History

Originated in Great Britain at the end of the 19th century, the Whippet got its name from the common expression “whip it”, which means to move swiftly. The breed’s ancestors include English Greyhound, the Terrier, and the Italian Greyhound. The English used this breed for hunting, racing, sighting and watch dogging.

Appearance

Visibly a sporting hound, the Whippet has an elegant body structure. It is slender, tough, and athletic. The dog has large and dark eyes, small folded ears, powerful muzzle, and a long and tapering tail. The coat is firm and textured and comes in black, brindle, red, fawn, tigered white or slate blue. The dog is 19 inches tall and weighs around 18-28 pounds.

Color

Whippets come in different colors and patterns including solid black, white with red, fawn, blue, brindle (an appearance like tiger-striping), and cream. It is not unusual for one litter to have a mixture of spots, patches, stripes, or blazes with no two pups looking the same. The Whippet comes in almost every color imaginable for a dog.

Personality

An active and affectionate breed, The Whippet needs to be handled gently and trained with care. The dog is silent and calm and has an independent nature. It gets along easily with children and other dogs but tends to chase down and kill cats and other smaller animals. The breed does not entertain strangers.

Health Concerns

A very healthy dog breed, the Whippet can be expected to live for about 12-15 years. However, the dog is susceptible to stomach upset and skin problems.

Recognized By

CKC, AKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC