Whippet - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin

Whippets were bred by working Englishmen who probably crossed Greyhounds with Miniature Pinschers and some other quick terrier dog breeds. Later, they were also crossed with Italian Greyhound for the elegance and refinement.

2) Speed

In their weight category, Whippets are the fastest animals on the planet. They can run up to 35 mph, which is caused by their specific running style. Just like Greyhounds, they use a double suspension gallop. If you watch their run closely, you will see, that at one point, all their feet are on the ground, and the next, all four paws are in the air, parallel to the ground.

3) Quiet dogs

Sometimes, you will not even know, that there is a dog living with you. For the most part, whippets are incredibly quiet and they bark very rarely. Because of that, they make poor guard dogs. Actually, they would probably even welcome the thief, Whippets are very friendly, even towards complete strangers.

4) Name

Whippet is swift and the phrase whip it is from old english and it means to go swiftly. It was reffering to riders whipping horses when they needed them to move fast. There is another possibility, that the name is misspelling of wappet, which means small yipping dog.

5) Coach potatoes

This might sound weird, because whippets are one of the fastest breeds, but it is true, they really are very calm and relaxed dogs, especially indoors. They just want to lie down with you on the coach and chill. But they are still, little bit more active than greyhounds, the real coach potatoes.

6) Greyhounds for poor

The english greyhounds were refined as noble and elegant breed, which is only for the rich. The poorer class settled for the modest whippet instead. That is why, unlike the greyhound which was used mostly for racing and coursing, whippets were used mostly for hunting small prey like rabbits, so the poor people can eat it.

7) Low maintance

The whippet is amazing dog, if you dont like grooming. Their coat is extremely easy to maintance, they dont need any trimming. Brushing their coat once a week is enough. Of course, you should check their ears and eyes regularly for possible infections. And you should cut the nails, if they are too long. You don’t want long nails if you are running at speeds up to 35 mph.

8) Clothing

Whippets are fragile and they have very low body fat, which is causing that they do not tolerate the cold. In the winter weather, they need an extra layer or two on them. Luckily, there is a lot of sweaters and jackets on the market and another advantage is, that they look really cute in them.

9) Size

Whippets are built for speed and they have very athletic, long and slender built. The average whippet height is between 19-21 inches which is 48-53 cm and their average weight is only around 30 pounds which is 13 kg.

10) Coat

Whippets coat is velvety like to the touch and it is short and sleek. It can be any color or color combination. You'll see him in black, white, red, fawn, blue, cream, brindle, and various combinations of those colors with a wide variety of spots, blazes, and patches.