Description: The Whippet is a sight hound of medium size. The dog is 19-20 inches in height, and the bitches’ height is 18-21 inches. Their weight is 25-45 pounds this breed looks similar to their cousin, the greyhound. The Whippet has a long skull, which is lean and has a very wide gap between the ears. The muzzle is long and tapers to the nose. The nose is dark brown, black or dark blue. The teeth meet in a scissor bite. This dog has small ears that rose shape. Their ears are held back and folded, except when the dog is excited, where they are semi-perked. The Whippet has oval shaped eyes was a dark in colour. They have straight front legs with feet that are thick and can be either cat like or hare like. This breed has a deep chest. A long tail which has a slight lift at the end is held low. This breed has a short coat that is smooth and all colours are accepted. The Whippet lives to about 15 years.

History: The Whippet came into being by crossing the Italian Greyhound, the Greyhound, and an unknown Terrier type breed. This was in the 19^th century. The name means to move quickly “whip it” and, as its name suggests, it is a very fast dog reaching speeds of up to 37 mph. This dog has a history in racing, often being called the poor mans race horse. In the UK, there were racing tracks in nearly every city where the poorer man would go to watch the Whippet race and place bets on who will win. Due to the fact, this is a sight hound the dogs would race chasing a “rabbit” that was not a real rabbit but a mechanical rabbit, that is on the edge of the track, going faster than the dogs. This sport was popular until the mid 1980’s when it lost popularity. The Whippet was first recognized by the AKC in 1888 and the English Kennel Club in 1891. This dog has been used for hunting, as a watchdog, sighting, racing, agility, and lure coursing.

Temperament: The Whippet is a very affectionate, devoted companion that has intelligent and can be lively. This breed doesn’t work well with harsh or rough training. They are a sensitive dog that needs to be treated gently, but with a set of rules and training given to suit their temperament. Variety is the key to getting the dog trained, with good running games. They are good with children but will not like rough and tumble. This dog is easy to travel with and make good travel companions. This dog is in the hound family and you need to know that this dog will chase cats and kill them. They can be good with cats, they have been raised with. This breed can be used well as a hunting dog. This dog has fantastic sprinting speeds and can turn on a dollar, whilst still in hot pursuit. Their dexterity and speed is highly impressive to see. To gain the best from this breed you need to be a good pack leader and keeping the dog as a dog will avoid small dog syndrome, that can give you behaviour problems.

Health issues: The Whippet is prone to skin problems and upset stomach. This dog is in overall good health. It should be noted that if you have a rescue dog, that has come from the race tracks; they may have joint problems, due to excessive racing.

Grooming: The Whippet is very easy to keep clean and tidy all you have to do is brush over the dog with a damp chamois will add gleam to the coat.

Living conditions: This breed will be fine in an apartment if they have had the long walks they need daily. This dog needs a well fenced garden as they will chase and kill cats and other small animals.