Whippets living outside.

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

I get where you're coming from but between my two it's the lurcher who peels. She's skin like tissue, worst I've ever seen before and not a drop of whippet in her.

 

The whippet got a cut on his head once, chasing a rabbit down a hole and bashed his head on a rock. And that's the only thing he's ever had wrong with him. Like I say I think some lines are more robust than others. Or maybe I've just been lucky

[fresh earth 47]

i have 5 whippets 1 show bred who kennels alone the sister and dam to veedublee's bitch who are both kenneled on there own and two race breds who i kennel together simply as one can be noisy on her own. Like any other dog a whippet thats kept outside all year round will have a more dense thicker set coat especialy a pup over its first winter . I walk mine at 6am and none bother about the weather my show bred will stand and shiver if i stand about for any length of time but iv seen broken coated lurchers do the same. I wouldnt buy a pup out a house at this time of the year and throw it into a run but iv had pups in december that i break into the weather and doubled up with an older dog they are more than fine if a whippets the road you want to go down dont be put of by people guessing ask lads who have kept the breed. I run my workers in wind rain and hail and aslong as you dry your dog of properly at the end of the night you wont have any problems a seemingly unwilling dog in the weather will soon be full of interest when you put a lamp on a rabbit.

[Moll. 1,770]

Mine lives indoors, he does shiver when out working but as someone else has said, no more or less than any other lurcher.

 

I think the idea that whippets 'break easily' is just that, someones idea they will because they are a slight framed dog. Imo they have just as much chance as most other dogs and less than others. All to do with weight/force, a slight framed dog is going to have less weight behind it so the force of impact will be just the same as a dog double the weight with a thicker set frame.

Never had a skin tear with mine, his only injuries have been on the bridge of his nose from collisions, and he has been hung up on barbed wire etc etc just the same as any of my other dogs who have had tears/rips.

 

I have found the whippet to be a lot less maintenance than any other running dog Ive owned. I can run him slightly overweight, slightly under, never really need any special foods or additives and he never seems to suffer for it.

[banjo14 49]

if you do decide to use a heat lamp just make sure its far enough away from any wood as my friend went outside to find his kennel smouldering.

i know its common sense but little things are sometimes over looked.

[bryson 562]

i have a 9 month old whippet and hes been out in rain and gale force winds it quite funny because he trys to hide behind me but when the lamp goes on hes down the beam like a rocket i think all this talk of whippets being fragile wrecks is just a myth

as for the heat lamp mate you need to watch the dog doesnt start reliying on to much

Edited December 3, 2011 by bryson

[fieldsman 51]

I,v owned worked and bred whippets for 30 years and have found them no worse than lurchers with cuts breaks ect I have mine in at the moment but have kept them out in the past in a 6x3 shed fully lined with a lamp on a thermostat. When they are working running on the lamp they dont get time to stand and shiver.i own broken coated lurchers that get cold standing around ferreting its not just whippets that suffer from the cold keep them moving and they will be fine.I keep mine in at the moment because of unwanted attention I have had people poking round the yard a few times and better safe than sorry I brought them in.

[Guest FTBBTH]

i have a whippet, a big whippet to be fair, but shes been outside since 15 weeks old, she has a heater in her bed, plenty of towells etc and shes 5 now and ive never had a problem, her heater was broke for a couple of weeks last year, and over them couple of weeks she did shake a bit of weight off but that wasnt much of a problem just more food!

[ferret-boy 44]

Mate i have a whippet grey, more whippet than anything, he does it all, game as fcuk, never let me down in anything he does, hard as nails,

he does winge outside now and again, but its just something you have got to live with, atb fb

[iworkwhippets 12,599]

Owner of 3 WORKING whippets here, out every day what ever the weather, like today cold n raining, kept inside or out, its their choice where they get their heads down, ive no time for shivering tit reared dogs, tell a lie, the only times i see em shiver is in anticipation at seeing their leads when its time to go out, or meal times, heres my little bluey working a wood pile, bred by me, and proud of her,

[iworkwhippets 12,599]

Never gives up, we just do the bunnies these days, im happy with that, out else is a bonus

[iworkwhippets 12,599]

thanks for looking

[redeyes 14]

i have two whippets one heavily show bred who feels the cold and drops weight if she isn't rugged up with a heat mat on 24/7 and plenty of good grub but her daughter who is by a dog from coursing/racing lines is the exact opposite i have to feed her seperate to stop her eating everything in site and getting fat all year round they are all different and there is alot of difference in the coat and shape of my two although not much in working ability apart from as i said earlier one feels the cold more than the other which can be a downfall on the cold windy nights we all love but show her a rabbit in the beam she soon warms up as most whippets do because they are game little dogs who think they can punch above their weight

[sean925 2]

I have a whippet bitch just turned 2 lives outside but is house trained and comes in for a while in the evening but sleeps outside every night .put a coat on her for a few weeks last year as it was -18 at a time but havent used it this year yet.She just sleeps in a box with vet bed and a furry dog bed.

[fresh earth 47]

The key here is in the comments a bitch who is kept with a heater is clearly going to be used to a bit more heat and not prepared for a suden drop in temp. The reality is the whippet like any other breed if outside all year round gets used and prepares its self for the cold weather its coat thickens just for starters . A dog kept in heated bedding or indoors has a considerably thinner coat as it needs to keep cool inside so when thrown out into the pissing rain with a gail force wind or thrown into a kennel with a couple of rags as the heating is of its hardly surprising when said dog feels the cold . The key here is speak to someone who knows the breed you want inside out and seek proper advice as i have already stated as any breed of dog reared properly readily thrives outside.

[whin 463]

fresh earth i wouldnt own up to breeding poor veebules dogs very small thin had 2 brakes so far in front legs , keep yer show dogs for the ring and let the real working dogs get on with work, whippets are not injury free like a collie lurcher saluk lurcher had a grew feet were never sound like acollie type or good saluk type , work them hard you find out what they are like on rough scrub and stony land , whippets are not the great working dogs youse are making out , maybe im wrong , if whipps were great i nwouldnt a bred the beardie cross , or saluk crosswhippet greys etc,