Sighthound Medium size 9-19 kg
Whippet
A quiet apartment sprinter: 30 minutes of running, 23 hours of couch - just never trust it off leash near small animals.
Match with your household
See match detail → Quick overview
Medium
Size
9-19 kg · 44-51 cm
Moderate
Exercise needs
About an hour of daily activity
Moderate
Alone-time tolerance
Half a workday, with preparation
Moderate
Training
Needs patience and consistency
Minimal
Coat care
Occasional brushing is enough
Good
Fit with kids
Good family fit with basic rules
Limited
Other pets
High prey drive - manage carefully
Lighter
Health burden
Heart, anesthesia, skin
The Whippet typically weighs 9-19 kg, stands 44-51 cm, and lives 12-15 years.
Consider this breed if…
you live in an apartment and want a quiet, clean, low-odor dog,
you can offer a daily walk plus a few safe, fenced sprint sessions,
you want a gentle, undemanding couch companion most of the day,
you value a breed with a comparatively light health load.
Do not consider this breed if…
you have free-roaming cats, rabbits, or other small pets,
you expect reliable off-leash recall in open areas,
your home is loud and chaotic - Whippets are sensitive souls,
you want a rugged all-weather dog; thin skin and coat need coats and care.
A typical day with a Whippet
- 7:00 · Morning30-40 min walk; a fenced sprint if available
- 9:00 · MidmorningSleeps curled under a blanket - seriously
- 12:30 · NoonShort leashed walk, a little play
- 16:00 · AfternoonTrick training or a game, 10-15 minutes
- 18:30 · EveningLonger walk or a lure-coursing style run-out
- 21:00 · NightOn the couch, ideally touching you
Family and environment
Kids Good
Gentle and tolerant; teach kids to respect its rest.
Dogs Good
Usually sociable, especially with other sighthounds.
Cats Conditional
Possible when raised together indoors; outdoor chasing is hard-wired.
Apartment Excellent
Quiet, clean, and calm indoors - a natural fit.
House with a yard Suitable
A tall, secure fence turns the yard into a safe racetrack.
City Suitable
Handles urban life well on leash.
Countryside Conditional
Wildlife everywhere means leash or long line, always.
Health data provided by RealVetCost Overall health burden Lighter
Detailed health data - inheritance, prevalence, course, and typical treatment costs - lives in a separate expert database. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice - confirm any decision with your vet.
View the full health profileTop health concerns
Mitral valve disease Heart murmurs in older dogs
Anesthesia sensitivity Sighthound metabolism - tell your vet
Skin lacerations Thin skin tears easily at speed
Similar breeds - by reason
Not visually similar - similar in what they mean for you.
Smaller, even more delicate version
Italian Greyhound
A tiny, elegant sighthound that loves warmth and cuddles - ideal for apartments, but fragile-legged, hard to housetrain, and prone to leg fractures and dental disease.
View profile →
Bigger couch sprinter, same lifestyle
Greyhound
The original 70 km/h couch potato - calmer indoors than most small breeds, with a hard-wired chase instinct that never fully switches off.
View profile →
More independent, exotic sighthound
Saluki
A graceful, sensitive sighthound that is calm at home but needs secure sprinting space - its intense prey drive rules out off-leash areas and small pets.
View profile →Frequently asked questions
How much does a Whippet cost?
Expect roughly $1,000-$2,500 from a health-testing US breeder. Running costs are on the friendly side for the dog world - small food bills, minimal grooming, and a lighter-than-average health load - but plan for occasional stitched-up skin tears and heart monitoring in the senior years. Over a 12-15 year life, even a healthy Whippet adds up to five figures in routine care.
Do Whippets really need a lot of exercise?
Less than their racing build suggests. An hour of daily walking plus a couple of full-speed sprint sessions per week in a fenced area keeps most Whippets satisfied. They are sprinters, not endurance dogs - the rest of the day they are famously inert couch ornaments.
Can a Whippet live with a cat?
Sometimes, with honest caveats. A Whippet raised with a cat indoors usually treats that specific cat as family. The instinct never disappears, though: a cat running outdoors, or an unfamiliar cat, can flip the chase switch instantly. Never leave them unsupervised early on, and assume outdoor cats are not safe.
Are Whippets good for first-time owners?
Yes, with two rules. They are quiet, clean, gentle, and easy to live with - one of the better beginner breeds. The rules: keep it on leash or inside secure fencing (recall loses to prey drive), and train with soft, positive methods, because harsh handling shuts this sensitive breed down.