Whippet Adoption: Everything You Need To Know

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Is it better to adopt or buy a Whippet? This is all up to you and what you are wishing to do.

However, shelters are sometimes packed full of dogs, and among these, there will be many crosses, as well as dogs of all different breeds, whatever kind you are looking for.

Whippets often end up in shelters or adoption centers due to neglect or their previous owners not becoming acquainted with this breed’s energy, needs, or demands.

Whippet adoption is becoming increasingly popular across the glove but especially the UK.

By adopting, you can change a dog’s life around who would have otherwise been subjected to sitting in a pen for even longer.

If you think you are able to take care of an adopted whippet, meet his exercise requirements, and show him love, you can search for a shelter or rescue facility online.

Look for whippets that are ready to be re-homed, and fill out an application form as provided. After contacting the shelter or rescue facility, they will arrange for you to meet them and you can hand them your filled-out form.

Sometimes you can submit it online. After visiting the shelter, you may be able to take your whippet home right away or follow a few other steps before being able to adopt him.

Many Whippets end up in shelters every year due to a wide variety of causes, and they are waiting patiently for someone to adopt them and give them a forever home.

Is adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue centre a good option for you? This article offers insight into the world of adoption and tells you everything you need to know about Whippet adoption.

What Is Whippet Adoption?

Whippet adoption involves the process by which you decide to take a Whippet from a shelter or a rescue group to bring him to your home to live with you.

This could be a Whippet that had been given away by its previous owners, or taken away due to neglect.

A Whippet from a shelter or rescue group could also have been been found abandoned or roaming the streets as a stray, then brought there to be taken care of.

By adopting a Whippet from a shelter or rescue facility, you are thereby deemed responsible for this Whippet and must take good care of him.

Even though this is not commonly the case, some shelters may still continue to have a measure of control over your Whippet’s welfare after your adoption.

This is especially true of dogs that have been seriously neglected by their former owners.

By this means, the shelter can make sure that your Whippet is well looked after in his new home and receives the love and care he deserves.

Why Do People Adopt Whippets?

Many people get a Whippet without learning of their temperament and basic needs. A sighthound will have its own special personality and behavioural traits unique to their breed.

Some people may simply not be prepared for the levels of energy Whippets have, and are not able to meet this breed’s physical activity requirements.

Others may go into debt, get a new job, get bored of their pet, or move away and are unable to take their Whippet with them for some reason.

What does this mean for their Whippet? Often, he will end up in a shelter or adoption centre.

Sometimes a rescue group may take a Whippet out of a dog shelter to help raise awareness about this individual dog looking for new owners, and thus help him find a forever home.

So why do people adopt Whippets? Many people simply want to help out animals in need and give them a new start in life.

A person may choose to adopt a Whippet because they want to save a life and care for a rescue dog that has been pent up and lonely for such a long time.

People will receive much joy from seeing a Whippet that has been stuck in a shelter finally get to feel freedom and real security.

Another reason why people choose to adopt a Whippet is because they may develop a special bond with a dog they had rescued as opposed to one they had purchased.

An adopted Whippet may see their owner as a ‘hero’, especially if he has been horribly treated for a better part of his life, or sat in the shelter for many weeks, months, or even years!

He may become very attached to his owner and want to display the love he was never able to demonstrate during a better part of his life.

A lot of shelter dogs, including Whippets, may have lived with good owners before, but because of a sudden change of circumstances had to be given up to a shelter.

This means that your Whippet will come already house trained and will know how to behave properly. He will also have developed socialisation skills and be great with any other pets you may own.

This will save you a lot of time which you would have had to spend on training a new dog or puppy if you are buying from a breeder or dog store.

As well as that, adopting a Whippet costs much cheaper that buying from a dog breeder or dog store.

Sometimes shelter dogs such as Whippets will be completely free, Other times their price will range from around £20 to £350 plus, depending on the shelter or organisation.

However, the shelter or rescue facility will usually have paid for your Whippet’s vaccinations and, if you choose to have him nuetered, they might even partially cover the cost of this also.

By adopting a Whippet, you can also show that you are not a supporter of buying from puppy mills. These often breed their dogs in a way to produce as much puppies as possible that they can sell and profit from.

Puppy mills will breed their dogs in poor conditions, produce puppies that have health defects or that are inbred, underfeed or not look after their dogs properly.

The less people that buy from puppy mills, the less the demand for puppies from those places will be, as owners of these facilities mistreat their dogs and do not provide adequate care.

How To Know If I Should Adopt A Whippet

First of all, consider beforehand if you have the circumstances to look after a newly adopted Whippet.

You could ask yourself, will I be able to give my new Whippet the love and care he needs?

Will I be able to meet a Whippet’s energy levels and exercise requirements?

Have I educated myself on the temperament and personality of a sighthound breed?

If the answers are yes, then adopting a Whippet will be a great option for you.

Ensure you have enough space in your home and yard to keep a Whippet, or a place nearby where you could allow him to roam around.

A Whippet that has sat for a long time at a shelter in a pen will likely want to release their energy, run around, and experience their new freedom.

You will need to be prepared to give your Whippet enough physical activity every day, so do not adopt this breed if you work long hours at your job and have no time to care for him.

This could only make your Whippet display troublesome or destructive behaviour, as they will release their energy on your furniture, bark constantly, or dig in the yard.

Also, a Whippet that has never experienced love before, or has been in a shelter for a very long time, will likely form a very strong and close attachment to you.

If you are away very often for long periods of time every day, it may only cause your adopted Whippet to become sad, lonely, or even develop separation anxiety.

If you are fully convinced that you can look after and care for a Whippet, and have enough time for socialising and forming a new bond with him, then you will know that you should adopt one.

Remember, by adopting a Whippet you are now responsible for the life and welfare of this dog, so ensure you are familiarised with what makes this breed happy, and are able to look after it well.

How To Adopt A Whippet

If you have considered that you want to adopt a Whippet instead of buying one, how can you adopt a dog of this breed?

The first step is to look online for a shelter, rescue facility, or organisation that has Whippets under its care.

Often the website of the shelter or rescue group will give you the option to look for a dog to adopt of a desired breed, in which case you would check if they have Whippets.

Sometimes the website will offer you some details on the dog’s background story, needs, or personality.

Once you found a Whippet you would like to adopt, you will need to fill out an application form concerning the adoption of your new dog.

When this form has been printed out and completed, you can now contact the shelter or rescue group via email or phone number to arrange to visit them and see the dog you are willing to adopt.

From here on, you may be able to take your Whippet home right away after your application form has been reviewed.

Other times, a facility worker or volunteer may want to visit your home to see if it is fit for the adoption of your new Whippet. Or they may want to go over some things you should know about his basic needs.

Perhaps, your Whippet may require for you to give him certain medication every day at set times, or they may have special feeding requirements.

You could also be given your Whippet’s things such as his food bowl or toys to give to him as soon as he arrives in his new home.

Afterward, you can go back to the shelter or rescue facility to collect your new pet and bring him home with you.

Other Considerations

Shelters and rescue groups have a wide variety of different dogs with an assortment of personalities and temperaments.

Even though many of these dogs will be house trained and well behaved, some individuals may have landed in the shelter as a stray, or have been neglected or mistreated by their previous owners.

Dogs in such places could have formerly been shouted at, starved, kept outside in the cold, chained up, or even beaten!

As a result, they may have developed behavioural issues such as fearfulness, nervousness, or shyness.

They may find it hard to trust and love someone again and get to understand that not all people mean them harm. They could also have trouble socialising and be extremely timid.

Some adopted Whippets could even show aggression toward other dogs and people, or run away and hide. This could be a problem, especially if you have other family members and pets.

It sometimes take time, patience, and dedication before you build a bond and a trust with your newly adopted Whippet.

It could take weeks or even months for some dogs before they learn that you have good intentions and that you are their friend.

However, if you are willing to put in the effort it takes to form a strong relationship with your adopted Whippet, you will be rewarded with a great bond and unconditional love.

Final Thoughts

Adoption is a great alternative to buying a puppy from a breeder or dog store, because it can give a shelter dog a completely new life and transform his world for the better.

Millions of dogs all around the world wait in shelters for someone to come and adopt them, and by getting a dog from these places, you could make a difference.

In addition to shelters, Whippets are found in many rescue organisations ready to be adopted, as these help to spread word about dogs under their care to raise awareness about dogs in need of a home.

By adopting, you could change a Whippet’s life for the better and show him that there is real love and happiness that exists in this world.

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