Whippet Rescue

WHIPPET FAQ

Your whippet questions answered!

For more specific information:
rescue@sandiegowhippets.com
(619) 477-4222

You may also try contacting the Southern California Whippet Association (or SCWA) via email - WhippetRescue@aol.com

Printable adoption form in .pdf format (95.4KB)

Click here for Generalized Breed Rescue Info.

Click here for Information on how Adult Dogs Adapt to a New Home.

What's the Truth About Sighthound Puppies?

By Sharyn Hutchens of Timbreblue Whippets

Someone asked about (the energy levels or activity levels of) sighthound puppies. They are bad. Many are very, very bad. Because they are so agile, they can get into things that other puppies don't even think about. At five weeks, our Whippet puppies are racing up and down the stairs. At six months they can leap onto your kitchen counters. At nine months they can leap from behind the sofa and land on the floor in front of it. They have energy to spare and if you don't get them proper exercise, you'll have a coiled spring in your house ready to BOING as soon as it gets a chance. They don't like being alone and will get in more trouble in five minutes than, say, a Collie puppy will get in all day. On the plus side, they are endlessly entertaining, very affectionate, and way more fun than any dog I've ever had.

We don't sell Whippet puppies to homes in which no one is home for most of the day. Leaving a Whippet pup alone for more than a couple of hours is a recipe for a problem dog. Some folks get away with it, but every Whippet with behavior problems we have ever taken into rescue came from a home where no one was there during the day. Around three years old, magic occurs and the Whippet turns into a perfect dog. Before then, you need to be ever-watchful, ever-patient, and ready to replace furniture when necessary.

We know of young Whippets who have:

leaped onto the counter and eaten the top out of an apple pie, then stuffed a dishcloth in it to "bury it";
stolen a bottle of liver-flavored antibiotics from the counter and eaten the entire contents (that was the day of the puke-a-thon... We didn't know who had gotten the bottle, so we had to induce vomiting in four dogs);
opened my computer cabinet and eaten the mouse (three times, until I realized I really had to lock the cabinet every time I left the room for even five minutes);
gotten on top of the refrigerator to get at food;
leaped out of a second story window;
run full speed into a tree and broken her neck (very tragic and does occasionally happen -- thank goodness never to any of ours).

Obviously we adore these dogs or we wouldn't have so many of them, and as I said, after three years old, they're pretty much perfect. But as puppies, they are demon spawn!

Aloofness is very unusual in the ones I've known. Ours all suffer from EGD (Excessive Greeting Disorder) and that applies to me, Walt, the mailman, the UPS guy, and I'm sure to burglars. They love *everybody.* We've had a few rescues through here who weren't accustomed to much affection from humans and so were less exuberant than our own, but after a few weeks or months living in a proper Whippet home, they always come out of their shells and learn to totally overwhelm anyone coming through the door. Let's put it this way. When people come over to meet the dogs or see puppies, we warn them to wear old clothes and be prepared for excessive greeting. After five minutes, the Whippets settle down and curl up in the stranger's lap, but that first five minutes is quite an experience for most people.

Reasons NOT to Get a Whippet

If you want a dog to be an OUTDOOR ONLY DOG, don't get a whippet. Whippets have very little body fat and don't have an "all weather" coat. Even with adequate shelter, whippets do poorly in that type of environment. They are very attached to people and are miserable if they don't have a lot of quality time with their family!

If you want a dog to be a GUARD DOG, don't get a whippet. Whippets do not have the size or temperament to be a "guardian". Like most dogs they will probably alert you to the presence of strangers.

If you have visions of sitting in your easy chair with a dog quietly at your feet, think again! Most whippets are affectionate and enjoy close physical contact with their people. They are more likely to be in your lap than at your feet. Similarly, if the idea of a dog on the furniture gives you hives, you should probably look at another breed. While I'm sure a whippet could eventually be taught to stay off the furniture, they would be quite unhappy about it.

If you have cats (especially indoor/outdoor cats) and/or other small furry pets, you might want to reconsider whippets. Whippets generally have a lot of prey drive. Even dogs who are fine with the family cat indoors may view the same cat in a different light in the yard. Especially if the cat runs! If your neighbors have outdoor cats, how would they (and you) feel if your dog killed them? I do know people who have cats and whippets that peacefully coexist, and I also know people who had the combination end badly. This is an issue to consider carefully, and I would never leave the two loose, unattended.

If you are looking for a dog to accompany you off leash in various settings, I implore you to think carefully about getting a whippet or any sighthound. Sighthounds tend to have very high prey drive, and will take off after small furry creatures. During the chase they go "deaf" and won't even hear you calling them. Many whippets and other sighthounds have been hit by cars and lost because their owners trusted that they would not run off. The refrain is all too common, "But he was so attached to me I never thought he would leave my side..."; or "I had done it a million times and he never did anything like that before!" Some sighthound owners (myself included) successfully engage in off leash activities with their dogs, but only after intense recall training and in controlled areas.

As a companion to the above, if you are planning to use an invisible fence, please reconsider. Sighthounds are so fast, they can be through the containment system before they even realize they have been shocked. It just isn't enough of a deterrent in the face of great temptation (a squirrel, the neighbor's cat, etc.) Not to mention the fact that whippets are medium-sized dogs, and could be at the mercy of larger animals that wander into the yard. Even if the invisible fence keeps your whippet *in*, it doesn't keep the neighbor's 110 lb mutt *out*. I do know a few IG/whippet owners who successfully use invisible fences, but they are extremely dedicated owners and only use the system when they are outside WITH the dog.

***Contrary to what many of the breed selector websites say, whippets DO SHED!***

Some whippets have issues with moderate to severe carsickness. Many outgrow it by the time they are around a year old, but some don't.

Some whippets engage in copraphagia (eating feces) which is a complete gross out to some people. If you have a cat, you should make sure the dog doesn't have access to the box. There are products on the market designed to discourage a dog from eating dog feces, but they have limited success. The only foolproof method of dealing with the problem is picking up waste immediately.

Some whippets have issues with claustrophobia, severe crate anxiety and/or separation anxiety. Though I wouldn't call it "common", it does bear mentioning and can be very difficult to deal with.

Finally, if you expect perfect, automatic obedience, don't get a whippet! While whippets learn quickly with positive training methods and can be wonderfully well-behaved house dogs, they do not obey like a mindless automaton. People who want top obedience competitors choose breeds that don't mind lots of repetition and can be trained to a high level of precision. While a Golden Retriever might practice the same exercise 50 times in a single session, a whippet will do it twice and then look at you as if to say "Haven't you had your fun? Let's do something else already!"

If you have read all the way to this point, you may be wondering why anyone would want a whippet if all these things are true. Whippets are sweet and affectionate, as well as being beautiful and athletic. They have a dry mouth and require minimal grooming with little or no "doggy odor". They get along with most dogs and well-behaved children. They are generally clean and housetrain much more easily than their smaller brethren (IGs). They can be superb housedogs! It is also important to remember that all dogs are individuals, and you may find whippets that exhibit all (or none) of these traits.

How to Identify a Legitimate Rescue

A legitimate rescue will only adopt out dogs who have been spayed/neutered.
A legitimate rescue evaluates a dog and will only place it into an appropriate home for that individual dog.
A legitimate rescue discloses everything they know about the dog to the perspective new owner.
A legitimate rescue takes the dog to the vet for a check-up and takes care of medical needs prior to placement.
A legitimate rescue will readily supply you with the correct medical information and vet records for the dog.
A legitimate rescue evaluates temperament of the dog and will never place a dog with a known record of aggressiveness or biting.
A legitimate rescue does not operate on a "you've got $$, you've got a dog" basis.
A legitimate rescue carefully evaluates each individual home, does home visits and fills out proper documentation prior to adoption.
A legitimate rescue is not in the business of 'brokering' dogs for breeders.
A legitimate rescue is ethical, humane and always makes the best interest of the dog of foremost importance at all times.

The Meaning of Rescue

Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, all nicely tucked in my warm new bed, I'd like to open my baggage, lest I forget. There is so much to carry - So much to regret. Hmm...Yes there it is, right on the top, let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss.

And there by my bed hides Fear and Shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave - I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, but I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.
Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things - And take me right back?
Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, to never repack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see, but I do come with baggage -
Will you still want me?

-Author Unknown