Dog Breed Guide

Whippet

Profile

Size

Medium

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Origin

19th century

Bred for

Rabbit hunting, Racing

Height

male 47 - 51cm (19 - 20in), female 44 - 47cm (17 - 19in)

Weight

11 - 18kg (24 - 40lb)

Life span

12 - 15 years

It has a supple, lean body like a slightly smaller Greyhound. The short, smooth coat comes in almost every color, including brindle, fawn, black, blue and parti-colors with white.

For its weight it is considered one of the fastest dogs of all, with a top speed said to reach about 56km/h (35mph). Its acceleration off the mark is outstanding.

At home the Whippet is very calm and loves curling up asleep on the sofa. It is affectionate with its family, quiet and easy to live with. With little body fat and a thin coat, it is very sensitive to cold, and in winter a coat and blanket are essential. It will chase small moving animals with total abandon, so be careful where you let it off the leash.

Good to know

In 19th-century northern England it was a favorite of miners and factory workers. Workers who could not afford expensive Greyhounds or racehorses raced these dogs against each other on their days off, earning the Whippet the name "the poor man's racehorse."

The races, called "rag races," had owners waving a rag at the finish line to call their dogs in, and they were a weekend pleasure for working people. The Whippet's skill at snatching rabbits quickly also earned it the name "snap dog."

By the end of the 19th century it had been recognized by both the British and American kennel clubs. It can still be seen today running in races and in lure coursing, a sport in which dogs chase an artificial lure.