Are you considering a whippet puppy? There are many reasons to get or not to get a whippet. We obviously love them and they are our breed of choice. However they are not necessarily the breed for everyone. We recommend meeting some whippets, talking to breeders, checking some of the links we have provided that have a wealth of information about living with whippets, finding a good breeder, talking to different breeders. We all have our own take but many opinions will give you a better idea of what you are in for.
Fact: whippet kids can be hellions and very rambunctious until they decide to grow up. They have the physical ability to jump onto counters, crawl through or out of many enclosuers and although easy to train they get bored easily (especially the girls). Additional considerations are that they really dont like to be left alone. Dogs in general are pack animals and like humans leaving a 2 year old child alone for long periods of time can create an unhappy situation for you and the child-or dog in the case of a whippet. We here at Kimera do not recommend leaving a whippet all alone for 8 hours a day until the are in middle adulthood mentally which usually occurs between the ages of 3 and 5. There is a reason many of us have more than one dog.
Buying a whippet from Kimera is joining our family of people and dogs. We expect our pups to be cherished pets, kept indoors, and taught manners. On the other side we want and fully hope that any buyer will avail themselves to all that we provide such as medical questions, help showing for beginners, and general advice regarding food, behavioral issues, and any other questions you might have, even about returning the dog. Remember if you cannot keep the dog FOR ANY REASON it needs to come back to us, regardless of where you are located. We will find a way even if it means flying to another state to get one of our kids back.
We do health checks to insure the health of our dogs and puppies. Our goal is that every whippet we breed and own will live a long life without complication. Some of the things we screen our dogs for are : eyes(CERF), Ears (Baer), Cardiac ultrasounds, Hip x-rays to check for dysplasia, thyroid panel, temperament and and basic conformation which is how well they are put together. A poorly put together dog will wear out much faster than a well put together dog. So regardless of show or just a pet.. The more you know and learn about general structure.. the better off you will be when picking a puppy. I should qualify that there is no absolute gurantee that any one dog will live to 15 or never have any medical problems however with good planning many issues should be minimized or non-existant.
Whippets are in general a very healthy breed. I do however know of deafness in whippets, PRA(eyes), seizuring, cardiac issues, temperament issues of a variety of sorts. Some of these are old age, some seen in a ill bred rescue dogs, others can be genetically passed. As a veterinarian I want the dogs I breed to be as healthy as possible. The most common tests you will see in whippets are CERF and BAER and more recently cardiac auscaultation(listening to the heart for murmers).Whippets are not known for dysplsia however since I have an x-ray machine and great radiologists I do them.
This is just a start for this page.. but here are some links I have found educational and informative.They can provide you with additional links to the national breed club, rescue etc.
'Puppy Development' By Pat Hastings The link is to her website and you can order the book there. It is an invaluable resource about all the things a breeder can do with their pups to maximize their adaptability, in addition to all the things you can do after you get your puppy to continue in the development of a well socialized easy going pet/companion. Early socialization is a critical key. From preparing the future show dog to picking a good agility prospect this book can help you.
How To find an Ethical breeder