Whippet

About the Whippet

A medium-sized sighthound giving the appearance of elegance and fitness, the Whippet denotes great speed, power and balance. In fact, the Whippet, an English Greyhound in miniature, is the fastest domesticated animal of his weight, capable of speeds up to 35 m.p.h. A very versatile breed, they can appear in a wide variety of colors and markings. Although keen when racing or coursing, they are quiet and dignified in their owner’s living room.

Don’t let the Whippet’s racing background fool you. Although they do have bursts of energy, this breed, like the Greyhound, is often very relaxed and enjoys resting for most of the day. “Coach potato” would be a very appropriate term, especially since they love to jump up on furniture. Apartment dwellers, take note: These dogs do well in small spaces as long as they are exercised properly (on-leash only), and they rarely bark. They do prefer to be with their people over being left alone and will excel at dog sports that allow them to run, like lure coursing.

An Embark Dog DNA Test looks at the following health conditions in Whippets: