Advice on gettig our first dog - a whippet

[Esmae]

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.

Would agree regarding show lines over working lines. I have both and my working bred whippet is totally different in character to my show bred whippet. He is opinionated and busy and needs a lot of input. I've had several whippets and wouldn't have a working line again. He's a lovely dog for sure and kind, but needs to be doing things most of the time. Quite hard work. The show bred boy is a dope by comparison and much easier to live with. Would agree with KC reg breeder. Good luck with finding your new friend. They are amazing little dogs. Pictures please when he/she arrives.

 

[paisley]

Your previous cat and horse experience is excellent prep for a whippet, in terms of sad face disappointment and the outstanding capacity for self harm ?.
Puppies can have their own ideas so if its not going to plan despite your excellent preparation, dont worry too much.

On the whole (based on my limited experience with dogs but also horsy)

Food- whippet tums can be sensitive, go with the breeder advice to start with at least. Robbing food isnt a given.
Training- I'm cautiously going to suggest whippets use body language a bit more than you think for commands.
Good recall is perfectly achievable. They won't see the furious body language when they've legged it after a bunny, but what can you do??.
Its not unusual for toilet training to go back a bit if it gets cold at night- they wake up chilly, and what does everyone do when you wake up? Go for a pee.
Seperation anxiety can be a thing, but prevented/managed
Clothes-they dont really need them, but youll buy them anyway. Red hound is one I like.
Insurance: get the best you can afford. Make a mini first aid kit, take it on walks.
Health- usually cuts, occasionally broken toes, pulled muscles, and damaging dew claws. I keep my dogs nails trimmed regularly. Tooth brushing/cleaning for long pointy faces. Some indications for mitral valve disease (happy to be corrected). A good joint supplement is worth considering.
Beds- accept they'll be stretched out on yours at any opportunity!

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Your previous cat and horse experience is excellent prep for a whippet, in terms of sad face disappointment and the outstanding capacity for self harm ?.
Puppies can have their own ideas so if its not going to plan despite your excellent preparation, dont worry too much.

On the whole (based on my limited experience with dogs but also horsy)

Food- whippet tums can be sensitive, go with the breeder advice to start with at least. Robbing food isnt a given.
Training- I'm cautiously going to suggest whippets use body language a bit more than you think for commands.
Good recall is perfectly achievable. They won't see the furious body language when they've legged it after a bunny, but what can you do??.
Its not unusual for toilet training to go back a bit if it gets cold at night- they wake up chilly, and what does everyone do when you wake up? Go for a pee.
Seperation anxiety can be a thing, but prevented/managed
Clothes-they dont really need them, but youll buy them anyway. Red hound is one I like.
Insurance: get the best you can afford. Make a mini first aid kit, take it on walks.
Health- usually cuts, occasionally broken toes, pulled muscles, and damaging dew claws. I keep my dogs nails trimmed regularly. Tooth brushing/cleaning for long pointy faces. Some indications for mitral valve disease (happy to be corrected). A good joint supplement is worth considering.
Beds- accept they'll be stretched out on yours at any opportunity!

That was an enjoyable read, thank you

 

[gryff]

My 13 week old lurcher pup - whippet/greyhound cross. I'm another one that thinks it is very important for them to be out and about as soon as possible. This little one has been in a rucksack out on walks with the big dogs. But due to where I live, out on open common moorland, it is incredibly important that he has the opportunity to see sheep, cows and wild horses and gets used to seeing how the other dogs just walk calmly around them.
Don't think you can try keeping longdogs off the furniture. Their place is definitely curled up in the sofa next to you ?. His recall has been excellent, but that is always easier when there are other, obedient dogs around. Toilet training has been a dream and he was used to using a crate in his breeders, so we've stuck to using one too.
Just a word of warning, one is never enough!

 

[splashgirl45]

Second the sensitive stomachs my whippet with a bit of bedlington and collie in is fine on the food that I give him, however he picks up so much stuff on walks which make him sick , it’s a nightmare, he is only 4 months so I’m hoping he will grow out of it as I’ve had 2 vet visits recently as he was really I’ll. I have just got a lightweight muzzle that I am going to use when he is off lead, he will not be happy!!

 

[Cortez]

The incomparable Miss Lily Bean

 

[TGM]

I would recommend reading the two free e-books on the link below, Before You Get Your Puppy and After You Get Your Puppy:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads

Even if you don't follow all his methods, it gives a realistic idea of what to expect from a young puppy. I've had adult dogs for years but I was totally taken aback by how much hard work a puppy was and how ferocious the play-biting can be!

 

[Spotherisk]

Oh, and mine had backwards sneezing. Google it first so you don’t have a nervous breakdown if it happens!

 

[Penguin_Toes]

I would recommend reading the two free e-books on the link below, Before You Get Your Puppy and After You Get Your Puppy:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads

Even if you don't follow all his methods, it gives a realistic idea of what to expect from a young puppy. I've had adult dogs for years but I was totally taken aback by how much hard work a puppy was and how ferocious the play-biting can be!

Brilliant, exactly what I need!

I work right next to a giant Pets at Home. Is there any food there that a whippet owner could recommend

 

[conkers]

My main tip is - Puppy up, puppy out. Puppy fed, puppy out. Puppy been playing for ten minutes , puppy out. Basically, give them every chance to toilet outside.
Both of mine are crate trained although Granville now sleeps on the bed with us.

A word of warning - one whippet will not be enough. I got Granville last year and ended up with Cedric this year because they are just blooming adorable. It was not the plan but the world is a much happier place with 2 of them.

 

[chaps89]

View attachment 97353

My main tip is - Puppy up, puppy out. Puppy fed, puppy out. Puppy been playing for ten minutes , puppy out. Basically, give them every chance to toilet outside.
Both of mine are crate trained although Granville now sleeps on the bed with us.

A word of warning - one whippet will not be enough. I got Granville last year and ended up with Cedric this year because they are just blooming adorable. It was not the plan but the world is a much happier place with 2 of them.

Oh my goodness, they’re adorable. And what fantastic names!

 

[JGC]

I have absolutely nothing of use to contribute and am just here for the adorable whippet photos!

 

[Spotherisk]

Brilliant, exactly what I need!

I work right next to a giant Pets at Home. Is there any food there that a whippet owner could recommend

Yes, there is good and not so good food there but wait to see what the breeder is feeding.

 

[millitiger]

We uave 2 whippets, they are the best dogs and I now wouldn't have anything else.

I'm not really a cat person but they are very cat like dogs!
They don't understand dogs can't go on sofas, upstairs, on beds.
They don't understand human food isn't dog food. They like to sleep UNDER the duvet, not just on the bed.
Terrible food thieves and beggars if allowed- they can reach higher than you think!

However, they are charming, loving, loyal, funny and the best companions you could want.
Mine are happy to help with the horses all winter, in all weathers, as long as they are suitably dressed.

 

[Spotherisk]

Mine once ate a loaf just taken out of the bread maker. We just wondered where he’d put it #sveldt

 

[Annette4]

They are nightmares as younger dogs.....Fizz learnt to push the bin across the kitchen silently and use it to climb onto the cooker where food was cooling, she had half a joint of glazed ham (Waitrose ham no less!) and all of the toppings and cheese from a pizza (no carbs darrrling) as a youngster but thankfully with consistency she did have a light bulb moment around 2yo and became miss perfect.

 

[Merry neddy man]

When the time comes have a look on h&h there are quite regular ads for whippets (2 lots at the moment)

 

[asmp]

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

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

This has just come on nfed.co.uk. and I thought of you.

I’ve no idea about dog prices though! It may be on the other side of the country to you as well.

https://nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/classifi...lay_db_button=on&db_id=174518&query=retrieval

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Goodness me she is gorgeous, but sadly couldn't be much further away from Cheshire

 

[Morwenna]

I heard a really interesting talk the other day on building up exercise in puppies to reduce the risk of arthritis in later life. The woman who gave the talk has written a book on it which I ordered but haven’t read yet (by Julia Robertson and called how to build a puppy into a healthy adult dog). My pup is still too young for walks as she’s not fully vaccinated, she’s crated at night and in an exercise pen a fair bit of the time during the day as well which helps with toilet training but she also gets time to free run around the house and garden (with supervision and not on the slippery kitchen floor). The main points of the book as far as I remember are about not getting too hung up on frogmarching the dog in a straight line up the road and back to make the walk exactly 10 minutes or however long for the age. Puppies need to move in different directions, in walk as well as the trot they do when walked at our pace, and on different surface, including unlevel ones to build their muscles and proprioception. As she’s too young for walks I’ve been doing some basic ‘training’ to tire out her brain and also lay the foundations (recall and sit being the first two I’ve worked on). I’ve also carried her round the village so she’s seen cars, motorbikes, the bin lorries and also children on bikes, skateboards and scooters and also in the play park for the noise factor. She’s been along the footpath through a livery yard and seen the horses and some Pygmy goats. She’s been to feed the ducks and to the pub and cafe (where she got me some free cake by being so cute).

 

[splashgirl45]

as ive got 2 other dogs who need walking i got a pet stroller which has been really useful as i could walk mine for an hour or so and once my puppy was vaccinated i could get him out so he could have 10mins walking and exploring with the others, he is now just over 4 months and too big for the stroller and i do about 5 mins walking on lead up the road and then off lead round the fields for about half to three quarters of an hour. the back door is open all of the time at the moment and he is in and out of the garden when he likes as well. he does like gardening!!!!! this is him yesterday at a rare still moment..he is almost pure whippet .

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Here he is - Percy, 6 weeks old!

Collecting him in a couple of weeks. Very excited but starting to second guess myself - I've never had a young animal before (except for a human baby!) so a bit worried about what we've let ourselves in for as first time dog owners!

 

[Chiffy]

PenguinT, you will be fine. Follow what you have read up and the advice on here. A long time whippet owner, I have always found them easy and biddable. Decide on house rules and how they are to live, right from the beginning and stick to it.
Look back at conker’s post…puppy up, puppy out etc. Very useful advice.
Have a wonderful new life!

 

[Cortez]

Oh my goodness, he’s gorgeous. I really want another, but must restrain myself - 3 would be madness ………wouldn’t it?

 

[Errin Paddywack]

3 would be madness ………wouldn’t it?

Of course it wouldn't

 

[SOS]

Good luck Penguin_Toes! Having a puppy is tough but I imagine a human baby is harder - atleast you can put puppy in a crate!

This is what I’m telling myself with a litter of 6 whippet babies currently!

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Oh yes, of course! Wow, you are in the thick of it aren't you

 

[Annette4]

Oh my goodness, he’s gorgeous. I really want another, but must restrain myself - 3 would be madness ………wouldn’t it?

Nope......3 is perfectly manageable (says the woman trying to convince hubby on number 4)

 

[Annette4]

You will be totally fine, as Chiffy said, decide rules and stick to them and just enjoy. Yes they are terrors but they grow up and are awesome dogs once they grow up.

 

[Penguin_Toes]

Do you guys think he's going to end up with a little white stripe on his nose? I can't tell if it is just a shine reflection. I hope he does have one!