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Whippet

Background

Man has used dogs to help him hunt for centuries and different types of hounds have evolved to deal with the various prey. Larger, heavier hounds would have been needed to deal with wolves and wild boar, but in areas where small deer, rabbits or hare were hunted, the speedier, more agile Greyhound type of dog would have been more suitable. The more enclosed area meant that a smaller hound would have been preferred over the Greyhound.

At the end of the eighteenth century, the medium-sized running dog appears to have acquired a name of its own - the "whippet" or "snap dog" - and was a popular breed among the working men in the north of the country. These dogs were used for rabbit hunting and later for racing. Whippets became known as "the poor man's Greyhound" and were highly prized possessions, living curled up by the fire and, it is said, often fed better than members of the family. They were expected to earn their keep at race meetings where betting took place, so a dog that lacked speed would not be considered of any value. Only the best bitches would be bred from, and only the fastest dogs used at stud, so once more, the Greyhound type of animal predominated and the Whippet quickly reverted to type.

Breed Personality, Characteristics & Temperment

Whippets have an agreeable temperament and make an ideal family pet and a wonderful companion. It is often said that bitches generally make better pets than their male counterparts because they are more affectionate and obedient. However, this is quite the opposite for Whippets where the male is the more obedient, friendly and outgoing of the species.

Compatibility With Other Pets

The vast majority of Whippets are not aggressive towards other dogs. Similar to most animals blessed with great speed, they prefer to use their speed to get out of a fight.

Care Requirements

Whippets are much tougher than they look and will happily go for a walk in weather that would deter most owners. Being high on the leg, they bring in relatively little dirt after an energetic walk, and their short coats require only a minimum of grooming to keep in trim.

Whippets have been described as the lazy man's dog, because they are easy to look after and to feed. They do need daily exercise, and similar to most dogs thirty minutes walk daily on a lead will keep them healthy and reasonably fit - they will also appreciate fifteen minutes free running where they can really "stretch out".

Please take note:
Although in many breeds it is considered that bitches make better house pets than dogs, this is not necessarily the case with Whippets.

Conclusion

If you have decided that the Whippet is the dog for you and you realise that it needs to be taken out for a daily run where it can go "flat stick", contact one of the groups listed below:

Breeders

State	Contact	Breeder
WA	Steve Warry	Sabu	Contact
NT	Lesley Cameron	Gaelforce	Contact
QLD	Joanne Austen	Lysnagah	Contact
VIC	Bill Eva and Ellen Mooney	Elmaro	Contact
NSW	Allana Smith	Algara	Contact
SA	Rebecca Lamb	Shakuru	Contact
VIC	Jen Johnson	Mondetta	Contact
VIC	Tony and Alan Wishart and Kyman	Talkabout	Contact
WA	Catherine Foster	Stonegrace	Contact
QLD	Adrienne and Brian Holzapfez	Pinemist	Contact
QLD	AT and KA Cooney	Shalique	Contact
NSW	Gary and Danielle Dryburgh	Tezer	Contact
NSW	Molly Rule-Steele	TAEJAAN	Contact
SA	Kerry Hutt	Kebarlea	Contact
WA	Liz Worthington	Brookton Hounds	Contact
NSW	Jenna McNeill	Beauroi	Contact
VIC	Sue Delaney	Alltalk	Contact
QLD	Jeffrey McLeod	Silknspring	Contact
TAS	Griff & Lisa Parry	Parnew	Contact
NSW	Tammy Stephens	ZATINI	Contact
VIC	Sue Cameron-Codognotto	Ozrhode	Contact
QLD	Narelle O'Neill	Bellarell	Contact
QLD	Bruce Lyck	sheberghan	Contact
VIC	Leigh McVilly	Amashutu	Contact
VIC	Bill Coggins	Berinswift	Contact
NSW	Molly Rule-Steele	TAEJAAN	Contact

Height:

Weight:

Lifespan: Whippets live up to 14 years of age.

Ideal Owners: The Almost everyone.