About Whippets

The History of Whippets

Whippets were originally bread in Great Britain by crossing small Greyhounds and certain Terriers. The original purpose of the Whippet was to chase and capture small game. Today whippets are kept as family companions or run in races and often reach speeds of up to 55 km/h.

Temperament

Whippets are medium sized members of the Sighthound family and appear to be smaller versions of the Greyhound. They are very gentle animals, sensitive, affectionate and very calm when in the home. They do however have great stamina and energy when outdoors and encouraged to play. Whippets excel at coursing and their natural athletic talents and quick minds make them ideal for agility, flyball and disc dog competitions as well.

Whippets are trusting and unsuspecting in nature and hence do no make for ideal watch dogs as they are friendly to strangers. Whippets have a very short coat and little body fat. While this leads to low shedding it means in the Canadian climate they may need to be dressed in a warm coat in the winter if they will be out for any extended period of time.

Whippet Breed Health

The whippet breed is a generally healthy breed that can live for 12 to 15 years. They are not prone to ear infections, skin allergies, digestive problems, or Hip Dysplasia.

Standard Dog Training Tips

Puppies like to chew! Ensure you have plenty of dog toys for the first year they join your family to avoid having them chew furniture or objects that you do not want them to chew upon. If you have children's toys around the house you will want to keep an eye on your new dog to ensure they are chewing their dog toys. Whippets are particularly intelligent and will take their new toy to a private place to chew upon. All dogs will eventually grow out of their perpetual chewing phase.

House breaking a dog can be done easily with a crate. Your new pet will enjoy the privacy and safety that a crate will provide. It gives them a place to retreat to when your home becomes too stressful for your new puppy. You can also put your new pet in his or her crate when you are not home to prevent accidental soiling of your house. The crate becomes your pet's den and no animal will soil their own den. New stylish and safe alternatives to metal crates are fabric and canvas crates which provide a darker resting area for your new dog.