Anyone own a Whippet(s)?

[Monarch]

What have been your experiences with them? Likes dislikes?
Thanks,
M

[good booie]

I own two. I have had whippets for the last 15 years or so. LOVE this breed and would have nothing else. They are great barn dogs too!

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

I owned one, and showed and lure coursed bushels of whippets (what is the correct collective noun for whippets?) for other people.

They're fun little dogs. Their major fault is that they are nearly impossible to housetrain, for some reason. They're very athletic, though somewhat sensitive. They can be obedience trained, but don't try and train a sighthound like you'd train a lab! Get Gail Byrnham's Playtraining Your Dog. She had greyhounds, but the same principle applies.

There's not much grooming to them.:winkgrin:

ETA: Oh, yeah, they can jump like fleas. I've seen them sail over a six foot chain link fence. The last suburban owner I showed with added wire to the top of her fence, just like they have at the prison ;), to contain the beasties.

[TB or not TB?]

I am a total Whippet fan. I've been worried how they would do with horses or other animals on a farm, being sighthounds. Any issues?

[Sakura]

I'm sorry... I just could not resist... :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbt30UnzRWw :D

[Monarch]

good booie and pAin't_Misbehavin' Thanks for the responses. I have the oppertunity to adopt a little fellow from a neighbor who has one but he keeps escaping from the yard(climbs the fence) but then hangs around their house. They live at the beginning of a dead end road and I live a half a mile down at the dead end. My consern is that I don't really have what one would call a fenced in yard (we have 60 acres) and I have always heard that sight hounds need to stay on a leash, never off leash. My question is would I be courting disaster with this dog since I don't really have a fenced in yard?
M

[Guilherme]

Our tenant has two Whippets. They are generally nice dogs, but are sight hunting hounds. When they get on the hunt they go over, under, around, or through whatever is in front of them. At one time they tried to restrain the dogs with an "invisible" fence. They put it in right, used the flags, put on the collars and turned out the dogs. They followed "the book" on introducing the dogs to the fence. All was well for day.

Then, the next day in the late morning, the dogs saw a rabbit. They didn't even slow down for the fence.

In addition to rabbits, the two that are here have taken on coyotes, skunk, 'possum, and fox. Both have "chewed up" more times than I can count. They keep doing their thing; tough little buggers. :)

If you've got the room for them to roam they should do just fine.

G.

[Foxtrot's]

Yes, they must be in a fenced enclosure. I have two greyhounds but we know whippet people. The two types do not seem to have natural boundaries. Ours do escape now and then through a gate and do come back --- eventually, like 3:00 am. It just does not seem fair to have them perpetually on a leash. Actually, one of our greyhounds is "mine" and the other is my husbands. I can take mine out on trails and she'll never move off my side and is totally trustworthy. When other dogs and people show up I slip a leash on her because they are supposed to be leashed. My husband's grey - not so much off leash.

They are lovely dogs, whippets and greyhounds. Very quiet, clean, loveable and full of love. We love having two because they run each other - like swallows on the wing, they are quite beautiful, swooping round the field. (my advice : adopt two dogs.)

I don't know about the housetraining issue. Ours were ex-racers and trained to their cages so came housetrained and leash trained. Easy.

[Foxtrot's]

The whippets I know are not really prey minded. Some lock on and nothing can change their minds. "My" greyhound is not like that, my husbands would be more so. We can keep them contained by several strands of electric fence in one area which does not have the page wire. My greyhounds do not climb and my friend's whippets are kept in a normally fenced yard. The dogs vary individually quite a lot.

[LegalEagle]

My question is would I be courting disaster with this dog since I don't really have a fenced in yard?
M


IMO, yes. My parents have a whippet and he is easily distracted and lured in by anything that moves. Small prey animals and he's gone.

However, he does very well on an invisible underground fence. He was properly trained on it and will not leave the boundaries even for tantalizing squirrels.

I have to say though, without offending all the whippet lovers (I do really like this dog) that he is probably one of the least intelligent dogs I have encountered, and is very nervous. He was really tough to train and is pretty high-maintainence emotionally.

But if you are looking for a loyal, friendly, affectionate, and snuggly dog, then a whippet is a great pick.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

My consern is that I don't really have what one would call a fenced in yard (we have 60 acres) and I have always heard that sight hounds need to stay on a leash, never off leash. My question is would I be courting disaster with this dog since I don't really have a fenced in yard?
M

Would the dog be outdoors offlead and unsupervised with no fence? If so, then yes, I think you would be courting disaster. But then I feel that way about any dog.:) A sighthound, probably more so, because once they see something to chase, they chase it.:yes:

A friend of mine who kept whippets had one scale a fence, chase down the heighbor's child, bite it, and whizz right back home and over the fence again. I think it's unusual for whippets to bite people - Cedric was a very unusual dog. Anyway, they can be very single-minded when chasing something.

But if the whippet was going to be primarily a house dog, and you trained him to come when called reliably, and went outside with him, then I think you'd be fine.:)

[MistyBlue]

Sakura...glad I'm not the only one who sings Devo if I see a Whippet. :lol:

They're cool little dogs. Both literally and figuratively. They're really neat/cool and they freeze easy. If you don't mind a dog that needs sweaters, coats, snowsuits in winter and a dog that can tend to be a bundle of nervous energy, then it might be the dog for you. :winkgrin:
And boy howdy are they FAST and smart as heck. :yes: Think speedy JRT on crack.

[pAin't_Misbehavin']

Think speedy JRT on crack.
:lol: With emotional issues.:yes:

[Monarch]

Thank you all for your reply's. They have been very helpful and given me some more things to think about. Our dogs live in the house with us. I am home most days of the week and not a house person. I like being outside and my dogs do hang out when I do my chores and riding. My thought is now if I go through with this is that I need to figure out what to do with the whippet when I am out riding and/or doing things that take my full consentration.
If I build a small kennel how do I keep a climber in? Hmm.
Thanks again
M

[good booie]

You have a PM

[Lincoln]

I've had whippets and greyhounds but would probably not pick either for barn dogs. Not super weatherproof and prefer dog/people beds to barn aisles for places to lie down. That said, they are lovely and do well with an invisible fence in my experience. Really snuggly.

[SLW]

Our whippet is 14 years old. He lives w/ our JRT's, cats & hens (when we had hens/ducks) with no problems. Our backyard is fenced because they do get 'houndy' and go looking. With that, once on a scent they don't hear cars coming.....

Whippets are tidy dogs, clean themselves like a cat, and I swear they do not smell like a dog. (Our JRT's still stink after a bath!!) Very agreeable hounds that make great house dogs.

[aspenlucas]

I have a long haired whippet that just turned 16. She is the most amazing dog and my best friend. I can't say enough good things about her! The long hair was a good thing being in NE PA, but she does shed alot. :( She was my shadow for 14 1/2 years. Followed me everywhere I went. Took her to work sometimes, to the barn. Hardly ever had her on a leash. Though she is a sighthound she had very good recall.

She always was clean, never smelled, didn't get into things. Loved to play but then loved to sleep on her doggy bed. Now that she is 16 she is getting older, and I think having problems with strokes. I love her dearly and will do all I can for her. My husband doesn't like her, thinks she is useless, but if you are looking for a best friend a whippet is the way to go. I can't imagine my life without Star. :)

[Renae]

Have a friend with a Whippet, it is a nice dog but it can never be off a leash or a tie, it gets cold very easily and has blankets and beds they must bring to the hosre shows for it, and it regards any animal under 15 or so pounds, even other dogs, as prey.

[katie16]

I don't own any myself. But I lived next door to Carol Harris (Bo-Bett Farm) for many years and she's certainly got a bunch of Whippets and IG's! From living next door to them and visiting Carol and her family a bunch my observations are as follows:

a nice dog - "polite" and friendly; likes people and being snuggled up sleeping next to them on the couch or bed; bright and sensative; not to be loose except in a confined area -hard to catch if/when they accidently get loose (especially if there is more than one); NOT good with cats -will chase (and think of eating) small critters; need a warm climate and even then will get cold easily.

My impression is that it is a nice dog, but not a farm dog.

[theoldgreymare]

We had Whippets for many years as my mother showed and bred them (also GD's). Great family dogs, very protective of children (mine would block my toddlers from any new person coming into the house until they got the "ok" from me), never had a problem with keeping them house clean (although hounds are notorious for being dirty and hard to house break), very hardy for such delicate looking animals, some will take off after prey if allowed but are also capable of jumping/climbing the average fence height (had one get seriously hurt going over a 6' chain link after a deer), very smart and make wonderful foot warmers in bed! They excell in obedience and agility training (friend had #1 agility Whippet in the U.S. for many years and she claims they are one of the easiest breeds to train). I lost my last one 5 years ago to cancer....I miss her!

[KPF]

I have a whippet mix that I got from the SPCA sixteen years ago-- she has been a great dog. She's starting to have issues with incontinence due to old age but at 17-18 years old, can still jump up and down off the couch, climb stairs, and play with the rambunctious 1 yr old beagle. She is the most obedient dog I've ever had-- very meek but not timid and would never stray too far from me. She always was really fiesty though, eager to play. I used to take her out on the beach for long walks when she was young and she'd run way up ahead of me and then look back like "oops, my mom's way back there" and run all the way back to me. She is as sweet as they come... I'm so happy I saved her from the pound and that she and I had many good years together. :) She's almost completely deaf and blind now but she'll be around until she isn't enjoying life anymore... I love my Dixie dog.

I have no experience with purebreds, other than that they do appear to be nervous. I think mine is a whippet and terrier mix.

[Go Fish]

Thank you all for your reply's. They have been very helpful and given me some more things to think about. Our dogs live in the house with us. I am home most days of the week and not a house person. I like being outside and my dogs do hang out when I do my chores and riding. My thought is now if I go through with this is that I need to figure out what to do with the whippet when I am out riding and/or doing things that take my full consentration.
If I build a small kennel how do I keep a climber in? Hmm.
Thanks again
M

Chain link the top of the kennel. My mom had a Cocker male that would climb out. That stopped the little bugger!

[Blinkers On]

We had a Wimpet when I was in my sr year of high school. Kudos was his name. He was the best little dog. He was an under the covers kind of cuddler. Amazing dog! He did wear clothing in the winter. We lived in a very cold environment. He came riding with me, Occasionally he rode double with me. I say I will never own a dog other than a Pit, but a Whimpet could easily make it's way into my home! I used to say I love fast cars, fast horses and fast dogs. There was nothing more amazing than watching him burn in a 1/4 section! He ran just for the joy of it. Loved that little dog! Only thing I didn't like was his love of the "lagoon." Nothing like a white dog making a bee line for a poop reservoir.

[aspenlucas]

Sorry I'm bringing up an OLD topic, but does anyone know of any good breeders near PA? I recently lost my 16 year old Long Haired Whippet and am starting to search for a replacement. I'm more into adopting or rescuing but am open to anything.

[LexInVA]

There's a few Whippets on Petfinder that are located in PA. I don't know how open the rescues would be to adopting one out to someone who lives on a farm, as none of the ones I've worked with seem to ever like the idea, but the fact that you have experience with the breed should count in your favor.

[Blinkers On]

http://www.whippet-rescue.com/roster.html

http://whippet.rescueme.org/sites

http://www.allbreed-rescue.org/special_breeds/index.html

[aspenlucas]

There's a few Whippets on Petfinder that are located in PA. I don't know how open the rescues would be to adopting one out to someone who lives on a farm, as none of the ones I've worked with seem to ever like the idea, but the fact that you have experience with the breed should count in your favor.

The great thing is I don't live on a farm. ;) I live on my grandmother's two acres and the farm is about 3/4 mile down the road. So that should be in my favor! LOL!

[threedogpack]

My barn owner and her daughter each have a Whippet. Long time Border Collie peeps, they switched a few years ago. Neither one of their dogs runs, both are good off lead. Physically tough, emotionally sensitive dogs. I'd have a whippet, the ones I know are smart, nice dogs.

[BarbB]

I raised GSDs and Afghan Hounds forever...and a friend who raises Whippets and Greyhounds (for show not racing) just handed me a Whippet puppy at ringside one day.
I was in love immediately. Small enough to be a lap dog (ok, that took careful planning) big enough to stand his ground with the GSD, smart, clean, very layed back in the house. He went to work with me, went to the barn everyday, curled up in a chair at ringside while I rode, ran around otherwise. Learned not to run in the barn aisles. Obeyed everyone who caught him thinking about doing something not allowed. Great with kids....I don't have any and never expect my dogs to be good with kids.
He died suddenly of a very aggressive cancer and I will replace him.
Another friend who raised Whippets told me 30 years ago that I would love a male Whippet, my only regret is that I didn't listen to her and discover how charming this breed is earlier.
You do need a fenced yard. They have a high activity level outdoors and are curious and are hunters, I would expect one to explore farther afield everyday until it met it's demise. They don't just take off like some breeds (Afghan Hounds and Siberian Huskies come to mind) but sighthounds are not territorial and you really can't expect them to just hang around.

Devon with his cat (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=107113&l=9714a283b9&id=1636960732)

[aspenlucas]

Barb, Devon is darling! I wish I could post a picture of my whippet! I am eagerly searching, realizing I just can't live without one. I agree they are about the perfect dog. My Star was practically perfect in every way. Her only setback was the shedding of her long hair. But she was obedient, faithful and great with my kids, even though she was 10 when I brought the first daughter home from the hospital. I don't think I will ever have a more loyal dog!

[Tiki]

My question is would I be courting disaster with this dog since I don't really have a fenced in yard? Maybe you wouldn't, but probably the whippet would.