Dog Breeds > Whippet
The Whippet
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Fascinating Facts
The name Whippet was derived from the phrase “whip it”. They belong to the sight hound family. This breed came from careful mixture of Greyhound, Italian Greyhound and another terrier breed. In England, the Whippets are also dubbed as “the poor man’s racehorse” because it was used as the lower classes’ form of gambling and entertainment. The Whippets are excellent sprinters and can reach 37 miles per hour in a matter of seconds only.
Physical Appearance
The Whippets grow for about 19 – 22 inches and weighs about 25 – 45 pounds. They are medium sized dogs that greatly resemble the Greyhound. They have a long, wide and lean skull. They have dark brown, black and even dark blue nose. They have small, rosy ears that are folded and held back and gets curled up when they get excited. Their dark colored eyes are oval shaped.
They have straight legs and cat-like feet; its long tail pointing downwards. Their coats are free of offensive dog odor, smooth and short and it comes with all kinds of colors. They sometimes have bi-color or tri-color coats.
Grooming
The Whippets shiny and smooth coat can be maintained by rubbing damp chamois or rubber gloves. Regular brushing and removal of dead hair is also necessary to keep it smooth all the time.
Mood
The Whippet is an adaptable that has intelligent, sociable and gentle. They devoted pets and companions and will do fine with inexperienced owners. They like to have a run and play around for long stretch of time. These dogs love get the attention of their masters. They share the emotions of their masters and could be quite sensitive and timid sometimes. They are also the type of dogs that enjoy cuddling up with their owners and making themselves relaxed on the furniture.
The Whippets makes good watchdogs because they will bark when it senses that something or someone is approaching. Like other sight hounds the Whippet is very sensitive to touch, and should not be startled with unexpected physical contact.
With Children
The Whippet could easily get along well with children, but they are sensitive and should not be around with younger and unruly children that may rough handle him.
Training & Exercise
The Whippets require daily exercise, and the play area must be safe and secure because they are very agile and fast runners. They should not be unleashed on busy street and public places such as parks. If you are keeping one in your home, make sure that they have plenty of space to move around so that it would not get bored easily.
The Whippets are intelligent, eager to please, and quick learners that makes them easy to train. When reprimanding, it should be verbal because of their sensitive nature.
Health & Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of the Whippet is around 12 – 15 years. There lots of health problems to look out for with this breed. Cataracts, lens luxation, heart problems, SA, PRA, thyroid problems are few of the major illness that you should watch out for. This breed is also sensitive to chemicals and drugs.
The Whippets are sensitive to cold temperature because of their thin skin. They should be provided with thick sweaters in cold weather when making it sleep outdoors.
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