack mates as well as their owner, so they often do not do well as only dogs, if they are expected to spend a large part of each day home alone. A bored and lonely whippet can express their anxiety by destroying objects in their home or raising a ruckus which will upset the neighbors. A dog walker coming in at lunchtime, doggie daycare, or another canine companion can alleviate the worst of these issues for most whippets. "A tired whippet is a happy whippet" is a maxim to remember, especially with a younger dog, and sufficient exercise can alleviate a myriad of "behavioral problems".
WRAP (Whippet Rescue & Placement - our national Rescue organization) has an excellent FAQ page on their website. Read WRAPs Whippet FAQs.
- Come to one of the NCWFA events and meet the members and their whippets.
- Visit the American Whippet Club Home Page. Also, check out our Links Page for other whippet-related websites.
What activities can I do with a whippet?
Whippets in general can excel at all sorts of activities, including showing, racing, lure coursing, obedience, rally-o, agility, tracking, nosework, and flyball. Several Whippet owners also volunteer in animal-assisted therapy programs. A whippet is generally quite happy to go along with you and do the activities that you are interested in. Just remember that whippets are sighthounds, so their eyesight is quite keen, and this, coupled with the prey-drive of an efficient hunter, does not add up to make an off-leash everywhere dog. Misadventure with cars is the number one cause of accidental death for whippets, so please keep your companion on leash, except in a safe, fenced, and secure area, far from roads and cars.
Whippets are also great at snuggling with their owners and snoozing in all sorts of incredibly uncomfortable-looking positions. The more ways you can find to include your Whippet into your life, the happier both of you will be.
What activities can I do with a rescue whippet?
Rescue whippets can participate in almost any activity besides conformation (showing) and racing. To sign up for some of the events (including lure coursing, obedience, tracking, and AKC agility), you need to apply with the AKC for an PAL (Indefinite Listing Privilege) number, which involves sending in a short application form and two photos. Rescue whippets also excel at snuggling and napping!!
Why do so many Whippet owners have more than one Whippet?
Whippet owners say that whippets are like potato chips ("can't have just one")! Most whippet owners end up with a second one sooner or later. In addition, whippets are very attached to their owners and may have varying degrees of separation anxiety if they are left alone day after day. They tend to love other whippets, and do better being left at home during the day if they have a friend to keep them company.
Can I get a small brindle (or fawn, white, blue, etc.) female puppy through rescue?
Rescue whippets come in all shapes and sizes, colors and ages. Temperament, personality, and trainability are more important qualities than color when it comes to placing rescues and matching the right dog to the right home. We rarely ever get puppies into rescue, so if you have your heart set on a puppy, please contact a responsible breeder. You may want to check out our Breeder Listing service in order to find a good Bay Area/Northern California breeder.
I've heard that female (or male) dogs make better pets. Is this true for whippets?
There are devotees of each sex of whippet, however males and females really do make equally nice pets. Males are often more demonstratively affectionate than the girls, with the females being a bit more independent, but both sexes are loving, loyal companions. Most male whippets are not afflicted with those annoyingly "male" bad behaviors of marking and indiscriminate peeing, and the few that are bad boys in this department are usually the result of a lack of training, not an innate trait. Both males and females generally get along well with other dogs, with bitches occasionally being "bitchy" with other girls.
What are the behavioral and health problems peculiar to whippets?
Whippets are an incredibly healthy breed, with lives of up to fifiteen years plus not uncommon, and many whippets are hale and hearty up in to their midteens. Skin lacerations, sometimes nasty ones, can be a problem when a thin skinned dog comes up against another dog's teeth or pointy objects. Whippets are remarkably sturdy for their size, however, their tendency to run very fast and zig and zag at speed can lead to broken bones, and tendon and ligament injuries. A small perecentage of whippets have been afflicted with heart problems, with Mitral Valve Disease being the most common condition. Since there can be a hereditary component to heart disease, please be sure that the breeder of your whippet does the proper screening of their breeding animals for the conditons that can be tested for. There have also been some incidences of heriditary eye anomolies, such as lens luxation and PRA in the breed, so be sure that your breeder tests for these conditions as well. Most whippets love to bask in the sun, often lying flat as pancakes baking their brains out for lengths of time that seem deadly to we humans. Due to this sun worship, some whippets are afflicted with sun-exposure-induced skin tumors as they age. Some of these tumors are benign, and some can be cancerous, so it is always a good policy to get a vet opinion of any skin growth on a whippet and have them removed if possible.
On the behavioral front, it must always be remembered that the whippet is a sighthound, bred for centuries to chase game at speed, so they are not good off-lead dogs. Even the most obedient whippet can see a squirrel three blocks away, and if they are off-lead tragedy can occur before you can blink an eye. The breed was developed to have a close relationship with their pack mates as well as their owner, so they often do not do well as only dogs, if they are expected to spend a large part of each day home alone. A bored and lonely whippet can express their anxiety by destroying objects in their home or raising a ruckus which will upset the neighbors. A dog walker coming in at lunchtime, doggie daycare, or another canine companion can alleviate the worst of these issues for most whippets. "A tired whippet is a happy whippet" is a maxim to remember, especially with a younger dog, and sufficient exercise can alleviate a myriad of "behavioral problems".
WRAP (Whippet Rescue & Placement - our national Rescue organization) has an excellent FAQ page on their website. Read WRAPs Whippet FAQs.