Is there down-side to owning a Whippet?

Answer 1

I love whippets, but how suitable they are for you depends on your life style. Whippets are lovely, affectionate, docile dogs which need minimal grooming, but they are quite energetic, so you need to make sure you're able to give them enough exercise.

While it's true that sighthounds have a tendency to have a high prey drive, it's not true that none of them can never ever be let off the lead. All dogs are individuals; some are less "keen" (inclined to chase) than others. If you get a whippet, you need to learn about its individual personality and it's tendency to chase, and make your judgment based on that. Of course you also have to train a careful recall but the same is true of any breed of dog. I have owned a greyhound, a saluki, and a currently own a whippet cross, and all have been fine off the lead. Sighthounds are very into their food, so this is a great motivator for teaching recall.

Edit: "Any sighthound who does not have prey drive like that is not a good sighthound"

It depends why you want one. You may use your dogs for coursing, MJ, but if you want a pet sighthound, the "incorrect" temperament is the best choice. If breeders deliberatley select for dogs that can't be let off the lead, I suggest the OP goes to a rescue for their whippet and gets an "incorrect" one. Our greyhound, incidentally, was a very successful racer - I went to watch her win her last race before we took her home, and she won. After she settled in with us, she walked happily off the lead without a problem for the rest of her life. Of course there are some sighthounds that can't be let off the lead, but I do think people get too brainwashed by this idea and won't even try to train their sighthounds to recall - with the result that their dogs get shortchanged on exercise. The key is careful training. Lots of work with a long line and harness, and plenty of positive reinforcement.

(Incidentally, a "longdog" is any kind of sighthound/sighthound cross, not just an afghan/greyhound. My little Whippet cross is actually a longdog - her other half is Saluki!)

Answer 2

Owning A Whippet

Answer 3

I'm not sure about the temprement as mentioned above, i'm sure not long ago on a tv programme they were said to make good pets.

I think the Dog has an image problem, it's always been seen as the working mans dog and not really fashionable.
It's a very fickle world and these lovely dogs have suffered more from that than many others.

I think there are few people willing to take on a whippet because they think it's going to need masses of exercise but i don't think that's true either.

I hope a Whippet owner gives you an answer to put your fears to rest, it's about time that dogs like this and greyhounds didn't spend the end of their lives in a RSPCA cage just because of fashion.

Answer 4

oh no. There are a wonderful breed. silky soft to stroke, laid back, stunningly beautiful and elegant little dogs which are naturally obedient.They don't actually need a lot of excersize and are very happy with a quick run around the garden in the morning and a general potter about during the day. The rest of the time they are happy to curl up next to you and snooze. I've never met a bad one. The only small downside is that they do feel the cold like greyhounds as they have such thin fur. But that is easily solved by getting him a dog coat or doggy sweater.
Also they dislike being shouted at.
But otherwise, truly wonderful little dogs.
I would also like to add that I have fostered several for a local rescue centre and all have been 100% trustworthy off the lead and with my 12 cats and 6 small dogs.

Answer 5

Whippets are sighthounds. This means that a Whippet must ALWAYS be kept on a leash when not in a VERY secure yard. This means that if ANYONE irresponsible could EVER come over to your house and accidentally leave the front door open, or let the dog out front without a leash to go potty, or take him for a walk without a firm grasp on the leash, your whippet could be gone forever. This problem typically occurs when housesitters, visiting family/friends, or children under 15 get in the mix. A sighthound follows what it sees, no matter the consequences. This means they will run for 2 miles, at 30+MPH, after something then turn around and realize they are lost. This means they will run full speed into traffic to get the cat on the other side of the street.

Whippets are also people dogs. If you can't be home with your dog for the majority of the day, they will go insane. They are bred from Italian Greyhounds, Greyhounds, and Terriers, all of which are family dogs. If you work 8-10 hours a day, a whippet is not the dog for you. They are velcro dogs.

Whippets are also high in energy. While they can adapt to apartment life, they love to get out and show their famous speed. They can't be a part of an inactive lifestyle. With this high energy comes a mischevious side. They can easily jump on your counter, on your tables, and essentially any place that you wouldn't expect a dog. If your home is a pristine place, or this is a proble, they are not the right dog for you.

Whippets are a type of dog needs to be from a reputable breeder. Of course, all dogs need this, but because of their special attributes (small legs, fine bones, and other things) they are more suceptable to massive illnesses and injuries from poor breeding.

Whippets usually have a high prey drive. This means that if you have a cat or another small dog, they are more likely to hunt it and kill it. If you have loads of squirrels, birds, or cats that stupid neighbors leave outside, expect to find dead ones if their paths cross.

Whippets are not outdoor dogs. As mentioned earlier, they are family dogs, but also because of their coats and lack of body fat, they should not be kept outside. They should be let out for supervised potty breaks and exercise, but never left outside. Especially in cold weather.

Despite the bad information given here, Whippets typically are fine with kids. However, they can often be cat-like and aloof. And, they do not take lightly to tail pulling, being stepped on, and other nonsense. They like to have fun, but not at their expense. Some kids may be too loud or too non-animal friendly for whippets, but they are typically great family dogs.

Whippets can be difficult to housebreak and to train. If this is ANY type of problem, either rescue an older dog with known behaviour patterns, or consider another breed. This dog is not a lab, a herding dog, or other type of dog that will do everything that you say and live to please you.

I don't tell you any of this to keep you from getting a whippet, I just firmly belive that ANY dog should be researched before getting one. I'd hate to have you pay $1000 for one and then have it not meet your lifestyle. Both you and the dog will be miserable. Good luck to you! : )

Answer 6

This obviously needs further investigation. Please take him back to your vet (or seek a second opinion) asap. I can't believe a vet who would just they 'they don't know' if he has symptoms. And there's no point 'guessing' on here really. Hope he'll be okay - I don't think epilepsy, as such, is in Whippets, but fitting can be caused by any number of reasons. If this has happened before, there is reason to be concerned and I would, unfortunately, have to worry about a tumour.

Answer 7

A friend of mine has 3 and they are absolutely adorable!! She DOES let them off the lead when out on the common but only 2 at a time that way she has control of her 'pack', a lot of the time they are lead walked and are quite happy with that, they don't tend to like other breeds much, preferring their own kind/type IE.LONG DOGS as they are called, they do not need as much exercise as you think, but little and often is good, they don't bark much though they can and LOUDLY on occasion I have been visiting and 1 or all 3 will suddenly bark at something they have heard or seen and it's such a rare thing it scares the life out of you!!!! They are not aggressive.
So in answer to your question I would say NOPE!!

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Everything 'acceptance' posted is true and you can find the answers you need there.

I have had numerous breeds over the years and had Whippets for 10. I will always have Whippets and will probably never have another breed. They are absolutely wonderful! Sweet, sensitive, cuddley dogs. They are also very smart and will get into the most unbelievable things so you need to be vigilant. Also not very trainable and will have there own agenda which makes them a hard dog for some people to live with. You will need to have a sense of humor and be able to appreciate their personality. They will NOT follow your every command if they don't see the point, and if you are a person who expects a consistently obedient dog, this is not the breed for you. They are MUCH happier with another Whippet in the house, and most Whippet owners have more than one I love them dearly and have 6 snoozing on my couch right now!

And NEVER, EVER to be trusted offlead!!! It only takes one rabbit and you will likely never see them again, they turn feral and scared very quickly.

If you decide you want one, go to the American Whippet Club website to look for breeders. You could also join the yahoo group Whippetsanity to learn more or look for a breeder. The breeders are VERY protective of our breed, and most Whippet breeders are good breeders with a couple of exceptions.

Feel free to email me if you want help finding a puppy or have any questions.

Edit - and you should not expect to pay $1000 for a puppy, $500 is about average for a well bred pet with parents tested clear for eyes, hearing and cardiac.

Odd dog - Longdogs are Afghan Hound/Greyhound crosses. Whippets are not Longdogs.

I do not agree with your comments on leashes. I have heard of too many people who did that, sometimes for several years, only to have their dog take off in pursuit of some critter and never to be seen again.

Which brings up another point, Whippets WILL kill any critters in your backyard, so you will have to learn to 'deal' with the results of their 'hunting'.


Dogwalker - Yes, there is the occasional Whippet with incorrect temperment who does not have a high prey drive, but most do! They SHOULD go totally focused on prey when running, and if the are 'in the zone', they wouldn't even HEAR you, much less recall. I am glad you have been lucky with your Sighthounds, but there are others who are not and never see their Hounds again. ANY Sighthound who does not have prey drive like that is not a good Sighthound as they have incorrect temperment. I have one like that, and, while beautiful and physically worthy of being specialed, he will never be used for breeding because of his lack of prey drive.


I don't think any breeder would select specifically for a dog that can't be let offlead. I DO think a good breeder will select for the ability to do the job it is supposed to do, which is to course Hare independently of direction from us. I have been teaching obedience for 25 years and have gotten many titles and HIT's, but I still would not trust mine offlead (unless it is inside in the ob ring). I just don't want prospective pet owners thinking they will probably be fine offlead after taking a beginner class. I am sure the questioner has probably gotten the point though, LOL!

Answer 10

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/OlhCJ

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.