Advice on gettig our first dog - a whippet

[Penguin_Toes]

Hello everyone

In a few months time we hope to get our first dog.

Neither myself nor my husband have had a dog before. I've had cats and horses my whole life, his family always had cats.

So we are completely clueless and wanting to get things right!

We know that a whippet is what we want, we've always loved them. We have a four year old boy who is very good with animals and I understand whippets are ideal family dogs. There's no chance of a baby coming along and our cat passed away last year so it is going to be the four of us.

I've approached a few rehoming places and I think we will struggle as we both work full time (although my husband is at a dog friendly office and I can work from home any days he is travelling, so dog won't be left alone!).

So some questions I have if anyone would be kind enough to impart their wisdom:

• How to find a good breeder/where might be good to buy from, I don't want to buy from someone who is just trying to cash in on covid prices (we are in Cheshire).
• Anything in particular to look out for when viewing them, or any particular health checks.
• Any recommendations for puppy food.
• Any tips for house training as I've never done this before.
• I understand you can't walk them for quite a while. When do you start to take them out on walks and what is the best way of building up to this?

To be honest any advice at all would be greatly appreciated, especially in relation to whippets!

Thank you in advance

 

[Cortez]

Whippets are just the absolute best, they're goofy, lazy, calm (mostly) and loving, not to mention beautiful . Perhaps you can tell I have a whippet?

No specific advice, they're just like most puppies, but I don't see why you wouldn't take them on walks, as long as they're not exhausting treks.

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Hello! Thanks for your reply.

You may be underestimating just how clueless I am. I only recently learnt that you aren't supposed to walk puppies while their joints develop, which I had no idea about, perhaps that is overly cautious advice?

 

[Cortez]

Well I think it's overly cautious, particularly for small, light dogs, but others may disagree. I walked all my puppies, but not for miles - they are babies after all - and don't do ball chasing or really fast runs until they're more mature. Perhaps you can ask your vet, or join a puppy training class?

 

[Penguin_Toes]

So a bit of a pad around the (small) block will be fine by the sounds of it. I've got myself a book about whippets from the 1960s that I'm enjoying, and will do lots more research.

Will certainly do a puppy training class.

How do I find a reputable breeder amoungst all the chancers? Approach a breed club?

 

[Cortez]

So a bit of a pad around the (small) block will be fine by the sounds of it. I've got myself a book about whippets from the 1960s that I'm enjoying, and will do lots more research.

Will certainly do a puppy training class.

How do I find a reputable breeder amoungst all the chancers? Approach a breed club?

That's a good place to start.

 

[TGM]

A whippet is a great choice! With regards walking puppies, it is usually advised that they should not go to outside public areas, or any garden where an unvaccinated dog may have been until their initial vaccination course is complete and active, which your vet will advise. After that, you can walk them but not too far to start with. The advice given by the Kennel Club is 'five minutes of formal exercise per month of age (up to twice a day) until the puppy is fully grown', although like most things there is some debate about that. It is the big breeds that are very prone to joint problems that you have to be particularly careful with, I think.

 

[Jenko109]

You absolutely are supposed to walk puppies, you just arent meant to until they have had both their vaccinations (normally 8 and 12 weeks ish)

From there short walks for a baby. Five minutes a day per month of age (eg 3 month old puppy; 15 minutes) is the guide but listen to your puppy.

Toilet training is outside pretty much every 10-15 minutes or so when they are very young. Use a word, eg 'go weewees' and praise when they get it right. Ignore accidents in the home. I would recommend crating puppy next to your bed at night time so they can wake you when they need the toilet. This also allows you to gradually increase the distance over the coming weeks and months so the crate can gradually move to the foot of the bed, the other side of the bedroom, just outside the bedroom door etc. This will greatly help to prevent having a puppy with separation anxiety.

Breeders, check out Champ dogs and KC website. I would personally go for a KC registered puppy as the breeder will be able to set you up with free KC insurance for when you take puppy home. If you get your own insurance, it wont properly kick in until 2 weeks after ownership. There are health tests for whippets, heart seeming to be the most important for most people, however most will say as the whippet is such a healthy breed, you may not want to overlook a litter just because these health tests are not done.

Prices. I got a KC registered whippet seven months ago for £750. The prices shouldn't be absurd.

Food. The breeder should be providing you with enough food to last a week or two. You can then gradually transition puppy onto your preferred food. The answer to this is going to greatly depend on budget. I personally use a mix of butternut box and burns grain free duck and potato.

Puppy classes are a brilliant idea. Dont underestimate how much they can help you to create a well mannered, sociable yet polite little creature.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Hello! Thanks for your reply.

You may be underestimating just how clueless I am. I only recently learnt that you aren't supposed to walk puppies while their joints develop, which I had no idea about, perhaps that is overly cautious advice?

I think you have got some wires crossed! You can't walk a puppy until it has had all vaccinations and been given the all clear, about 1 week later. You can usually start walking them by about 12 weeks old. What you shouldn't do is over exercise puppies, so short walks, no jumping on and off walls etc but you need to get them out and about in order to bring up a confident dog.

 

[CorvusCorax]

OK so I can see where there is a little confusion also in that, IME you don't walk young puppies 'for exercise'.
It's more to stretch their legs, clean themselves, learn to walk on leash, see the world, learn how to be a good dog, etc.

 

[Cortez]

OK so I can see where there is a little confusion also in that, IME you don't walk young puppies 'for exercise'.
It's more to stretch their legs, clean themselves, learn to walk on leash, see the world, learn how to be a good dog, etc.

However puppies most certainly do need exercise and keeping a young dog cooped up will not do them, or your house, much good.

 

[CorvusCorax]

However puppies most certainly do need exercise and keeping a young dog cooped up will not do them, or your house, much good.

Yes, brain exercise and that doesn't come from going for a walk on a leash.
We don't expect baby horses or humans to do hard physical exercise and dogs are no different.
I didn't say anything anywhere about cooping up so not sure where that's coming from?

 

[Penguin_Toes]

This is all so helpful, thank you guys! I obviously misunderstood what I read

Any other top tips?

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Yes, brain exercise and that doesn't come from going for a walk on a leash.
We don't expect baby horses or humans to do hard physical exercise and dogs are no different.

This is a really good way of thinking about it - I'd trust my instincts much more with a young horse or a toddler! I'm just so unknowledgable I'm probably overthinking things...

 

[skinnydipper]

When I got the one and only puppy I had from 8 weeks old, I took him with me and carried him in a bag when I took my other dogs out.

Shoot me now

ETA. I thought getting him out, seeing the world was important.

 

[Spotherisk]

Whippets and other whippetty things are the best.

Don’t even think you will keep your whippet off the soft furnishings, not a hope in hell. They will play bite a lot, and just when you think you cannot take any more, they’ll grow out of it. They are delighted to meet other whippetty things when out and about and delight in chasing and being chased.

Rew is my second lurcher, whippet x lurcher (greyhound x Bedlington).

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Oh my goodness, he is gorgeous!! Happy to have them on the sofa, they seem so neat and clean

 

[Cortez]

Yes, brain exercise and that doesn't come from going for a walk on a leash.
We don't expect baby horses or humans to do hard physical exercise and dogs are no different.
I didn't say anything anywhere about cooping up so not sure where that's coming from?

Sorry, we'll have to disagree, going for a walk is most assuredly brain exercise; all the smells, sights and experiences of toddling around with your human are exactly what a puppy needs to learn about his/her environment. Hiking up the summit of Benbulben is not what I mean, but being out and about generally vs cooped up in the house.

The only pups I've consciously restricted are Irish Wolfhounds, but they have known bone and cartilage problems, unlike whippets.

 

[Jenko109]

Seeing as we are posting whippet spam..

 

[CorvusCorax]

Sorry, we'll have to disagree, going for a walk is most assuredly brain exercise; all the smells, sights and experiences of toddling around with your human are exactly what a puppy needs to learn about his/her environment. Hiking up the summit of Benbulben is not what I mean, but being out and about generally vs cooped up in the house.

The only pups I've consciously restricted are Irish Wolfhounds, but they have known bone and cartilage problems, unlike whippets.

I actually think we're agreeing but I have a terrible dose of The Fear today ?

 

[Annette4]

To add to what others have said, find something your whippet loves (toys or treats) and train recall from their 1st walk. I drop the lead and play recall games where they run between us to start with. You have to be the most fun thing in the world.

I personally don't like puppy classes but I would personally suggest looking for an obedience based class which doesn't allow free for all play personally as it can encourage bullying or your puppy thinking every dog wants to play rough (I speak from experience)

I would suggest a show bred puppy for your first dog over a racing or working line as they're generally less driven and have less prey drive.

It is possible to crate train them if you want to, I've currently got 1 on cafe rest and she is totally chilled and I'm so thankful.

 

[Penguin_Toes]

To add to what others have said, find something your whippet loves (toys or treats) and train recall from their 1st walk. I drop the lead and play recall games where they run between us to start with. You have to be the most fun thing in the world.

I personally don't like puppy classes but I would personally suggest looking for an obedience based class which doesn't allow free for all play personally as it can encourage bullying or your puppy thinking every dog wants to play rough (I speak from experience)

I would suggest a show bred puppy for your first dog over a racing or working line as they're generally less driven and have less prey drive.

It is possible to crate train them if you want to, I've currently got 1 on cafe rest and she is totally chilled and I'm so thankful.

Amazing thank you. What's the best way of finding a show bred puppy rather than racing lines?You sound in the know

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

To add to what others have said, find something your whippet loves (toys or treats) and train recall from their 1st walk. I drop the lead and play recall games where they run between us to start with. You have to be the most fun thing in the world.

I personally don't like puppy classes but I would personally suggest looking for an obedience based class which doesn't allow free for all play personally as it can encourage bullying or your puppy thinking every dog wants to play rough (I speak from experience)

I would suggest a show bred puppy for your first dog over a racing or working line as they're generally less driven and have less prey drive.

It is possible to crate train them if you want to, I've currently got 1 on cafe rest and she is totally chilled and I'm so thankful.

I like the idea of Cafe rest! I might try that myself, next time I am ill.

 

[Jenko109]

Oh yes, Annette makes a good point. There are puppy classes and then there are puppy classes.

You want a class that does not allow the puppies to just be out of control playing together. A puppy class should be run exactly the same sort of way as a beginners obedience class; all on lead, teaching puppy to listen to you with other dogs present.

As an idea. Where I take my puppy is entirely on lead, teaching a focus word to teach puppy to look at you, sit stays, down stays, loose lead walking etc. At the end of the session, if you wish to do so, you can allow your puppy to say hello, staying on lead, in a controlled manner. There is absolutely no off lead play, under any circumstance.

You may want to contact a few and go and watch to see what it's like and make sure it's a suitable environment for a puppy. I would also say that ideally, training should not be in a hall, but instead in a field or similar as this is a much more realistic environment.

 

[Clodagh]

There must be a good book that would cover the basics. I don’t actually know one to recommend.
I roughly stick to the 5 minutes a day per month of age, it’s a good guide. That doesn’t include them charging round the garden, only formal exercise.
Golden rules:
Don’t let them do anything as a puppy you don’t want them to do as an adult.
Practice recall all the time.
If you feel you are getting stressed/ mad at them give yourselves a bit of time out.

 

[Spotherisk]

Re crates, Rew has always slept in one, still does even though he’s over a year old and we leave him out of it during the day. I really don’t need him on the bed when I’m already too hot.

 

[Clodagh]

Crates are the most amazing invention since the domestication of the dog!

 

[Annette4]

Amazing thank you. What's the best way of finding a show bred puppy rather than racing lines?You sound in the know

My friends who have show bred went to shows and found lines they liked and went from there. Racing lines and working lines tend to be advertised in those circles or sports circles.

 

[Annette4]

I like the idea of Cafe rest! I might try that myself, next time I am ill.

She'd prefer pub rest for cafe rest to me fair ?? Must proof read replies ?‍

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Top tip: carry them round Pets at Home to get them used to the car and people/noise. Always have a big packet of wipes with you for accidents.