When Is A Whippet Fully Grown?

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You may have heard the term matured, or fully grown recently and are wondering what it means.

In this post we look at when is a whippet fully grown?

Giving you the average age of when a whippet reaches it’s full physical potential and fills out.

At this stage, your whippet becomes as large as it’s going to get over its lifetime, so you’ll know what size bed, bowls and bath to buy for him.

A fully-grown whippet is still very small; they’re one of the smallest dogs and have a very slim, muscly build.

But it’s important to know when your whippet is fully-grown so you can be sure his winter coat fits.

In this post we help you understand when a whippet is fully grown and what to expect in the process, as also look at some of the advantaged of your whippet growing up and why it’s beneficial for his training.

So, when is a whippet fully grown?

Let’s find out…

What Age Is A Whippet Fully Grown?

So what age is a whippet fully grown?

A whippet will usually reach its full height potential by between age six months and one year.

This is when your whippet will be fully-grown and generally as large as he is going to grow.

Whippets between birth and eight months grow rapidly, so ensure to feed your whippet on a high-quality nutritious diet that is rich in protein.

when is a whippet fully grown?
Image by Mabuya from Pixabay

Quite often whippets look quite thin until they fill out in their body, their muscles grow rapidly and they start to take a stronger shape, this is when you know your whippet is fully-grown.

A whippets growth has a lot to do with the dog’s genetics and breed, as this influenced the rate of growth so it will be slightly different from dog to dog, some may take longer than this and other may be fully grown in six months.

Signs That Your Whippet Is Growing Up

If you’ve been living with a puppy for a while, then you’ll know that they get excited over just about anything.

They are full of energy and incredibly hard to tire out, even with lots of daily exercise.

You’re probably wondering, when will my whippet mature?

If so, then keep a lookout for some of these signs that your whippet is maturing, as they are a good indicator to judge your whippet’s growth by;

Less destructive

Puppies will put anything and everything in their mouths, from the corner of your sofa to a new dog toy, but once your whippet starts to mature he may become less destructive.

He may lose interest for some of his toys and give up on chewing furniture, it’ll become more of a rare event for him to do these things as he starts to grow and mature.

Greetings

When a puppy sees it’s owner it will come bounding through the length of the house to greet you and more often than not try to jump on you.

Once your puppy starts to mature and grow he will no longer have this level of excitement just to say hello.

That’s not to say he doesn’t love you, he just understands that you’ll spend time with him regardless of the greeting.

Calm energy

Whippets, in general, are very calm, chilled out dogs. And once your whippet matures you’ll start to see this more and more in your whippet, he will enjoy relaxing on the couch just as much as he enjoys playing in the field.

They love to sleep and will do so at every opportunity, whereas a puppy is hard to tire out and sleeps a lot less than a grown whippet.

How Big Do Fully Grown Whippets Get?

So how big does a fully-grown whippet get?

Well, this really depends on the dog’s genetics.

However, the average size for a whippet is around 19 to 21 inches tall, but if he has other breeds in him, for example, a greyhound mix can grow to be 30 inches or more.

A fully-grown whippet is small enough to sit on your lap, but also large enough to be a great running partner.

Although whippets stand around 19 to 21 inches tall, they only weigh around 20 to 40 pounds, making them incredibly lightweight which is why they are able to run so fast.

when is a whippet fully grown?
Image by Arbor-Sarah-F from Pixabay

A fully-grown whippet is still a very small dog, much smaller than it’s relative the greyhound.

The whippet is still the second-fastest dog on the planet, thanks to its small build and large muscles they are able to accelerate incredibly quick, much faster than any other dog.

The only dog that is able to compete with a whippet’s speed is a greyhound, but the greyhound is no match for a whippets acceleration.

Training A Fully Grown Whippet

When your whippet is fully grown, it becomes exciting to train him as he is now in peak physical condition.

This allows him to run at max speeds of up to 35mph, which is simply breathtaking to watch.

Training a fully-grown whippet to jump is also a lot easier when he is fully grown, as he now has the legs that are able to catapult him up over 6ft in some dogs.

The years where a whippet is fully grown and starting to mature is very exciting, as when he starts to calm down he will be easier to train both on and off the leash.

Not only that, but recall training becomes easier and simple commands such as “sit”, “down” and stay are easy for him to learn.

Training a fully-grown whippet is generally a little easier than when they are puppies, as they not have a willingness to learn and want to work with their owner.

However, you should still learn a whippet puppy some basic commands, but nothing too intense as they can get put off easily.

Are Whippets Supposed To Be Skinny?

Even though you whippet may be fully grown, it’s still normal for them to be very skinny and slender.

Your breeder should give you a diet sheet for a while whilst your puppy is growing and filling out, they should be fed twice a day on a highly nutritious diet with lots of protein.

This type of diet will help a whippet grow and develop, ensuring that they’re strong when they are fully-grown.

when is a whippet fully grown?
Image by MDA_Marketing from Pixabay

A rule of thumb to go by is that a fit whippet will not show more than three ribs, so if you can see more than this then it’s a sign that your whippet is underweight and too thin.

Likewise, if you are unable to see any of your whippet ribs, he is too fat and should be given more exercise to help lose some weight.

Many people assume that just because a whippet is designed to be skinny, that they are unable to get fat.

This is not the case, there are plenty of fat whippets out there and it’s usually because they are fed on a human diet and not given the exercise that they need on a daily basis.

Final Thoughts

When is a whippet fully grown?

Usually between the age of six months and one year old.

This is the time where your whippet is growing rapidly, so it’s especially important to keep him well fed and exercised whilst going through this phase.

When your whippet starts to grow he will also start to mature, which means he will start to calm down and become much more relaxed.

This is usually an exciting time for whippet owners, as their dog will no longer chew furniture and will be content relaxing a lot more than when he’s a puppy.

It can also be a sad time too, as your cute whippet puppy is now growing up and experiencing a change.

That being said this is when your whippet really comes into his own, becoming his own dog and really developing his character.

When your whippet is fully grown and mature is when you can really start to train him to be the type of dog you want, whether that be a working whippet, racing whippet or training him to an advanced level.

Hopefully, you now know when to expect your whippet to be fully grown and have some clear signs to look out for.

It’s an exciting time for you and your whippet when he starts to grow and mature, as he is on the road to reaching his full potential, whatever that may be.

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