6 FACTS ABOUT WHIPPETS

So, this handsome boy is 'Paddy'. He's our nearly 3 year old whippet. Some of you might have seen him speeding about around the Nottingham area. He is super fast, super friendly and not nervous at all (like a lot of whippets).

I want to regularly feature interesting information about different breeds of dog on this blog. If you are interested in writing a guest blog telling us about YOUR dog and some interesting and unique facts about its breed please contact me for details.

For those of you who are interested in this breed here are 6 facts about Whippets...

1. SUPER SPEEDY

Whippets are the fastest domesticated animals of their weight. They can get up to breakneck speeds of 35mph thanks to their unique running style. Similar to the greyhound, the dogs use a double suspension gallop. If you watch them run, at one point, all their feet are on the ground, and the next, all four paws are in the air, parallel the ground.

2.BREED

The dog breed is of medium size. They are a sighthound breed originating from England, where they descended from greyhounds.Whippets today still strongly resemble a smaller greyhound.

3.ORIGIN OF THE NAME

"Whip it" is an old English phrase, meaning to go swiftly, specifically referring to riders whipping their horses to move more quickly. Another theory is the name is a misspelling of "wappet" a small yipping dog.

4. HISTORY

Whippets and other sighthounds have been present in art and literature going back to the 1600s (the first mention of a whippet was in 1610) but the idea of an official pure breed didn't come about until the 1800s. There was a lot of interbreeding between types of dogs before official clubs were set up, but it is believed that the whippet is the descendant of the greyhound and the terrier.

5. COUCH VERSUS RACE TRACK

Whippets love to run and are incredible sprinters, but after brief periods of activity, they're ready to kick back. If you get a whippet, be prepared to share some space on the couch!!!

6.NO BARK?

For the most part, whippets are incredibly quiet, friendly dogs. Which means, you shouldn't count on them to guard you or you home: Most love strangers, and some whippets don't ever bark.

I hope you enjoyed finding out about this breed, in my opinion, they are a lovely family dog, which can recommend to anyone.

Alicia x