My bio does also promise occasional #Whippets... so here's an #introduction for my two
(Assuming an international audience) for those that don't know Whippets are essentially a sort of miniature Greyhound that originated in England in the late 1600s.
They are incredibly affectionate, quiet, extremely polite and very mild mannered (most of the time 😅) #dogs. They're very clean and very lazy, and are quite cat-like around the home.
People assume #Whippets need a lot of exercise and while they are one of the fastest breeds of dog, the fastest medium sized dog, and the fastest accelerating dogs – they are literally just sprinters.
They will happily join us on all day hikes, and we've taken them to the Alps, but they only need a short blast and they sleep most of the time.
However, once off lead and given space to run, the beast is unleashed and they will tear around at up to 40mph and play fight like boxing kangaroos!
They're not the hardiest of dogs mind, Murphy is only 16kg (22" shoulder) and Hester just 9.5kg (18" at the shoulder) – despite their medium dog status they are pretty lightweight. They have almost no body fat and their skin is very thin.
So they can be a little injury prone (a problem when they're so crazy/fast off lead) and need to be looked after in extreme weather (hot and cold). Coats and jumpers are essential!
But, as long as we keep moving they are pretty hardy and love snow!
In all, #Whippets are pretty special and until you've spent some time with them, you don't appreciate quite how unique a breed they are, and most people are converts after spending time with them.
I know most dogs think they are one of the family, but with Whippets, it's NEXT level. For good or bad. While they're not annoyingly clingy like some breeds, the bond is so strong and they're definitely not just a pet.
My vet summed them up: "Whippets just feel life harder than any other animal"
@adrianegger yeah they mine ☺️
Three and Five years old now!
@adrianegger hella cute pain in my bum too 😅
(Weather is awful today so they are simultaneously desperate to go out but also scared of gettin' wet and refusing to go out when shown the door)
@garylake Haha ours don’t care about the weather at all. They always end up muddy and drenched.
Familiar vibes on the pain in the ass tho 🙂.
Gary Lake
Adrian Egger
Gavin Strange