Jenizall Whippets
Geelong, Australia
Why A Whippet
The decision to add any dog to your family means making a lifetime commitment and accepting your responisibilties not only to your dog, but to your neighbours, and fellow dog owners. So why choose a Whippet
Spend a little time with a whippet and it won't take you long to understand what the appeal is. They are quite simply a great little dog. One of the dog worlds greatest athletes, the whippet has something for everyone. Being athletic dogs makes whippets one of the soundest breed's in the dog world. But the whippets greatest appeal lies in their wonderful nature. A soft gentle even temperament means that whippets get on with almost everyone they meet (whether they have two or four legs).
A whippets short coat makes them an easy care dog. Bring them home soaking wet and cover in mud from a walk, give them a quick towel dry, and they are clean and dry within minutes. Provided you feed your whippet a balanced diet of meat, grains & vegetables, or a quality commercial food, you will also find that whippets do not carry that awful doggie odour.
Because of their friendly nature, Whippets do not make good guard dogs, they do however make great alert dogs. Most whippets run to the door to let you know when someone has entered your property, but will soon settle back down to a comfy spot once they are satisfied that the visitor has met with their approval.
Need To Know More
If you would like to know a little more about the whippet, follow this link to the Whippet Association of Victoria's information page.
Breed Information
Before You Buy A Whippet
Before choosing a Whippet, there are three important factors you will need to consider.
Firstly (and probably the most important), Whippets are FAST!!!! A whippet can cover 150mt's in 10 seconds. This is a lot of distance to put between you and your dog in a small amount of time. It will alway's be important that you are in a safe area before you let your whippet off the lead. Start teaching recall the day you bring your puppy home. And remember if you can't get your dog back when you call it - then don't let it off the lead in the first place.
The second factor you need to consider is how you feel about dogs inside your house. If you are not prepared to let your whippet inside your house, then perhaps this is not the breed for you. Whippets thrive on living inside. They love human company, and they love to be warm and comfortable. So unless their owners have made a concerted effort to keep them out of the bedroom, then the whippet will try to take over the bed as well as the couch. Being such clean little dogs, most owners don't mind sharing their favorite chair with the dog anyway.
Lastly, the third fact that you need to accept is that Whippets feel cold. Whippets have a short, fine coat, and very little body fat to keep them warm. So coats are a must. Responsible whippet owners usually end up with a collection of coats, all with a different purpose. Ours have coats to sleep in, coats for cold days, rain coats, and coats for different stages of their growth. As mentioned above whippets love to be inside. It is not reasonable to expect your whippet to sleep outside in a cold draughty kennel, especially without a coat. Obviously there will be times when your Whippet will have to be left outside. This is okay, as long as he has access to adequate shelter. A cosy draught free kennel kept under a carport or pergola, with clean warm bedding will protect him from the elements.
And remember:
Whippets are known as the potato chip dog. Why? Because their owners
rarely stop at one.
The Whippet Standard
ANKC Whippet Standard
General Appearance: Balanced combination of muscular power and strength with elegance and grace of outline. Built for speed and work. All forms of exaggeration should be avoided.
Characteristics: An ideal companion. Highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings.
Temperament: Gentle, affectionate, even disposition
Coat: Fine, short, close in texture.
Colour: Any colour or mixture of colours
Size: Desirable height
Dogs 47-51 cms (18 ˝ - 20 ins)
Bitches 44-47 cms (17 ˝ - 18 ˝ ins)
Further details of the ANKC Whippet Standard can be found by clicking here