Whippets

Wenrick Whippets

Whippets look a good deal like Greyhounds but they are smaller, so they are often assumed to be young Greyhounds, however, Whippets are a breed unto themselves. They are about 18 to 22 inches at the shoulder and weigh around 25 pounds. Whippets are kin to Greyhounds, and are a member of a group of hounds known as sighthounds, which include Greyhounds, Afghan Hounds, Salukis, Borzois (Russian Wolfhounds), and others.

 Sighthounds are distinguished by their visual acuity and their dependance on their eyesight for hunting (hence the name) and tend to be lean, deep chested, and leggy.

It is well established that the Whippet was popular among coal miners in the north of England in the 19th century for both rabbit hunting and racing. It is also said that the Whippet was a popular breed for poaching chickens, being small enough to conceal under a coat! The popularity of Whippets among the working classes earned Whippets the reputation as “the poor man’s race horse”. Whippets were also referred to as “rag dogs”, most likely because rags were used as the lure in neighborhood Whippet races.

An excellent resource web site for Whippets can be found at http://www.sonic.net/~whippet/what.html

We originally acquired a Whippet for our daughter Jody to compete in Junior Handling. Jody fell in love with the breed and is the mainstay behind our Whippet breeding program. With her guidance we have produced many outstanding Whippet Champions in both Canada and the United States. Jody is thankful to Debbie Butt of Sportingfield Whippets for our foundation bitch and constant guidance. She is also appreciative of the support and mentoring from Dan Black of Riverchase Whippets and Max Magder of Lorricbrook fame. Jody is most impressed with their friendly affectionate temperaments of Whippets and how well they fit into a home environment. Wenrick Whippets are bred to conform to the Standard for the breed and have outstanding temperaments.