Whippet Breed Origins and Caracteristics

The Whippet was raised in the north of England as a very fast greyhound, destined to dog races. Later, it was used for "coursing" (races after hares): two Whippets faced in the track and the style and speed of the participants were evaluated. When this sport was forbidden, in 1911, the Whippets ran on a track behind bait. The first race behind bait (Rag racing) took place in 1876. Nowadays, the Whippets chased most of the times a mechanical hare and took off from boxes (Park coursing). In the selective breeding, there is still today a slight lack of homogeneity in this type, because the Whippet was not created until 1835-1855 and several breeds participated in its creation. Among them, we find undoubtedly the Greyhound but also the Italian greyhound and some terriers. Thanks to the crossing, the Whippet reaches better marks in short distances.

The Whippet is not only a race dog. It is one of the best companions for an apartment, with the condition that it has to exercise enough. It has a peculiar character; it avoids with prudence the water puddles, the mud and other dirt when it goes for a walk. It is loyal, obedient and it is always of good mood. It likes the sun and heat that is why it is considered fragile. It is a very robust dog but it should be protected from the cold and humidity.

Size: 42-50 cm, ideally 47 cm for the male and 44.5 for the female. Weight: 7-10 kg. All the colors are accepted, one-color or in combination. The Whippet has outer ears which are a characteristic mark; they have the shape of a rose (2).

The hair is fine, short and as fallen as possible (1). There is still a variety of hard-haired, straight-haired and dense lower layer dog that is not much appreciated. In 1937, a breeder of greyhounds, Walter A. Wheeler started breeding long-haired Whippets with a similar coat to that of the Barzoï. This type is a little irregular; these dogs have a more convex back. They were exhibited for the first time in 1981.
