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About Whippets
A whippet is a small to medium breed of sighthound closely related to the Greyhound.
He should portray a balanced combination of muscular power and strength with elegance and grace of outline.
He is built for speed and for work.
He makes an ideal companion and is highly adaptable in domestic and sporting environments.
He has a gentle, affectionate and even disposition.
Whippets usually do not bark unnecessarily and are one of the least aggressive dog breeds in existance, both toward people and other dogs.
They are instinctively clean dogs who do not shed excessively, making them ideal house dogs.
They do feel the cold in winter due to their lack of body fat so a jacket is recommended during the colder months.
They are often referred to as velcro-dogs as they like nothing more than to be pressed closely against their favourite person.
Whippets, surprisingly, are not as active as many people assume. They are happy to sleep on a couch for most of the day but they do need to unwind with a good run at least once a day.
It's advised that whippets are kept fit and lean for optimum health and happiness.
Whippets can suffer separation anxiety when their family or person leaves the.
A companion dog often prevents this, while training will also help.
They will usually grow out of separation anxiety as they get older though.
A Brief History Of The Breed
There are many differing opinions as to the exact origin of the whippet, some believe they were crosses between Greyhounds and Terriers however others believe they evolved alongside the Greyhound during the early evolution of Sighthounds.
We know that Sighthounds were brought to the United Kingdom by the Phoenicians as early as 1000BC and Greyhounds were brought to the UK by the Romans a short time later.
In the early years Greyhounds were not permitted to be owned by anyone but the noble classes.
Those of the lower classes did manage to acquire smaller hounds which they used for poaching rabbits to provide their families with food.
They favoured the darker colours of blue and black as these were less likely to be spotted by the game keepers at night. Their ability to snatch up a rabbit at top speed without falter earned them the name of 'Snap-Dogs.'
During the late 1800's whippets gained popularity among the coal mining working class in the North of England where they would hold regular 'Rag Races'. The dogs would be held at one end of a 200 yard track while their owner would run to the other end and wave a rag for his dog. These races provided entertainment as well as attracting frenzied wagering among the spectators and owners alike.
These races gave rise to the name "Rag Dogs"
The first breed show to mention whippets was held at Darlington in the North of England in 1876.
However they where not accepted into the Kennel Club Stud Book until 1891, with 5 entries that first year.
Over the years their popularity has increased and the whippet is currently one of the most popular breeds in the UK with all modern day whippets tracing back to those early English whippets.
In Australia whippets compete in many disciplines such as trick dogs, agility, endurance, fly ball and lure coursing with the latter gaining popularity with many clubs in every state.
Sprint dogs is another sport that is evolving at this time and is sure to attract many whippet owners.
Whichever sport you decide to participate in with your whippet you can be sure that you will both have a lot of fun with other likeminded people.
