Origin
The Whippet is the smaller relation of the Greyhound and was bred to course and hunt. Over the years these slight, elegant dogs have proved themselves to be extremely good at their job becoming a firm favourite with many people throughout the country and elsewhere in the world. Also known as the "Snap Dog", whippets are capable of showing an extremely fast turn of speed with records of them reaching 35 miles per hour when in full flight.
They are gentle characters by nature and are known to be one of the cleanest dogs around. They thrive on human company and are highly adaptable being just at home in a country house or large castle. They are one of the most popular sporting-type dogs on the planet for these very reasons.
There are records of Whippet-type dogs that date back to the 1600s at which time they were used for coursing and hunting earning themselves a tremendous reputation for being very able sight hounds. Although the exact origins of the breed are a little obscure, what is known is that Whippets became very popular by the 1900s both in Europe and here in the UK, particularly in north eastern England where they were bred to race.
It is thought the breed was developed by crossing several sporting, racing and coursing breeds including the Greyhound. Today, Whippets are just as popular both on the race track and as working dogs, but they are also hugely popular as family pets and companion dogs. These elegant, slight dogs also prove themselves to be very good at obedience and agility which they thoroughly enjoy taking part in.
