Whippet

This slender, gentle breed has an interesting build, which is similar to a Greyhound but smaller. Their shape can best be described as the letter “S”, with legs. Whippets have a low-hanging chest, tiny waist, a long neck and a tiny, long face. Their wispy but sturdy legs make them light and agile on their paws. Despite their chill demeanour, Whippets do need to get their energy out, and love to sprint about in a fenced-in yard. Whippets can alternate between high bursts of energy and lounging for hours. Their slight build and size, however, also make them compatible for condo living. Whippets rarely bark too, which makes them ideal for apartments or other noise-sensitive living arrangements. 

The Whippets’ history can be traced back to Victorian England. Coal miners at the time loved racing dogs, but couldn’t afford the maintenance of a Greyhound, a prime racing breed, and didn’t have the space to properly sprint them. They started breeding smaller Greyhounds, though it’s unclear which other breeds were used. In this way, a star was born. Whippets are a natural sprinter that could reach speeds over 55 km/hr. Their name is said to be derived from “whappet”, a dated word that means “a small dog that yaps”...even though that’s not part of the breed’s character. 

Did you know?

The Whippet breed used to be referred to as the “Poor Man’s Racehorse” and the “Lightning Rag Dog”