Are whippets as easy to train as working spaniels?

[Patchworkpony]

Are whippets as easy to train as working spaniels? I always think a spaniel wants to please you but I've heard that a whippet wants to please itself - is that true? Is recall easier with spaniels than whippets if they get onto prey or are they much the same?

 

[Leo Walker]

I've got 2. The big dog isnt easy to train and really does just want to please himself. The puppy is the best dog I've ever owned. He genuinely wants to please you. Hes constantly there checking in, trying to work out what you want and you can see he gets a real buzz out of doing the right thing. Hes been out for 3 hours today in the pouring rain doing a scent work clinic. He is only 5 months old and was given special dispensation to attend as hes been such a little super star in puppy classes. His prey drive is very low for a whippet but still very high compared to other dogs. He recalls pretty well and we havent yet had an incident where he goes. The big dog recalls if you catch him before he goes. His prey drive is through the roof and once hes gone hes deaf to everything!

We brought him onto the field today at the end of the scent work training to see what he made of it. He did the initial find it once, then lost interest and wanted to go and play, whereas the puppy would have done it over and over and over. Just a different mindset.

I chose the pup very carefully. Hes working and racing lines but neither parent had enough drive to work. Which is perfect for me as I got the lovely switched on working brain, but without the drive to spend all day chasing things! Mines going to continue doing the scent work and we will see how far it takes him, hes also going to do agility and obedience because he really does enjoy things like that. The big dog would hate it. The big dog loves simulated lure racing, loves it to the point he sings and quivers with excitement. Hes exceptionally fast and very, very good at it. He will also play fetch for hours on end. So both trainable, just in very different ways and one much easier than the other!

Having grown up with spaniels and setters they are a very, very different sort of dog though!

 

[Patchworkpony]

I've got 2. The big dog isnt easy to train and really does just want to please himself. The puppy is the best dog I've ever owned. He genuinely wants to please you. Hes constantly there checking in, trying to work out what you want and you can see he gets a real buzz out of doing the right thing. Hes been out for 3 hours today in the pouring rain doing a scent work clinic. He is only 5 months old and was given special dispensation to attend as hes been such a little super star in puppy classes. His prey drive is very low for a whippet but still very high compared to other dogs. He recalls pretty well and we havent yet had an incident where he goes. The big dog recalls if you catch him before he goes. His prey drive is through the roof and once hes gone hes deaf to everything!

We brought him onto the field today at the end of the scent work training to see what he made of it. He did the initial find it once, then lost interest and wanted to go and play, whereas the puppy would have done it over and over and over. Just a different mindset.

I chose the pup very carefully. Hes working and racing lines but neither parent had enough drive to work. Which is perfect for me as I got the lovely switched on working brain, but without the drive to spend all day chasing things! Mines going to continue doing the scent work and we will see how far it takes him, hes also going to do agility and obedience because he really does enjoy things like that. The big dog would hate it. The big dog loves simulated lure racing, loves it to the point he sings and quivers with excitement. Hes exceptionally fast and very, very good at it. He will also play fetch for hours on end. So both trainable, just in very different ways and one much easier than the other!

Having grown up with spaniels and setters they are a very, very different sort of dog though!

Thank you for that - most informative. In what way are whippets a very different sort of dog to spaniels?

 

[Annette4]

Can't speak for spaniels as I've never had one but Fizz is somewhere between Leo Walker's two. She has her moments where she wants to please herself but mostly it's around thinks like not wanting to jump over stiles on occasion and crying when she's cold until she has her jumper put on.

Her recall is pretty good and she will stop if I get her attention early enough but she will and has gone on occasion, she does get bored once she looses sight and comes straight back. She's a dream with the right motivation and loved flyball (although we aren't with a club atm).

She is a bit 'special' when it comes to other dogs and only knows how to talk whippet. She's very friendly but can be too much for other dogs wanting to play chase or bitey face.

 

[Leo Walker]

Thank you for that - most informative. In what way are whippets a very different sort of dog to spaniels?

Spaniels are very busy dogs, even when they are ding nothing much they make it look like they are doing something! They have busy brains as well. Whippets are 40mph couch potatoes. Mine will and have done 50+ miles a week of fell walking but they will equally spend all day asleep and just have a quick blast round the park. I find mine incredibly loving dogs. They like people and want to be with them. Mine will quite often come and find me and give me a quick body bump.

Like Annette says they talk whippet. Bitey face and chase me and a bit of wrestling and body slamming are their preferred methods of playing. Both play happily with other dogs though, they are both very good at enticing other dogs to play whippet style. And actually the big dogs favourite playmates are spaniels!

There is a noticeable difference in their behaviour. The spaniels were always nose down sniffing, the whippets are head up looking about.

 

[Patchworkpony]

Spaniels are very busy dogs, even when they are ding nothing much they make it look like they are doing something! They have busy brains as well. Whippets are 40mph couch potatoes. Mine will and have done 50+ miles a week of fell walking but they will equally spend all day asleep and just have a quick blast round the park. I find mine incredibly loving dogs. They like people and want to be with them. Mine will quite often come and find me and give me a quick body bump.

Like Annette says they talk whippet. Bitey face and chase me and a bit of wrestling and body slamming are their preferred methods of playing. Both play happily with other dogs though, they are both very good at enticing other dogs to play whippet style. And actually the big dogs favourite playmates are spaniels!

There is a noticeable difference in their behaviour. The spaniels were always nose down sniffing, the whippets are head up looking about.

VERY well explained - thank you.

 

[CinnamonChristmasCookie]

I can't stereotype, I have three spaniels, one needs a job, takes the piss if not 'worked', squeaked endlessly until taken out this morning and is very determined to do his own thing. The other two live to please and don't pester. The working lines one lives to find birds, the pet bred ones live to retrieve. After being out, they have slouched round the house all day, came into the bathroom while I had a bath and have slept most of the day. Busy when out, pretty perfect at home. (Whippets in disguise!)

 

[quagga]

Interested in this too - I've always had working cockers but my circumstances will change this year (moving to a city, living alone). I am thinking about a whippet as next dog as I think they will suit my lifestyle more, but at the same time I love the busy brain of a spaniel - always ready to play or do some training. Hmmm

 

[TGM]

Thank you for that - most informative. In what way are whippets a very different sort of dog to spaniels?

Whippets generally have an 'off' switch, spaniels generally don't!

We had a lovely springer spaniel a few years ago, but she was constantly on the go, even into her old age. We often have a friend's cocker to stay and she is similar, always busy, busy even at 12 years old. We have a whippet pup now and although she loves to run and play, she also enjoys long sleeps in front of the log-burner or on the sofa! Obviously these are generalisations and not all dogs of the same breed will be the same.

Going back to the original question, my whippet pup so far seems very willing to please and easy to train, and good recall so far. I expected her to be harder to train than our current collie cross or our old springer, but not at all.

The whippet has another advantage in that she has far less hair and is much easier to keep keep clean and dry! I come back from a walk in the woods with the collie cross and the whippet and the whippet is usually clean enough to let into the living room straightaway, whilst the collie cross has absorbed most of the woodland muck into her coat, the springer was similar!

 

[Leo Walker]

They definitely have an off switch! This is the puppy after doing a scentwork clinic yesterday. His off switch was very firmly activated :lol:

 

[{97702}]

One of my whippets was show bred and the other was by the top working sire of the time - it was the show bred one who was a little ****** for chasing other dogs if I wasn't careful, the working bred one was always as good as gold 😊 Plus the working bred one was very very handy for despatching myxi rabbits, none of my greyhounds have ever been as good! Smashing little dogs, great hot water bottles as well

 

[Patchworkpony]

Interested in this too - I've always had working cockers but my circumstances will change this year (moving to a city, living alone). I am thinking about a whippet as next dog as I think they will suit my lifestyle more, but at the same time I love the busy brain of a spaniel - always ready to play or do some training. Hmmm

I have the same dilemma. I'm finding it very hard to track down a spaniel that isn't line bred to masses of field trial champions (making it too hot for me), I really love spaniels but think at my age something that is quieter indoors may suit. From talking to people I understand 'a spaniel wants to please you while a whippet wants to please itself'. I love the way spaniels look at you - I haven't really had enough to do with whippets and am therefore finding them hard to assess. I could do with going and meeting a few but I'm not sure where.

 

[paisley]

You can train whippets?!! I would say they are more responsive to your body language than other dogs, and recall is easier if you focus on their wish to be with their person (I spent a lot of time hiding in hedges, you get used to the staring).

You need to quicker to spot the signs of imminent scarpering ( usually looking extra tall with 'full sail' ears), but accept there will be the odd occasion where they are gone in the time it took for you to breath in. Its nothing personal, you're just less interesting than a rabbit

 

[Leo Walker]

I love the way spaniels look at you - I haven't really had enough to do with whippets and am therefore finding them hard to assess. I could do with going and meeting a few but I'm not sure where.

I know what you mean about the spaniel eyes! My two are very loving dogs, I cant quite find the words to describe it, but they are like velcro, they just want to be with you. I'll be upstairs doing something and one or the other of mine will come up and find me and give me a quick body bump and stare at me like I am their sole reason for being, then disappear back off to bed. They just like people and want to be around them.

Anyone anywhere near Northampton is more than welcome to come and meet my two. They are the opposite end of the scale to each other so would give you a good overview of whippets, good and bad!

 

[{97702}]

You can train whippets?!! I would say they are more responsive to your body language than other dogs, and recall is easier if you focus on their wish to be with their person (I spent a lot of time hiding in hedges, you get used to the staring).

You need to quicker to spot the signs of imminent scarpering ( usually looking extra tall with 'full sail' ears), but accept there will be the odd occasion where they are gone in the time it took for you to breath in. Its nothing personal, you're just less interesting than a rabbit

This sums the whole sighthound thing up to me paisley - after 30 years (eeek!) of sighthound ownership it is completely second nature to me, by my other half (3 years experience) just doesnt get it at all A really good summary for any prospective sighthound owner

 

[Clodagh]

You can train whippets?!! I would say they are more responsive to your body language than other dogs, and recall is easier if you focus on their wish to be with their person (I spent a lot of time hiding in hedges, you get used to the staring).

You need to quicker to spot the signs of imminent scarpering ( usually looking extra tall with 'full sail' ears), but accept there will be the odd occasion where they are gone in the time it took for you to breath in. Its nothing personal, you're just less interesting than a rabbit

So they are not as trainable as a spaniel. You can train a spaniel to be steady to game but I defy anyone to train a whippet not to chase that hare that has popped up between his front legs. I have a whippets x lurcher and love her dearly, but not for her trainability.

 

[CinnamonChristmasCookie]

They definitely have an off switch! This is the puppy after doing a scentwork clinic yesterday. His off switch was very firmly activated :lol:

Oh god love him, he's clearly exhausted! :biggrin3:

 

[Karran]

Interested in this too - I've always had working cockers but my circumstances will change this year (moving to a city, living alone). I am thinking about a whippet as next dog as I think they will suit my lifestyle more, but at the same time I love the busy brain of a spaniel - always ready to play or do some training. Hmmm

I live alone - well my brother is here but shift worker so I often go days without seeing him, and i'm in S E London. Mrs Spaniel copes fine We do 3 walks a day, pop up to the yard and I take her flyball training. I was dubious about taking her on but its worked out great!

 

[quagga]

I live alone - well my brother is here but shift worker so I often go days without seeing him, and i'm in S E London. Mrs Spaniel copes fine We do 3 walks a day, pop up to the yard and I take her flyball training. I was dubious about taking her on but its worked out great!

In all honesty I will probably end up with another spaniel because they are pretty much perfect in my eyes and although I consider other breeds I just have a feeling that when it really comes down to it I won't really want anything else. It's definitely nice to know that it can be done with a spaniel

I think theyare more adaptable than we think really.. And TBH dogs are my hobby so I will always make time for them and will happily sacrifice other things (social life!!).

 

[paisley]

This sums the whole sighthound thing up to me paisley - after 30 years (eeek!) of sighthound ownership it is completely second nature to me, by my other half (3 years experience) just doesnt get it at all A really good summary for any prospective sighthound owner

Ooh, I 've only done 7 years whippet community service ( as it were ), but I did work with horses for ages, so I think you get very practised at not 'missing the moment'. Its mad isn't it? I have a friend with pointers, so not unfamiliar with the hound instinct, who has just rehomed a working pointer. And yet she seems (to me), to always be reacting to the dog beggaring off about three seconds too late, which in whippet time is: 1 second = 1 year

One mornings walk summed up whippet ownership, I went from horrified panic (dog vanished with no sound), then full decibel yelling, total relief (dog back) and to exasperation (dog back, but minus new coat). Zero to hero in the space of about 30 seconds.

 

[Patchworkpony]

Ooh, I 've only done 7 years whippet community service ( as it were ), but I did work with horses for ages, so I think you get very practised at not 'missing the moment'. Its mad isn't it? I have a friend with pointers, so not unfamiliar with the hound instinct, who has just rehomed a working pointer. And yet she seems (to me), to always be reacting to the dog beggaring off about three seconds too late, which in whippet time is: 1 second = 1 year

One mornings walk summed up whippet ownership, I went from horrified panic (dog vanished with no sound), then full decibel yelling, total relief (dog back) and to exasperation (dog back, but minus new coat). Zero to hero in the space of about 30 seconds.

And I thought Jack Russells were difficult!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Has anyone ever done a chart of the degree of the ear/tail set of a dog in relation to chance of recall...that would be helpful.
Diagram 1: Try calling, you might still be in luck, he's still wondering if it's a leaf.
Diagram 2: If you have a megaphone and an air horn, now might be the time to deploy.
Diagram 3. HAHAHAHA! No chance. Laters, loser!

 

[TGM]

Interestingly, before I got my whippet I remember reading a thread on here about the breed. There was discussion about the issue of recall and I specifically asked whether those who had recall problems were acquired as pups or as older dogs. With a few exceptions, those acquired as pups had good recall and the problem recall whippets were rescues or rehomed dogs. I must say so far (touch wood) my pup's recall is excellent, but she is only 5 months old and things might change when and if her prey drive kicks in!

I think if you want to train a dog to do spaniely things like be a gundog or sniffer dog, then a spaniel will certainly be easier to train than a whippet. But for general training to be an obedient and pleasant pet, then I haven't found our whippet to be harder to train than the other breeds we have had, including the spaniel (who wasn't particularly steady to game!).

 

[paisley]

And I thought Jack Russells were difficult!

Well, 'entertaining' is another way to look at it

 

[Leo Walker]

I think if you want to train a dog to do spaniely things like be a gundog or sniffer dog, then a spaniel will certainly be easier to train than a whippet.

Tell that to my pup, when he grows up he wants to be a sniffer dog, and absolutely aced his scent work clinic the other day, putting the adult pointers and labs to shame. But he is the exception rather than the rule I think. We did let my big dog have a go at the end, he did it once, then got bored and wanted to wander off. I literally couldnt have two more different dogs :lol:

 

[Amye]

Interestingly, before I got my whippet I remember reading a thread on here about the breed. There was discussion about the issue of recall and I specifically asked whether those who had recall problems were acquired as pups or as older dogs. With a few exceptions, those acquired as pups had good recall and the problem recall whippets were rescues or rehomed dogs. I must say so far (touch wood) my pup's recall is excellent, but she is only 5 months old and things might change when and if her prey drive kicks in!

I think if you want to train a dog to do spaniely things like be a gundog or sniffer dog, then a spaniel will certainly be easier to train than a whippet. But for general training to be an obedient and pleasant pet, then I haven't found our whippet to be harder to train than the other breeds we have had, including the spaniel (who wasn't particularly steady to game!).

This completely. We got our girl at 15 months, we trained both dogs recall the same - on a long line first and slowly build time off lead - but she was probably the most difficult. Before us, she had been allowed off lead to run as much as she wanted and when she came back she got put on the lead and then back home, so her instinct was to run run run and not come back until she was done.

Our pup was much easier and very obedient when a pup. When he got to around 1 and a half he started chasing (he is from working lines) and if he was on something he pretty much wasn't listening. Since he's hit 3 he's much more laid back and still gives chase, but listens most of the time and if he's not in 'chase mode' his recall is perfect.

Our girl is now 9 and perfect

They were both very easy to train in the house. Our girl is very good at 'tricks' and you could teach her anything. The pup is a bit slower to pick things up but he does and once he knows, he knows! We got him at 10 weeks and he almost housetrained himself. I think in all this time he has had maybe 2 or 3 accidents in the house!

 

[TGM]

They were both very easy to train in the house. Our girl is very good at 'tricks' and you could teach her anything. The pup is a bit slower to pick things up but he does and once he knows, he knows! We got him at 10 weeks and he almost housetrained himself. I think in all this time he has had maybe 2 or 3 accidents in the house!

Mine has also been amazingly easy to house-train, although I think crate-training helped in this respect. Got her at 8 weeks old, and had a couple of mistakes in the first week, and after that no more accidents at all. She gets popped out in the garden first thing and last thing, the rest of the time she just takes herself to the back door when she needs to go out, and squeaks if you don't let her out straight away! She has been very quick to learn a few basic commands and tricks as well, and she really does seem willing to please you. She hates being told off and looks to be over the moon when you praise her!

 

[TGM]

Tell that to my pup, when he grows up he wants to be a sniffer dog, and absolutely aced his scent work clinic the other day, putting the adult pointers and labs to shame. But he is the exception rather than the rule I think. We did let my big dog have a go at the end, he did it once, then got bored and wanted to wander off. I literally couldnt have two more different dogs :lol:

Ah, I should have written 'probably' rather than 'certainly' in my post!

 

[Patchworkpony]

Mine has also been amazingly easy to house-train, although I think crate-training helped in this respect. Got her at 8 weeks old, and had a couple of mistakes in the first week, and after that no more accidents at all. She gets popped out in the garden first thing and last thing, the rest of the time she just takes herself to the back door when she needs to go out, and squeaks if you don't let her out straight away! She has been very quick to learn a few basic commands and tricks as well, and she really does seem willing to please you. She hates being told off and looks to be over the moon when you praise her!

She sounds gorgeous - please can we see some pictures.

 

[TGM]

She sounds gorgeous - please can we see some pictures.

I must admit I am a tiny bit smitten with her! Photos: