Don’t let the delicate appearance of this breed fool you. A strong, agile athlete lies within this dog. Prey driven like most sight hounds, the Whippet needs a safe yard for exercise when not on lead. In the house, this dog makes a great companion to young and old alike.
Sleeping under the covers in YOUR bed sounds just perfect to the Whippet! Sweaters and coats are perfectly acceptable and necessary in colder weather.
Most other dogs are agreeable to this dog, but small animals and cats should be closely watched to not be mistaken as prey. Very little grooming is necessary because the Whippet has clean cat- like self-grooming habits.
A Whippet is a medium-sized sighthound--a group of dogs which includes the Greyhound, Borzoi, Irish Wolfhound, Pharoah Hound, Afghan Hound, Saluki, and others. These dogs were bred to hunt by sight, coursing game in open areas at high speeds. Although one can find numerous representations of small Greyhound-like hounds in art dating back to Roman times, the modern whippet was created by working-class people of northern England by crossing Greyhounds with several other breeds, including the Italian Greyhound and a now-extinct long-legged terrier. These small coursing hounds were cheaper to feed and house than Greyhounds, but very handy at providing rabbits for the pot. They also were used to provide sport on non-working days as their owners enjoyed racing them against each other. The modern look of the breed was created by upper-class English dog fanciers, who bought the best-looking Whippets and bred them selectively to appear most similar to a "Greyhound in miniature". Because color is considered "immaterial" in judging Whippets, they come in the widest variety of color and marking patterns of any breed -- everything from solid black to solid white, with red, fawn, brindle, blue, cream. And all manner of spots and blazes and patches are seen--sometimes all in the same litter!
We have puppies available now.
