Description: The Whippet is a medium-sized sight hound. The dog is 19-20 inches tall and the bitches are 18-21 inches. Ranging in weight from 25 to 45 pounds, this breed resembles its cousin, the greyhound. The Whippet has a long skull, which is slender and has a very wide space between the ears. The muzzle is long and tapers to the nose. The nose is dark brown, black or dark blue. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. This dog has small ears that are shaped like a rose. His ears are held back and folded, except when the dog is excited, where they are semi-erect.
The Whippet has oval-shaped eyes and was dark in color. They have straight front legs with feet that are thick and can be cat-like or hare-like. This breed has a deep chest. A long tail that has a slight rise at the end is held low. This breed has a short coat that is soft and all colors are accepted. The Whippet lives about 15 years.
History: The Whippet arose by crossing the Italian Greyhound, the Greyhound and an unknown breed of Terrier type. This was in the 19th century. The name means to move quickly “whip it” and as the name suggests, it is a very fast dog reaching speeds of up to 37 mph. This dog has a track record in racing, often called the poor man’s racehorse. In the UK, there were race tracks in almost every town where the poorest man would go to watch the Whippet race and bet on who would win.
Due to the fact, this is a hunting dog that the dogs bred by chasing a “rabbit” that was not a real rabbit but a mechanical rabbit, which was on the edge of the track, going faster than the dogs. This sport was popular until the mid-1980s when it fell out of favor. The Whippet was first recognized by the AKC in 1888 and the English Kennel Club in 1891. This dog has been used for hunting, as a watchdog, sighting, racing, agility, and lure.