The Whippet is a lightning quick medium-sized sighthound, similar to the Greyhound only smaller, and often referred to as the the poor mans Greyhound. They are delightfully agile dogs, with an elegant frame and a gentle nature.
They have a slim, muscular body in an inverted S-shape, with a deep chest curving into a tucked waist and long, slender legs and a narrow head. Their coat is short and glossy and comes in a wide variety of colours and marking patterns. Whippets are gentle and affectionate dogs, who thrive on human company and form very strong bonds with their owners. Their gentle and calm nature makes them good with children, although they can be a little sensitive and so perhaps are better suited to older less exuberant children. They will also adapt well to other dogs, although again nothing too boisterous, and will do well with the family cat, although their strong prey instinct may make them unsuitable to be housed with smaller household pets. Whippets enjoy lots of calm, quiet time snuggled up at home but also enjoy getting out for at least one hour of exercise a day. This should include opportunities to run off lead in a safe, secure area. Once back home, it will be more chill-out time by your side in a warm, comfy spot. As this breed has virtually no body fat, soft warm resting places are a must and protection against inclement weather should be considered.
History
Whippets were originally bred to hunt by sight, coursing game in open areas at high speeds. At the end of the 18th Century, the breed became popular among the miners of the North East of England, where it is believed to have acquired its name. These dogs were initially used for rabbit hunting, for snap dog contests, in which the winner was the dog that could snap up the most rabbits within an enclosure in the shortest time, and later for racing, earning the nickname lightning rag dog and the poor mans greyhound.
