I’ve been wanting to get a dog for a while now and yesterday saw an advert for a collie whippet cross. She is 9 months old, house trained, walks well on and off the lead. The advert sounds genuine to me – current owners asthmatic, the dogs hair is aggravating this. I’m really tempted, but thought i’d getting the STW lowdown before giving the current owners a call.

So what are they generally like? We already have a much loved cat, is this a recipe for disaster? Is the whippet side of it always going to want to search and destroy?

What about exercise – I could take on a dog that required whippet levels of looking after, but not a collies! I could realistically get out for a 45min walk before work, a longer walk after work. My girlfriend works from home 2-3 days a week, on the other days I could pop home at lunch. Is this enough – do they generally take on the whippets love of sleeping most of the day, then getting out for a good blast? Or will I get home to find the house destroyed by a bored ball of energy? Thoughts and/or experiences welcome.

whippets love cats – generally not in a good way for the cat!!
Collies need a LOT of exercise and attention
Both are clever dogs so will need a lot of mental stimulation

Not sure how they mix in the breeding
either you will get a chess playing lay about or something that can outwit you and run for weeks!!

Good luck

my dog has collie and whippet in it. Will write a proper reply tonight when I have some time. In the meantime check out the faq on lurcher link. http://www.lurcher.org/llink/forum/index.php

cat would be tricky to start with but can be overcome I would think, lovely dogs

So the intelligence and stamina of a collie mixed with the speed of a whippet. I’m guessing it’ll need a LOT of exercise.

Should have a wonderful temperament though.

Mike – The whippet ‘loving’ the cat is what I’m really worried about!
Anagallis – Thanks for the link, will read that over lunch and look forward to your longer reply as and when.
IHN – As I understand it Whippets don’t need much exercise, so was hoping this might rub off on the collie…..could be wishful thinking!

I had one once…it used to run for fun and would endlessly bring you things to throw so he could chase fetch and bring back for more endless fun!
When we got near to home we used to kick him out of the car and he would run along behind…around 30MPH!
Great dogs

We’ve got one, we think.

Not sure how helpful I can be, as he’s only 5 months old, I expect a 9 month old will be very different. Barney (not my choice) seems to need quite a lot of exercise, has zero prey drive, curious but not bothered by cats. However cross breeds can take different aspects of their parents I think we’ve got more of a Collie than a Whippet, does the whole lying down thing and tries to herd other dogs while playing. Massive amounts of energy when playing and has played a 2 yo Doberman and 8 month old Labrador to a standstill in the last couple of days. Great dog, I’m really enjoying him.

Lurcher Link looks a very interesting site.

LapSteel – When I was a growing up we had a collie that loved to run – he’d chase the neighbours cars at 30mph, his favourite game was trying to bite the front of the front wheels! No idea how he didn’t get hit! His second favourite game was chasing the horses in the fields, he’d run up behind them and give their tails a little tug before bolting off, again, no idea how he never got hurt!

My dad has a collie x whippet – so far the best dog he’s owned. Very intelligent, friendly, non-stinky, loyal, etc with none of the collie neuroses.

No problem with our cat, they were introduced when she was a puppy and no issues.

Highly recommend.

(Note – Skye (the whippet/collie cross) is the sandy coloured dog in the foreground.)

Bimbler – Barney’s very sweet looking! Hope you continue to have fun with him. How much exercise are you giving him at the moment? Does he get left at home much?

The laziness, occasional speed and thievery of a sight hound, combined with the base cunning and slightly psychotic tendencies of the average collie, I’d say you’ve got the ingriedients for a bona fide canine super villain right there…

(and I love collies and lurchers)

Collies = best. Use them for sheepdog work and really enjoy working with them

V8ninety – when you put it like that i’m clearly letting myself in for a tough time!

Shorty – Not wrong!

Bimbler – Barney’s very sweet looking! Hope you continue to have fun with him. How much exercise are you giving him at the moment? Does he get left at home much?

Not so sweet now he’s grown a bit but still a good looking dawg.

Feel a bit guilty about the exercise we’ve been giving him as the KC recommends 5 mins for every month twice a day, which would be 50 minutes a day at the moment, however Barney gets quite a bit more, prolly closer to two hours. Having read up on it a bit just now I might calm it down.

My partner works from home and she’s in and out a lot with school run (B.’s definitely not ready for that yet) and activities, so yes he’s left but not for more than say 2-2.5 hours or so yet, seems ok with that I think, certainly not displaying any separation anxiety.

We have a Whippet as an ‘office dog’ here.

I could only describe him as a big cat really. Amazing ability to sleep for most of the day, generally doesn’t make a fuss at all. Doesn’t bark, doesn’t whine, doesn’t pester people, etc.

He goes out in the morning, and at lunchtime, quite happy – just watch out for the hunter instint. We are in the agriculture industry so he walks out on farmland & kills rabbits for fun (easy pickings round here). They tend to want to have a go at bigger things too (muntjac) which doesn’t always end so well.

There is something quite impressive about watching one in full flight across a big, open field. Frighteningly quick.

Bimbler – your feeling guilty about giving him too much exercise? I didn’t realise you could give any form of collie too much!

HobNob – strangely enough my cat is called HobNob, although i’m not so sure he is going to be as enthusiastic about a whippet as you are! Am yet to discuss the possibility of bringing a dog into the office with the powers that be…

Firstly you need to find out what proportion the dog is of each, more whippet = more lazy although in general a 45 min walk twice a day with plenty of free running and say ball throwing will be enough for any dog. The more you exercise a collie the fitter it gets so loads of exercise isnt always the answer. A happy content dog with a good routine and enough exercise is all you need if it has more collie in it the key is to exercise its brain with plenty of training rather than try and tire it out.

My lurcher is 3/8 Greyhound, 1/4 whippet, 1/8 border collie, 1/8 bearded collie and 1/8 bedlington terrier. She is happy walked twice a day and sleeps the rest of the time. This week my partner is working away all week which is not usually but the dog is perfectly content left with a filled kong and her kennel in the back yard from 7-5. The neighbours can see her and if its not raining she drags some bedding out onto the decking and sleeps there, if its raining she sleeps in the kennel. If we are at home she sleeps on the sofa.

In terms of training she is pretty obidient sits, lies down, stays, walks on a loose lead, fetches balls etc but all this was from effort put in at an early age. She’s friendly to almost all dogs, the exception being ones that approach my sons pram whilst looking a bit mardy and she can be a bit much when playing with some dogs. Despite not being very big and only weighing 17 kg she will easily knock over bigger dogs like large labs or even german sheppards, growl in their ears and run off and then repeat. Some dogs understandably dont like that but cannot ctach her to do anything about it, so she does get put on lead if the dog isnt enjoying her brand of fun, having said that she loves nothing more than being chased round the park by a Jack Russel, if the other dogs got attitude its fine, if not she can bully them.

Compared to pure whippets and greyhounds she has more of an ability to become ball obsessed like a collie and she took quite a lot of effort to stop her from rounding up joggers, although thats cured now. She also pretty much always runs in circles whereas the pure whippets and greys we meet run in straight lines much more.

If I were you I’d be asking how much collie is in it and be a bit wary if its a 1/2 cross, having said that seeing the dog, seeing it out on a walk, seeing it interact with the family and asking about its current routine, where it sleeps and where its left when they go out will tell you a lot. I’d also be wary about taking on an older dog as a lot of people who own dogs are idiots and havent trained them.

Some people I know got a whippet of a about a year and he had kids and the dog bit one of them (not badly but enough) so he passed it ontosomeone he works with who has no kids, I see it quite regularly in the park, lovely dog and great to watch it play with my Kea. I reckon this guys older kids might have been a bit rough with it or scared it whippets dont like being treated roughly, my dog is the same, they are a bit nervous. Whilst she is great with my son even when he pulls handfuls of hair out, I wouldnt trust her as much as I would my mums lab for example who seems to positively like being climbed on and having her ears pulled. Like a collie too, she can be very submissive just today I was having a stern converstion on the phone with an insurance company when I turned to look at the dog she was trembling.
As for the cat thing, well my dog hates cats and I’ve no doubt if she ever caught one she’d kill it, but having said that even though she’s 3 years old I reckon I could cat train her if I had to as she is pretty clever at picking things up, would be tough work though.

oh and she was the second best rough bitch in berkshire last year (and reading has some really rough…..)

Don’t know whether it’s whippet more like Lurcher of some sort, mad as a box of frogs,plays fetch all day,chews the babies toys,runs round the house like a lunatic including hurdling sofas,soooo loving and for all his faults I wouldn’t swop him for the world, can open doors too both ways
It’s your call but be prepared for all the effort your going to need to put in, he’s the one at the back BTW

Oh and boy does he like running behind me on the bike

Meet Rocco;

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/mattzzzzzz/?action=view¤t=eea671ea.jpg&evt=user_media_share

He decided he liked our Oscars bed better although it’s a bit small for him;

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/mattzzzzzz/?action=view¤t=4e5ad70f.jpg&evt=user_media_share

http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/mattzzzzzz/?action=view¤t=4e5ad70f.jpg&evt=user_media_share

Anagallis – Thank you for your lengthy reply, much appreciated. That is one fine rough bitch you have there!

The current owner tells me that she is very obedient, loving and loyal. She is only 9 months old, so still a pup really.

Since my earlier posts I have contacted the owner. He assures me that when he was first bringing her up there were cats around, so she is used to them….i’m sure with time and training we could be confident that they could be left alone together. The next biggest concern regarding the cat is whether he (HobNob) will resent having his home taken over by a larger animal, but I guess he’ll get used to it.

I have asked about her daily routine, and it sounds much like what I could offer her – morning/evening walks, possibly some lunchtime attention, days on her own, but some days not. So I feel happier about that side now.

Looking at the pics of her (I haven’t met her yet) I’d say she looks to be a pretty much straight Golden Collie/Whippet cross, although it is difficult to tell. She likes playing fetch though!

Think i’m going to mull this over for a couple of days…… Thanks again.

Matttzzzzz – Sounds great fun! Great looking dog and keeps you on yer toes! As previous post, don’t want to rush into anything, so going to mull it over. Will post pics if and when……Cheers.

I think we may have one too, although I reckon there’s quite a bit of terrier in there as well. He definitely has the lazy whippet gene as its difficult to get him out in cold wet weather but once he’s out he loves it. He also loves to sleep. Definitely intelligent and needs stimulation but he’s a good friendly dog. He barks at our neighbours cat from a distance but is actually quite wary of it face to face.

Fine looking dog a_a

Looking at the pics of her (I haven’t met her yet) I’d say she looks to be a pretty much straight Golden Collie/Whippet cross, although it is difficult to tell. She likes pla

this thread needs pics