Comparison

Whippet vs Greyhound

Whippet

9-19 kg · 12-15 years lifespan

A quiet apartment sprinter: 30 minutes of running, 23 hours of couch - just never trust it off leash near small animals.

Greyhound

27-40 kg · 10-14 years lifespan

The original 70 km/h couch potato - calmer indoors than most small breeds, with a hard-wired chase instinct that never fully switches off.

Side by side

Whippet Greyhound
Size differs Medium 9-19 kg · 44-51 cm Large 27-40 kg · 68-76 cm
Exercise needs differs Moderate About an hour of daily activity Low Short walks and play sessions
Alone-time tolerance Moderate Half a workday, with preparation Moderate Half a workday, with preparation
Training Moderate Needs patience and consistency Moderate Needs patience and consistency
Coat care Minimal Occasional brushing is enough Minimal Occasional brushing is enough
Fit with kids Good Good family fit with basic rules Good Good family fit with basic rules
Other pets differs Limited High prey drive - manage carefully Not recommended High prey drive - risky with small animals
Health burden differs Lighter Heart, anesthesia, skin Moderate Bone cancer, teeth, bloat

Temperament

Whippet

TrainabilityModerate
Prey driveVery high
SensitivityHigh
IndependenceModerate
Indoor calmVery high
Guarding tendencyVery low

Greyhound

Calmness indoorsVery high
Prey driveVery high
GentlenessHigh
IndependenceHigh
SensitivityHigh
Guarding tendencyVery low

Who should pick which

Pick the Whippet if you live in a smaller flat: it is the same quiet sprinter template at 40% of the mass - a half-hour of hard running, then 23 hours of couch.

Pick the Greyhound if you want the calmest large dog available - retired racers are famously undemanding indoors - and you have adult-sized furniture space and the discipline to manage a hard-wired chase instinct around cats and small dogs.

Neither is an off-leash dog in open country, and neither needs the marathon exercise people assume. The real question is apartment scale and whether you adopt an adult racer.

Health, from RealVetCost

Whippet Lighter
  • Mitral valve disease
  • Anesthesia sensitivity
  • Skin lacerations
View the full health profile
Greyhound Moderate
  • Osteosarcoma
  • Dental disease
  • Bloat (GDV)
View the full health profile