- This topic has 43 replies, 18 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by waihiboy.
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Whippet owners advice…
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seftonFree Member
Howdy,
we are looking into getting a Whippet puppy. we have recently lost our old dog after more than 10 years (French bulldog)
The Whippet sounds like the perfect dog for our family. However we have come across a few articles like this one: http://www.rejoycewhippets.com/sighthoundpuppies.html
We have had puppies before and know they can be a handful, but some things I read about Whippet puppies sound like they are the puppies from hell.And are far worse than most other puppies
whats your experiences?
thank you
Craiganagallis_arvensisFull MemberOnly read a bit. Some is true our lurcher who has a fair amount of whippet in her could jump the sofa in one from about 4 months, at the same age she could out run every dog in the park and would take great delight in stealing their balls and having them chase her. However they ate perfectly trainable and happy to be left to sleep on their own for hours. They ate pretty dim so but the easiest to train but no worse than many. You’ll never stop them chasing cats, rabbits and squirels etc you just have to work around it. Not the most robust in terms of being a rough and tumble dog with kids but they are very gentle.
chakapingFree MemberOurs was easy to housetrain but a real nightmare for stealing and eating things – including ibroprofen which meant a lengthy and expensive stop at the vets.
Very clingy too, prone to separation anxiety. More of a pack instinct than many dogs apparently. We’re at home all the time, but it might cause trouble if there’s nobody in your house for much of the day.
I would consider another whippet, but I wouldn’t get another as a puppy FWIW. There are lots available via rescue though, especially if you don’t have kids.
wilko1999Free MemberOur whippet is amazing, I wouldn’t have any other dog. She has been brilliant from when she was a tiny puppy, great with our young kids, playful, gentle, lightning quick, agile, affectionate, obedient, great recall (99% of the time, more on that below). She has a very very short coat so doesn’t shed and doesn’t smell. We did puppy training courses with her when she was very young and worked hard on her training at home and on walks. I wouldn’t have any other type of dog.
However, as with all dogs, there are some downsides – turn your head for 10 seconds and she will eat the food off your plate from right under your nose. She has jumped onto our dining table and scranned leftovers. She can clear a 4 foot fence, so our garden now has 6 foot fences. The prey drive sometimes takes over so if she gets her mind set on chasing something, she will, and no amount of recall attempts will work until she decides the chase is over. She steals other dogs balls, sticks, toys and runs round like an absolute loon thinking its a big game and then drops it 150 metres away on the other side of the field. I then have to go and find it for the other dog/owner. Oh, and she likes to roll in fox poo. So although normally she doesn’t smell, she can sometimes smell awful and require a good hosing off after a walk 😀
anagallis_arvensisFull MemberOur lurcher wont steal food, its just training all dogs will take food unless trained. Whippets and lurchers are more agile though. Separation anxiety can occur in any dog too, no more so in whippets. They are just dogs that are faster, more agile and prone to chasing things. Super lazy too.
thv3Free MemberWe’ve had Dotty since she was a pup.
I’ll be perfectly honest, my partner decided she wanted a whippet and I went along with it but its fair to say I wouldn’t have picked a whippet.
However, now we have her she’s brilliant!
She was a lot of work especially when she was younger, but as a result we’ve ended up with a brilliant dog. We picked her up at 8 weeks, and by the time she was 9 weeks I couldn’t catch her any more. Since then I’ve clocked her at 31mph on a ride, and she turns on a sixpence so needless to say she runs circles round most other dogs and loves doing it. This can lead to problems when she wasn’t fully trained as you can imagine, and yes she was partial to rolling in fox turd.
Exercise wise she can make do on 3 20 min walks, sleeps/lounges the rest of the day. Recall isn’t a problem 99% of the time, fails normally occur when its a friend she’s spotted. We’ve also had no problems with her stealing food, but to be fair we did spend a lot of time training her on these two aspects. However, now most walks she is completely off the lead, unless we’re around busy roads etc.
Very gentle, fun and surprisingly hardy for such a light dog. I think it’s fair to say they she is a big character though, and probably more work than other more laid back dogs such as retrievers/labs etc.
Would definitely recommend a whippet and in fact a sight hound in general, although wouldn’t go smaller than a whippet. (Youtube Italian greyhounds for the reason why 😯 )
chakapingFree Memberits just training all dogs will take food unless trained
Not true sorry. Some whippets (not many) are just inveterate kleptomanics.
Our vet’s had more than a dozen with just one of them as naughty as ours and completely unresponsive to training.
To be fair though, Tetley’s behaviour has been exacerbated by a prolonged course of steroids for a serious illness.
anagallis_arvensisFull MemberSteroids will stimulate appetite. Been around whippets and sight hounds all my life. When trained correctly they dont steal food. They are just dogs.
seftonFree MemberThey sound perfect! thank you for your stories!
I just worry they will be the puppy from hell until they are 18-24 months???
I’d love to get to a point were I’d be comfortable with one off the lead (somewhere remote – moorland / lake district)
other dogs I like the sound of but don’t sound as gentle / well behaved as Whippets are
1) Parsons Terrier
2) Manchester Terrier
3) Bedlington TerrierObviously these are all terriers and could be feisty, bark, dig etc
anagallis_arvensisFull MemberOur lurcher can be off lead in remote places. Sheep are a problem though. They dont bolt like rabbits or deer so she doesnt chase on sight but its always a worry. If she saw sheep more often I would be confident I could train her off it. To be fair when she has had the chance to chase sheep she hasnt but I try not to push my luck.
You could get a Bedlington x whippet lurcher… best of both worlds! ( or worst )thv3Free MemberSteroids will stimulate appetite.
+1
While on a course of steroids ours was noticeably hungry all the time, still was not a problem though but obviously had to be on the ball. She’s always very interested in our food, but knows its off limits unless/until it goes into her bowl.Dotty walks off the lead around livestock etc no problem, but again it involved a lot of training. We do have fields and livestock all round us though, so they’re not particularly exciting for her anymore.
Reckon the initial 18-24 months are the hardest in terms of training, but once she calmed down a bit she’s been very good. Walks off the lead are the norm now.
With mentioning she’s generally very quite, only tends to bark when she’s being wound up or particularly enjoying herself. In the interests of a balanced view though, despite being able to curl into a tiny ball, she can also spread out over the width of our three seat sofa depending on how she feels 🙄
dannybgoodeFull MemberPersonally I’d go for a Greyhound over a Whippet. Much more laidback dogs and generally much friendlier temperaments.
jp-t853Full MemberWe had a whippet for nearly sixteen years. She died nearly two years ago and is still missed dearly. She was a true companion, knew everything that you were thinking and would just come up to you and cuddle her head in to your body. They really are people dogs and treat the human family as their pack. As mentioned seperation anxiety can be an issue.
Ours loved children and would play as if she was part of the group.
They sleep a lot of the day generally waking whenever food is on the go or at walk times. The Chinese call them bed warmers and they do love going to bed.
We have a Patterdale Terrier now and she is so easy in comparison. She knows she is a dog and knows her place. Everything is a bonus for the Patterdale whilst you often feel a Whippet thinks it is hard done to because it didn’t get a bit of pizza crust.
Both breeds are very hardy and rarely have ill health issues although whippets can injure themselves due to idiocy and speed.
anagallis_arvensisFull MemberThats bullshit whippets are no less friendly than greys.
anagallis_arvensisFull Memberalthough whippets can injure themselves due to idiocy and speed.
Very true our lurcher ran into a wire fence the other day, luckily only losing fur however like lurchers and greys they burst easily. Ours got nipped by a dog playing and had to have 20 stitches. Get insurance.
seftonFree Memberoh wow – I heard Pattersdales are fiery little devils? guess it all depends on breeding / training.
I do like the Parsons and Manchesters but worry about barking and digging – Our French Bull dog was practically a mute – apart from snoring and farting – I can only recall her barking a few times in all her life.
wysiwygFree MemberIm on my third whippet.
None have stolen, all have been trained not to chase or to return if I wanted them to if chasing.
Latest ones a proper hunter, returned with a hare the other week.
Extremely loyal and easily superglued back together.
woffleFree MemberWe’ve a Bedlington.
Good bits; quiet (though barks at window-cleaner + squirrels he’s not a loud dog), biddable, the least ‘terrier’ breed I’ve ever come across. Hypo-allergenic (both my wife and youngest are asthmatic and were extremely reactive to dogs when we got him 4 years ago). Our Stan has no inclination to disappear after rabbits etc, can be trusted off the lead around sheep etc. He’s amazing with our two girls and myriad of nephews and nieces as well as our 11 chickens (unlike our in-laws Patt/JR cross which categorically is NOT good with kids / livestock). For an earth-dog he has no desire to dig holes either. Will go for rats happily mind you. Not a stupid breed but not collie smart either – Stan’ll happily amuse himself for an hour or so in the garden with a frisbee / ball / toy. Good for a 10 mile yomp across Ashdown Forest or happy spending the day in front of the fire.
Bad bits: likes fox shit. Needs clipping every 8 weeks or so and some groomers try and do the standard Bedlington haircut which is ridiculous. The breed suffers from a genetic disorder that means copper builds up in the liver – females tend to have more so than males. Just another thing to watch out for. Because they’re non-shedding they can be every expensive.
Love him to bits and would have another in a flash if I thought my wife’d agree. Friendly, relaxed and just an all-round good family hound IMO.
woffleFree Member(ironically we were / are thinking about getting a rescue whippet to keep Stan company as Bedlington’s are hard to come by in the south-east…)
willyboyFree MemberPros:
very friendly
love kids/ company
easy to walk
like sleeping (as much if not more than a cat).
don’t bark very often
Not hairy/ smelly (don’t set of my asthma at any rate)Cons:
a bit thick even with training/ regular exercise (compared to previous dogs; jack russells or collie)
steal food when young (1/2 a birthday cake eaten very quickly)
Injury prone – Mum’s whippet regularly get cuts/ nicks chasing rabbits through hedges etc.ps The dog also had a bad accident 2 weeks ago chasing rabbits. So far my mum is £1250 worse off after two operations. 2 tendons damaged + part of ear missing; we presume she got tangled in some wire or had a bad fall onto some metal.
waihiboyFree Membermy prefect thread… all i have to do is wait till we move into a bigger house and then i can get a whippet…
i cant stop laughing at this pic..
tomkertonFree MemberI have a whippet. Yes to all the stuff above. They are a delight with the added advantage of not wanted huge walks in depradful weather. They are very loving and look cute as a button.
PS you will almost certainly end up with a second whip whop in a years time or so. They go well in pairs IMO.
uwe-rFree MemberSefton – have a look at a Hungarian Vizla, very similar character but less of the chassing things.
BimblerFree MemberWe’ve got a whippet/border collie lurcher (we think, he’s an Irish rescue dog) but he’s just as much a collie as a whippet so it’s difficult to rationalise any of his behaviour (and he has a lot of behaviours) as down to any particular breed trait.
So no general insight to give other than he (or she) will nick stuff, will scavenge and will roll in any variety of animal excrement that he likes the smell of. He’ll also chase stuff, cows, cats, horses, motorbikes (:faceplam:, we’re working on that one especially hard) but blimey does he look magnificent when he’s running. Would definitely get another running dog.
frankiFree MemberI have a rescue Greyhound so don’t know so much about these kinds of breeds as puppies. My wife always wanted a Whippet, but stumbled upon a RGT roadshow in town and after meeting a few, decided we must have a retired racing Greyhound.
The adults sound pretty similar behaviour-wise from what I’ve read here. My only concern with a Whippet would be the possibility of serious injuries if they go tearing off with no regard for their own safety. My hound has stitches in at the moment from a collision last week chasing a cat he spotted at the bottom of the garden. I guess having said that, Whippets are probably hardier than they look. Greyhounds certainly are tough as old boots, despite their appearance.
I love him to bits though. With people Arthur’s such a gentle friendly dog. He’s not too keen on other breeds (especially small ones) and will chase cats & rabbits as soon as they move. If you always bear that in mind, it’s no major problem, but most sighthounds will never behave like a normal domestic dog, from what I hear from other owners.retrogirlFree Member+1 for the retired greyhound. I’ve had mine a year and she is so laid back shes almost horizontal. I find some greyhounds have a higher prey drive than others. Mine happily lives with our cat and she is also fine with other breeds as I specified as my family and friends have dogs and I wanted her to mix with them. When I’ve let her off lead she will happily follow behind me. She does like to chase squirrels but then I had a retriever who also liked to do the same. The best thing to do is speak to whoever runs the rehoming kennels as ours matched us perfectly to Charley. There is also a great facebook group who is very helpful and friendly called retired greyhound owners group chat.
frankiFree MemberI find some greyhounds have a higher prey drive than others.
Yeah, we take him to the RGT sponsor weekends and while waiting to be let off in the paddock for a run, he whines & cries – especially when he sees other hounds running. He can’t wait for his turn and goes like a rocket when we let him off in there. He was quite handy in his day, so I expect some have more of a desire to run & chase things than others. I’ve seen Greyhounds pictured with cats, but there’s no way Arthur would ever get along with one!
seftonFree Memberwell – she arrived yesterday! cheers for all the advice and info!
hammyukFree MemberGorgeous
For those of you interested – have a look at the Southern Lurcher Rescue, they need help all the time and have some beautiful guys wanting help/homes.anagallis_arvensisFull MemberGreat pics. The top one is so like the way our lurcher sleeps back legs up round the face, they look like sleeping kangaroos!
Whats her name?waihiboyFree MemberThanks for posting this OP, the wife finally gave in and is allowing me to have a dog for my 40th next year…which will be a whippet!
However….
I am in the get a rescue dog about a year old club.
I can see the appeal of a puppy but i dont really want to go through all the initial hassle (being 100% honest) and from a personal point of view love the idea of saving a dog and giving him/her a new home
BUT i know this can have problems aswell.
Its a huge decision regardless.
Best of luck
Ps most of the negative points about them is running off etc as already said, but im going to get a gps collar for when we go offroad. Has anyone used them or have i just been sucked in
anagallis_arvensisFull MemberIf my lurcher is anything to go by yes she runs off after rabbits but they rarely go far from a hole so thats a short chase, cats and squirrels the same. Deer and foxes can go further and are the only really problem but she has never been gone for more than a min or so. They are not like a terrier that will run off hunting for an hour as soon as whatever they are chasing goes out of sight they give up.
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