Brown Whippets: The Ultimate Guide

If you’re considering bringing a whippet into your home, you may be interested in the brown whippet. Out of all the beautiful colours whippets come in, brown is one of my favourites.

My own dog Bonnie is brown, as you can see from the image in the sidebar. This colour whippet is simply beautiful and in my opinion one of the best available.

But no matter what colour you choose, these dogs make excellent family pets and get along great with children, they love to take long walks with their owner but also love to relax on the couch too.

Though whippets are typically thought of as ‘pale’, brown whippets do exist. Brown (also called liver) is one of the brown/tan “points” on a white dog, like brown noses and brown shading in their ears. It ranges from light brown to almost black brown.

In this post we’re going to go through everything you need to know about brown whippets, to help you better understand whether this is the right dog for you.

Let’s get to it…

Table of Contents

What Is A Brown Whippet?

So what actually is a brown whippet? Well, if it isn’t already obvious, it’s a whippet that has brown fur.

A brown whippet is a purebred whippet with brown points. A brown point can appear on the face, ears, body, and leg shading.

There are three types of tan markings in whippets: brown (also called liver), red/fawn, and white. Brown is one of the brown/tan “points”

Are Brown Whippets Rare?

No brown whippets are not rare. However brown whippets that do not have brown noses, but brown body shading, and brown leg shading may be harder to find in most breeders’ litters.

They are typically the product of brown-pointed parents (liver nose and brown points) and a fawn or white coloured dog (no brown points).

Although brown whippets are not rare, brown whippets with brown noses are very hard to find.

What Is The Best Way To Find A Brown Whippet?

The best way to find brown whippets is to ask breeders if they have brown points in their litters.

Whilst brown points are still considered to be brown whippets, this is not the same as a brown brindle whippet which is a genetic mutation of the breed.

If you see a brown whippet it will most likely be from accidental breeding between brown-pointed parents that occurred through no fault of the breeder or owner.

The best place to start looking for a brown whippet dog or puppy is by asking known reputable breeders if they have any litters planned with brown-pointed parents.

How Much Do Brown Whippets Cost?

A brown whippet is typically more expensive than a fawn or black whippet. This is because brown whippets are often slightly rarer, so they are valued for their unique colourations.

The amount by which brown whippets are more expensive depends on the breeder and your location. As well as if the dog is from a working or racing background.

Presuming that the brown whippet is not from a racing heritage, I’ve listed some average prices you can expect to pay for a brown whippet below.

Brown Whippet Puppies

As of 2021, brown whippet puppies cost approximately £500 – £800 in the UK and $900 – $1500 in the US, depending on the breeder.

It’s important to keep in mind that this price does not include shipping or other fees that may be required by the breeder.

Brown whippet puppies should not be any cheaper than this price point because it will usually mean there was something wrong with the parents or the pup itself (e.g missing teeth due to malnutrition).

You will also need to factor in the cost of whippet supplies throughout your whippet’s lifetime. The average brown whippet life span is 10 – 13 years, so there is several years’ worth of supplies you will need to buy.

This includes food, treats, collars, leashes, beds, and crates.

Adult Brown Whippets

The price of an adult brown whippet is cheaper than a puppy as they are not in as high demand.

You can generally expect to pay around £300 – £500 in the UK for an adult brown whippet or $500 – $800 in the US.

Adult brown whippets can be an excellent choice for first-time pet owners as they are often much easier to train than puppies, and they also require less attention.

Do Brown Whippets Get Along With Other Pets?

Brown whippets tend to get on well with other pets.

They tend to interact and play nicely with other dogs and even cats, as long as they have been properly socialised from a young age.

Brown whippet puppies should not be introduced to any other animals until at least the age of 12 weeks (when they are fully vaccinated), as it is risky before this period.

However, by this point, your whippet will typically be more than happy to share their home with another four-legged friend.

Before introducing your whippet and new pets together, make sure you supervise them until you can tell how they react to each other – and never leave them alone with an animal if there is any chance of your dog become a threat.

One aspect of whippets you need to be aware of is their prey drive, these dogs have been used for hunting and racing for many years and have a strong prey drive hardwired into them.

This means they’ll chase prey-like animals such as cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and others alike if they are not introduced in a strict, controlled environment from a young age.

I would not advise bringing an adult whippet into your home if you do have any of the above animals, as this could be a recipe for disaster.

Other Considerations

Now that you know more about brown whippets, let’s take a look at some other considerations of owning this beautiful dog.

Exercising A Brown Whippet

When it comes to exercise, many people believe that whippets need hours and hours each day, and this really isn’t the case.

Your whippet will need around 45 – 60 minutes of physical exercise per day to stay happy, fit, and healthy.

This is crucial as it helps relieve stress for your pet and keeps them active. If you can’t provide this amount of exercise for your whippet each day then this breed may not be right for you.

Grooming A Brown Whippet

The brown whippet has two coats, an undercoat that keeps him somewhat warm during cold weather, and a top coat that helps prevent water from reaching his skin.

The undercoat is short with brown hair. Whippets lose hair on their bodies but not their heads or tails so they do not require much grooming at all.

Regular brushing with a stiff brush will help remove any loose hair and dirt. You can also trim the hairs around the eyes and ears if they start getting too long.

Brown whippets don’t require any more maintenance or grooming than any other coloured whippets, and only require to be groomed around once or twice a month.

Brown Whippets And Children

A brown whippet is a fun, loving dog that loves to play with children. Whippets are known for being gentle and sweet dogs that will fit right in with any family or household.

Whippets are usually very good with children, kindly taking treats from gentle fingers, but should always be supervised around young children as they can injure them through their speed and playfulness.

Your whippet will build an unbreakable bond with your child should they understand how to treat each other properly.

Some quick lessons to teach your child about living with a whippet is to never pull their tails and don’t nip or poke their eyes.

Living With A Brown Whippet

Living with a brown whippet is not too much different from living with any other whippet.

They are relatively clean dogs that only require grooming once every few weeks, and they can be left alone in the house for up to 6 hours during the day when they are adults.

However, they can suffer from separation anxiety when they are young and can be needy dogs. If they are left alone for too long they can become destructive and develop behavioural problems.

As a whole, living with a brown whippet is fun for all of the family, they are loyal, loving pets that are a pleasure to own.

More brown whippet care tips:

– brown whippets should be fed twice a day

– give brown whippets regular daily exercise & playtime outside (they love playing chase!)

– brown whippet puppies need training just like any other dog breed

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this post has given you a better insight into brown whippets and you know a little more about this beautiful breed.

The colour of the whippet doesn’t affect their temperament or behaviour. All whippets are amazing dogs regardless of their coat colour.

If you enjoyed reading this whippet blog post please feel free to check out my other posts! Or visit my home page.