Whippet

Temperament

The Whippet has two sides. Outdoors it is an athlete that takes off in a split second after a hare, a ball or a lure and reaches impressive speed. At home it turns into a heat-seeking blanket on legs: it looks for the softest cushion, burrows under the comforter and can sleep through most of the day. With its family it is very affectionate and gentle, usually patient with children, and it gets along with other dogs, especially other sighthounds. It is polite to strangers but not enthusiastic, and it almost never barks, so it won't be a watchdog. It is sensitive to harsh handling; a raised voice can put it off for a long time. The biggest challenge is its chase instinct: small animals, including unfamiliar cats, are a trigger it finds hard to ignore.

Energy

calmvery energetic

Affection

independentvelcro pet

With children

not idealgreat

With other pets

difficultgreat

Trainability

stubborneager to learn

For first-time owners

for experienced ownersyes

With strangers

waryoutgoing

Playfulness

dignifiedeternal puppy

Shedding

minimalheavy

Grooming

easydemanding

Being left alone

strugglescopes well

Apartment living

needs a house and yardgreat in a flat

Barking

quietvocal

With other dogs

difficultgreat

Protectiveness

lowhigh

Drooling

hardly anya lot

Cold tolerance

feels the coldexcellent

Heat tolerance

strugglescopes well

Scores of 1–5 compare the breed with other breeds of the same species, based on the sources at the bottom of the page. Every animal is different. How we score traits

Who is the Whippet for?

The Whippet is a good choice for someone in an apartment or a house who wants a calm dog indoors and will happily take it running somewhere safe a few times a week. It works for a patient first-time owner. We don't recommend it for homes with rodents or unfamiliar cats, or for people who want a guard dog.

Size and looks

Care and exercise

A Whippet doesn't need hours of walking, but it does need a chance to sprint. The AKC suggests vigorous sessions of fetch or running with another dog in a fenced area several times a week, on top of daily walks, for 45–90 minutes a day in total. Outside a fence it stays on leash, because once it spots something it won't come back when called. Lure coursing and agility are great outlets. The short coat with no real undercoat needs only a weekly brushing and the occasional bath. Whippets have very little body fat, so they need a coat on chilly days and a warm bed at home. A healthy adult should show two or three vertebrae and the outline of the hip bones; what looks skinny to a layperson is the correct build for this breed.

Health and breed-related conditions

The Whippet is one of the healthier, longer-lived breeds: a 2024 UK study of almost 5,000 dogs found a median of 13.4 years. The American breed club lists heart, hearing and eye checks among the tests for parents. The British Kennel Club requires no mandatory tests but recommends attention to genetic diversity, and the breed club runs its own health program. With very little body fat and a short coat, a Whippet gets cold easily in winter and needs a coat. The AKC points out that keeping it lean throughout life protects it from many costly orthopedic problems.

• heart diseaseUS breeders have the parents' hearts checked before mating.
• deafnessAmerican breeders check the parents' hearing, for example with a BAER test.
• eye diseaseThe breed club recommends eye exams for the parents.

This is general breed information, not a diagnosis. If something worries you, talk to your veterinarian.

Breed history

Whippet-type dogs were known in England as early as the Middle Ages, and 21st-century genetic research confirmed that they descend from Greyhounds. By the 19th century the Whippet was a clearly established breed, used to hunt small game and control vermin, which the Victorians turned into a sport with betting. Whippet racing became especially popular in the mining districts of northern England and Wales, but also in London and the Midlands. Old standards described both the Whippet and the Italian Greyhound as a "Greyhound in miniature," although over time the three breeds developed in different directions.

Fun facts

• Whippet racing was popular in the mining districts of northern England and Wales, but also in London and the Midlands.
• The FCI standard allows any color or mix of colors except merle.
• A healthy Whippet with visible vertebrae and ribs has the correct build, not a sign of malnutrition.
• The Whippet belongs to the short-haired sighthound group, together with the Greyhound and the Polish Greyhound.

Frequently asked questions

This breed also appears in

• Medium dog breeds
• Best dogs for kids
• Best dogs for apartments
• Dogs that don’t shed (much)
• Dogs for first-time owners

Sources

1. 1FCI – wzorzec nr 162 Whippetfci.be
2. 2AKC – Whippetakc.org
3. 3The Kennel Club – Whippetthekennelclub.org.uk
4. 4McMillan i in. 2024, Longevity of companion dog breeds, Scientific Reportsnature.com

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.