Whippet

Whippets are excellent family dogs — gentle, affectionate, playful, and deeply loyal to their family. They're calm and clean in the house, sensitive enough to be intuitive companions, and playful enough to enjoy games with children. Their medium size makes them manageable, and their low-maintenance coat is a practical bonus. They tend to bond closely with their household and can be velcro dogs who simply want to be near their people. For families willing to meet their exercise needs, a Whippet is a near-perfect companion dog.

Whippets are sight-hounds built for explosive short-distance speed, not endurance — their exercise needs are more moderate than you'd expect. Around 45–60 minutes of daily exercise is sufficient, but they absolutely need the opportunity to run freely in a safely enclosed area to sprint at full speed. Whippets off-leash in open unsecured areas will chase anything that moves and cannot be recalled in time — a securely fenced field or garden is essential. After a good run, they're perfectly happy to curl up on the sofa for hours.

Whippets feel the cold acutely — their single, very short coat and extremely lean body with almost no subcutaneous fat means they lose heat rapidly. In cold or wet weather, a coat or jumper is not a fashion choice; it's a genuine welfare necessity. Many Whippet owners have an impressive wardrobe of dog coats for different weather conditions. They should not sleep in cold rooms, and walks in bitter weather should be kept comfortable with appropriate outerwear. Their love of burrowing under blankets and sleeping pressed against warm humans is entirely sensible from their perspective.

Whippets are surprisingly well-suited to apartment life — indoors they're calm, clean, quiet, and content to lounge, making them one of the better larger breeds for apartment living. The key condition is that they receive adequate daily outdoor exercise, including opportunities to run freely in a secure area. A Whippet in an apartment who gets daily runs will be perfectly satisfied; one who doesn't will become anxious and restless. Their sensitivity to cold also means they'll appreciate indoor warmth during cold seasons.

Whippets are one of the healthiest pedigree breeds with relatively few breed-specific conditions. Heart problems — particularly mitral valve disease in older dogs — are worth monitoring. Eye conditions including progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) occur in some lines. Their thin skin means wounds and cuts heal slowly and are prone to tearing in rough play or on sharp objects. They're sensitive to anaesthesia due to their low body fat — it's important your vet is aware this is a sight-hound when anaesthetics are needed. Von Willebrand's disease (a clotting disorder) is occasionally seen.

Whippets have a sight-hound prey drive and can instinctively chase cats — particularly cats they don't know. However, many Whippets who are raised with cats from puppyhood live alongside them peacefully and come to regard them as part of the pack. Introductions must be careful, gradual, and always supervised initially. A Whippet that has lived with cats usually respects those cats but may still chase unknown cats outdoors. It's wise to keep the Whippet on-lead around unknown cats and ensure the cat always has an accessible escape route at home.

Whippets are gentle, sensitive dogs who respond well to positive reinforcement training. They're quick learners when motivated correctly, though their sight-hound independence means they can choose to ignore commands when something more interesting captures their attention outdoors. Harsh training methods don't work with Whippets — they shut down emotionally and lose trust. Recall training is the most important skill to develop given their speed and prey drive. Use high-value rewards, train in low-distraction environments first, and build to more challenging settings gradually.

Whippets are a long-lived, healthy breed, typically reaching 12–15 years. Their relative genetic diversity compared to many pedigree breeds, lean athletic build, and lack of extreme physical features all contribute to their good health. Annual vet check-ups, dental care, weight management, heart monitoring in older dogs, and protecting their thin skin from injury are the main pillars of Whippet health management. Many Whippets remain active, playful, and in good health well into their early teens.