Is that a small greyhound? No, that’s a whippet. The whippet is a breed of dog that originated from England. It is a member of the sight hound family of dogs and looks like a small greyhound. Whippets are medium-sized dogs characterized by their short and dense coat and their slim and compact bodies, which make them perfect competitors for oval track racing, straight racing, and lure coursing. Whippets have been called the poor man’s racehorse. Because of their gentle nature and intelligence, it is somewhat easy to train whippet dogs.
Sight hound dogs are not the most obedient dogs in the world so when you train whippet dogs, you have to start early. The trainer must keep in mind that the whippet was used for hunting so these dogs think independently. When you train whippet dogs, you must handle your dog firmly and consistently so your dog will learn how to respect you. Here are a few tips:
- Get a crate - The crate is an essential tool for housebreaking and potty training. This is where the whippet puppy will sleep. A puppy will do its best not to dirty the area where it will sleep so if you feel the puppy needs to go, take the dog out in the yard. Puppies might protest while being in a crate for the first few days; ignore this. The puppy will get used to being in the crate and will eventually view it as its home.
- Potty training - keep in mind that puppies have little bladder control so be prepared for accidents. Take the dog out for bathroom duties after playing, napping, and a few hours after meals. Make sure that your dog does bathroom duties at the same spot every time. If any accidents occur inside the house, clean it up immediately.
- Routine and schedule - you must establish a set routine and schedule you and your puppy can follow. Do not deviate from this because if there is a fixed schedule, your dog will anticipate when it will eat, when it will go to the bathroom and when you are taking it out for a walk.
- Training sessions – puppies have a short attention span so train whippet dogs for only five to ten minutes every day. Do not forget to praise and reward your dog if it does something right and not to get angry or show frustration when it makes a mistake. Always end your training sessions with a happy note (when your dog does correct behavior).
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