Whippet
A sleek sprinting sighthound once nicknamed 'the poor man's racehorse' — and a quieter housemate than the nickname suggests.
The temperament sheet
The Whippet’s ratings read gently, top to bottom. Energy is moderate: a proper daily outing satisfies the sprinter, and the rest of the schedule is open to negotiation. Tolerance for time alone is moderate — sensible absences on a steady routine are workable.
With children the sheet reads good. As a first dog the answer is yes; the matcher puts the Whippet forward to newcomers without hesitation. A flat is fine on the space rating, which tends to surprise people who read the word sighthound and picture acreage.
The practical side
- Size: medium. Slight in outline, easy in the house.
- Grooming: low. A wipe-over of a coat, kept with minimal fuss.
- Shedding: low. Little to sweep up afterwards.
- Barking: quiet. Peace, mostly — this is not a dog that narrates the street.
The sheet is not the dog
A breed sheet is a set of averages, and averages own no dogs. The individual Whippet outranks every rating above, and meeting the dog itself outranks everything — this page cheerfully included.