It is always an exciting time to get a new canine companion. With so many breeds to choose from, it is worth taking the time to learn about any prospective breed and how they might fit into your family and life. Whippets are a popular breed in the UK, so what are they like as pets and what kind of household would they suit?
The Whippet
Whippets are a medium-sized sighthound originating in England in the 1700s. There are, however, records of a similar (likely related or ancestral) breed much further back than that. Whippets are sprinters by nature and this speed and smaller size compared to the greyhound, made them ideal for hunting small prey and coursing. They were later used for commercial racing as a more affordable option to keep than greyhounds for lower income workers. They are the fastest breed of their size group and can reach speeds up to 35 miles per hour.
The modern whippet weighs around 12 – 15kg for females and 14 – 18kg for males, and they grow to a height of 44 – 51cm at the shoulder. With a life expectancy of 12 – 15 years, owners can enjoy many years of companionship with a whippet if they stay healthy.
As with other racing dogs, they have a classic S-shaped torso created by a deep chest and a tucked up, narrow waistline. Their frame is complemented by long, delicate-looking limbs that are actually quite muscular. Many colour variations exist within the breed.
Whippets as Pets
Whippets are intelligent dogs that love human company so can be a great addition to a household. Although they can be shy with strangers, they are typically calm and docile dogs especially with good socialisation as a youngster. This makes them great for solo owners, couples and families. They are not a fan of noise and chaos though, so are better with older children that can respect boundaries and appreciate body language and behaviour signals.
They are often eager to please, although they can become overly attached to particular people in the family. This attachment can make them prone to anxiety when separated from their owners, so it is important to include time alone as part of their training and adjustment period after adopting one.
A bit of patience is necessary for training in general as they can be easily distracted due to their prey drive. This drive earns the need for caution with keeping cats or small mammals in the same household. They may be able to cohabit without concern if introduced to them as a youngster, but it would be wise to either not bring them into a household with these other pets, or to only allow interactions under strict observation.
Whippets don’t usually bark making them unlikely to be a disturbance for neighbours, but their love of humans and lack of vocal announcements mean they are not suitable as guard dogs or protectors. They do have a low maintenance coat due to the short nature of their fur which has a low level of shed.
As sighthounds, whippets need to be provided the opportunity to sprint and exercise daily. This can be in the form of a fenced garden attached to the property, but as whippets love the coziness of indoor living, they are well suited and adaptable to apartment living as long as they can be taken to an outdoor space where they can have a run. This makes them an excellent choice for both urban and rural homes.
As sprinters, they are not built for endurance, so multiple shorter bouts of exercise suits them better than singular long sessions. For owners that like to run, they can be good companions for interval training but are not suited for long distance runs. Agility classes can be a great way to burn off some of their energy.
Are Whippets ‘Wimps’?
There are some preconceptions around that whippets can be wimpy dogs. There are several reasons why this line of thinking has come about. Their tendency to gravitate towards certain individuals in the household or their clinginess with solo owners, can lead to anxious behaviours such as separation anxiety. This can manifest in destructive tendencies when left alone.
Anxious behaviour can be prevented with good socialisation as a puppy, and consistent training during their formative months. Their sensitive nature is better suited to gentle guidance methods rather than firm discipline. Crate training can be a useful adjunctive method to get them used to being on their own, and it is often advised by trainers and behaviourists to crate your whippet whilst they are alone at home to limit the ability to damage property. It is probably better to reconsider having a whippet if you expect to be away from them for long periods of the day.
Another reason some people think they are overly sensitive is their love of coziness and a dislike of the cold. Their short fur and slender, athletic body makes them sensitive to cold temperatures. As such, they should not be kennelled outdoors and need to be kept as inside pets. Although they are capable of lots of zoomies, they will also happily spend hours sleeping on a bed or couch. During colder weather, they will need a range of dog clothing to protect them from getting a chill when out on a walk.
Their short, light fur also reduces their skin protection. Like greyhounds, whippets are prone to getting scratched and grazed easily, resulting in open skin tears and the development of scars. These injuries may require vet visits to get stitched up or require home care. Their love of sprinting also puts them at risk of snapped nails and torn pads which can inflict pain and make walking uncomfortable. Being mindful of the vegetation around their running space and regularly checking their feet after exercise can help manage these issues.
Whippet Health
As with all breeds of dogs, whippets have some predisposition to certain health problems. This includes heart disease such as mitral valve disease (MVD). The mitral valve separates the left upper heart chamber (atria) from the left lower heart chamber (ventricle). MVD is typically associated with a thickened valve that is less capable of closing properly. This results in a poor seal between the chambers and results in blood leaking backwards instead of only moving forwards. Over time, this can lead to heart failure.
Whippets are also prone to a couple of eye conditions. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) causes premature loss of the light receptors at the back of the eye. This is an incurable condition that leads to night blindness initially, and then total blindness. PRA can also lead to cataracts which additionally impact vision, and can sometimes cause glaucoma, a painful condition due to increased pressure within the eye.
Similar to greyhounds, the low body fat of whippets, along with their metabolism, can make them sensitive to anaesthetics. This can make them go deeper under anaesthesia and take longer to recover. The knock-on effect of this is a compromised ability to regulate their body temperature, making them more prone to hypothermia (low body temperature) and malignant hyperthermia (a dangerously high body temperature). Although less of an issue now with modern anaesthtic drugs, if you have a whippet that needs surgery, your vet can talk through the risks and counter measures that they plan to take.
Another breed-related heritable condition is von Willebrand disease (vWD). This condition impacts the ability for blood clots to occur and can result in bleeding complications from even minor injuries or surgery. Other conditions linked to whippets include deafness, hip dysplasia (a condition where the hip joints don’t form correctly leading to joint laxity), and an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
If you are seriously considering getting a whippet as a pet, it is worth checking what pre-breeding screens the breeder is doing. It is possible to do genetic testing for vWD, and the parents can be assessed for their heart health, hearing and sight. A specific type of x-ray known as a PennHIP assessment can also be performed to assess the hip joints. These assessments may be performed at a GP veterinary clinic if suitably-certified vets are available or may require referral to a specialist clinic.
Once you have taken on the care of a whippet, it is important to get regular health checks to monitor for these conditions. Due to their frame, whippets are designed to be lean, so it is important to be mindful of their calorie intake to prevent them becoming overweight. This breed is also at increased risk of dental disease with often rapid production of tartar which leads onto gum disease and the pain of periodontitis (destruction of the structures around the tooth roots). Whippets should therefore be trained for daily tooth brushing while they are still young.
Conclusion
Whippets are a calm, medium-sized dog that is very adaptable to all types of homes and lifestyles as long as their need for daily exercise is met. Their love for human companionship makes them very receptive to time spent around people, although they love the quiet and coziness of a warm, relaxed household. Despite the preconception that they are ‘wimps’, with the right training and precautions, they can make great pets when their needs are catered for. As with all breeds, some health conditions should be considered, and it is worth looking into what screening tests the breeder has performed. Once you have made the decision to bring one into your household, your veterinary team can assist with any health needs or monitoring that your whippet might need across their lifetime.
Further Reading:
Is a Whippet right for me? – Whippet Breed Council
Breed Health – Whippet Breed Council
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