How To Raise A Whippet Puppy While Working Full Time

Whippets are excellent household pets; they are loving and gentle and make are perfect for families. The whippet is a low maintenance dog breed because it doesn’t have any distinct odour and sheds only a little.

Many people dream of adopting this adorable dog, and those with children often choose to buy a whippet puppy. Owning and raising a whippet puppy is a responsibility that requires commitment and proper planning.

Hence, it is common for whippet puppy owners to worry about raising a whippet puppy while working. This concern arises mostly among individuals who have full-time job responsibilities.

If you wish to own a loving and obedient whippet puppy while working full time, you need not worry. This article will teach you how to raise a whippet puppy while working full time and several other tips to keep your puppy happy while you’re away.

Table of Contents

Start Training Young

Training your dog is an essential part of owning it. This rule similarly applies to puppies, especially if you don’t have time to stay home and them yourself. Training your whippet puppy also offers several benefits for you and the pup.

Early training helps build a positive relationship between you and the whippet puppy. It also helps to instil discipline in your pup and helps improve communication. Positive training is vital at this stage because it helps build love, trust, and understanding.

Training your whippet while it’s young also helps it learn essential life skills. Since you have full-time employment, your whippet puppy needs to learn how to live in a household environment.

The whippet needs to learn basic manners and how to stay physically active to avoid destructive behaviour. This skill will also help prevent anxiety and stress issues in your whippet puppy.

If you work full-time, your whippet may encounter dangers within the house, especially if there’s no other individual in the home. When you start training your whippet while it’s young, the puppy will learn how to avoid dangers.

Whippets are quite prone to suffering impact injuries when they crash into furniture at high speeds. This risk and other similar ones can be avoided by training teaching the whippet the necessary skills while it’s young.

The best thing about early whippet training is that your puppy will be more manageable if you plan to leave it with a neighbour or friend.

A well-trained whippet puppy can also learn to obey other people’s commands, ensuring you don’t worry while working full-time.

How To Use A Dog Crate To Your Advantage

Crate training is essential for whippet puppies because they are primarily indoor pets. When you conduct early crate training, your pup will gain a sense of security and safety, especially while you are away.

Dog breeders and vets always advocate for crate training because it is quite beneficial. Additionally, it is a crucial part of any housebreaking training. Crate training involves educating your whippet puppy that its crate/cage is a secure and familiar space.

This puppy training makes life more comfortable, especially if you want to know how to raise a whippet puppy while working full time. When your whippet puppy becomes accustomed to its crate, it will help soothe its anxiety and distress while you are working.

Crate training is also ideal if you plan to leave your whippet puppy with someone who doesn’t appreciate pets roaming wildly in their homes. This way, your pup stays safe and isn’t a bother to anyone.

An essential step in crate training your young whippet is showing the puppy that the crate is a safe space. Although this progress may take weeks for your whippet to master, kindly ensure you’re patient with the puppy.

For faster crate training results, try to breakdown the learning process into several short sessions. Afterwards, you can slowly increase the crate training sessions and train your whippet to remain in the crate for more extended periods.

Choosing an appropriate crate for your whippet puppy is also essential. You need one that has adequate space for the puppy to stretch, stand, and play. Ideally, it would help if you procured a crate with a bed, carpeting, water container, and dog toys.

Here is a straightforward step-by-step procedure if you are looking to conduct crate training for your whippet.

Find a secluded, quiet place to place the whippet crate, preferably where it’s accustomed to staying or playing.
Bring your pup near the crate’s vicinity and gently place it inside. You start by leaving the whippet with the crate’s door open and slowly close the whippet’s cage with time.
Since your whippet puppy won’t like this new experience, it will likely start whining. At this stage, you should completely ignore its cries and carry on with your routine.
Once your whippet has calmed down and ceased whining, come back and open the crate. You can show sympathy by cuddling with your whippet pup and allow it to stretch.
Repeat this crate training procedure and slowly extend the whippet’s period inside the crate. As time passes by, your whippet puppy will learn to stay put and calm whenever it’s locked inside the cage.

Alternatively, you can use a passive crate training approach by using gentle nudges and treats to coax your whippet to enter and stay in the crate.

All You Need To Know About Leaving Your Whippet Alone

Whippets often seem to have a dual personality. Your whippet puppy may be running about, and a minute later, you find it sleeping on the furniture. It’s this dual personality that causes many owners to wonder if they can leave their whippets alone.

Well-mannered and trained whippets can stay alone for between 7-9 hours. However, staying alone isn’t ideal for this dog breed, which is very affectionate and prefers company.

Additionally, your whippet’s age and other factors can significantly determine how long it can stay alone without causing issues. For instance, a three-month-old whippet requires potty breaks every three hours.

If your whippet puppy undergoes early housebreaking and training, you can comfortably leave it for up to 8 hours without worrying. Leaving your whippet for more than 9 hours can affect it negatively and may lead to withdrawn behaviour.

Since different whippet puppies mature differently, there is a specific age where whippets are safe to roam freely in the house. Most owners attest that a majority of whippets start reducing their destructive tendencies by eight months.

Asking Your Friends Or Family To Puppy Sit Will Help

Many individuals often wonder how to raise a whippet puppy while working full time. A straightforward way of achieving this feat is by requesting friends or family to watch the whippet.

Whippets enjoy human interaction and generally don’t like being lonely. Having someone check up on your whippet puppy can help to prevent separation anxiety issues.

A friend or family member can help your whippet go for exercise and potty breaks as you work. Some whippet owners even hire friends or family members to serve as puppy sitters.

Providing companionship for your whippet puppies also helps to alleviate boredom and frustration. Whippets tend to be happier when they are near individuals they know or like.

If you want the whippet to be ok while you’re away, it will help if you started socialising it with friends or family. This way, it will learn to be safe and relaxed when you leave it under someone’s care.

Leaving your whippet in trusted hands also ensures it gets adequate food and exercise. The whippet is a very energetic dog family, and it required a strict schedule. Having family or friends look after it can help to ensure its regular schedule isn’t interrupted.

Keeping Your Whippet Puppy Happy Whilst Your At Work

If your whippet puppy has to stay home alone for most days, you must ensure it stays happy and content. Here are three ways of how to raise a whippet puppy while working full time and keeping it comfortable.

Tire Out Your Whippet Before Leaving For Work

Since whippets are exceptionally playful, they can quickly get bored when you are ways on work duties. If you can spare time in the early mornings, exercising/playing with your whippet before work is an excellent way of spicing up its day.

how to raise a whippet puppy while working full time — Image: Tommi Ekholm

These early exercises help tire out your whippet puppy and ensure it sleeps for most of the day. This way, your whippet puppy will be more active and receptive when you arrive from work.

Provide Some Entertainment For Your Whippet Puppy

When leaving your whippet puppy alone, kindly ensure you turn on the radio or TV so that it gets some joy. Doing so helps your whippet feel less lonely while you are on the job.

Ensure Your Puppy Has Plenty Of Games And Toys

Fun dog games and toys can help distract your whippet puppy during work hours. For instance, you can procure puzzle feeders that release a treat when your whippet solves a puzzle.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to raise a whippet puppy while working full time may seem like a daunting task to many individuals. However, with proper planning, you can leave your whippet puppy at home with no worries.

Nowadays, you can even purchase technological devices that provide you with a live platform to communicate with your whippet while at work. Using such devices help you talk to your whippet and even see it, ensuring it doesn’t get lonely.