Can Whippets Live Outside?

Whippets are social dogs that love to spend time with their owner curled up on the couch watching David Attenborough on Netflix.

They also love to be in the outdoors taking long walks over the English countryside.

So which one does your whippet prefer?

Being inside nice and warm and cosy, or being outside in the dark, cold and alone?

Well, I think the answer is almost obvious, almost all dogs would much prefer to be indoors with their owner binging snacks and late-night TV.

That being said, you may have heard of whippets that live outside, and are absolutely fine.

In this post we are going to look at can whippets live outside?

To help you decide whether or not it’s a good idea to put your furry friend outside or leave him on the sofa.

Let’s get to it…

Are Whippets Indoor Or Outdoor Dogs?

Whippets love to spend lots of time outdoors running and playing with other dogs, that being said, they have short fur and don’t hold much body fat.

This means that they can get cold very easily, they don’t exactly have much beef to keep them warm when the wind picks up.

Some people believe that their dog will be happier if they live outside, but pet experts have stated that these claims are simply not true.

Dogs that are left outside alone could be much happier in the house with their owner, especially whippets as they are a very social breed.

Whippets love the interaction, whether that be with their owner, other dogs or other pets in the house.

They are super clean dogs too, so they won’t get your house full of fur and mud, Bonnie (my whippet) tip-toes around mud, puddles and hates to be dirty.

Whippets are most certainly indoor dogs, they are descendants from greyhounds which used to be regarded very highly in medieval days for putting food on the table.

Back in those days, greyhound and whippet owners would not let their greyhounds stay outside in case anything happened to them, as they were the breadwinners for the household. 

Could Your Whippet Live Outside?

But could your whippet live outside?

Well, yes, but he will be much happier in the house with his owner. If your whippet has a super comfortable, warm and clean kennel to live then yes, he could live outside if he had too.

However, it’s really not recommended to leave your whippet outside as they suffer from separation anxiety and become very destructive in an anxiety episode.

Many whippet owners who have whippets purely for working tend to keep them outside in a kennel, but the bond will not be as strong between you and your whippet doing it this way.

Whippets are thin dogs that don’t have much body fat to keep them warm, especially in winter months.

If you do want to keep your whippet outside then I’d highly recommend bringing your dog inside when winter sets in, as it will be extremely cold for him outside and alone in his kennel.

Do Whippets Enjoy Being Outside?

Just because it’s not a great idea to let your whippet live outside doesn’t mean that whippets don’t like to be outside.

In fact, whippets love the outdoors and will be grateful for daily exercise with the opportunity to run at full speed every day.

However as mentioned, whippets do have short fur which isn’t very insulating, so when it comes to the winter months it’s wise to invest in a coat for your whippet to help keep him warm.

Give your whippet a warm coat and he’s all set for the outdoors, whether that be a walk around your local park or trekking up a mountain in the Lake District, whippets love it all.

Whippets love being part of family life, so if your family loves to take long walks then a whippet could be right for you.

There are some aspects of the outdoors that whippets are not so keen on.

Water being one of them, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen Bonnie swim, she will jump over and totally avoid even the smallest of puddles.

It’s hilarious to see how much she hates water, this can’t be said for all whippets as I’ve seen plenty of videos of whippet swimming and having the time of their life.

Another aspect of the outdoors that whippets aren’t too fond of is filth.

Whippets hate to feel dirty, so mud, dust and other filth will really irritate your whippet and make them avoid it like the plague if they can. 

What Are The Benefits Of Allowing Your Whippet Inside

There are plenty of benefits of allowing your whippet to stay inside with the family, here are some that I think you should bear in mind.

Companionship

I think of my whippet like part of the family, we spend tons of time together and have a great bond between us.

So leaving my whippets outside isn’t something that I’ve ever wanted to do, however, I do understand why people have to do this.

I have always had an incredibly strong bond between me and my dogs, and I think a large part of that is because they live inside with me and the family.

This allows us to spend tons of time together and really integrates them into family life, which creates an unbreakable bond.

Happiness

There’s no question about it that whippets are inside dogs.

Their thin fur and low body fat certainly aren’t suited to being outside in the cold weather.

Whippets are much happier inside wrapped up with their owner binge-watching Netflix.

They are social dogs that crave human interactions, so keeping them inside is much better for their overall happiness.

Not only that, but whippets are prone to suffer from separation anxiety, so keeping your pup outside alone and in the cold can make his anxiety trigger, which is awful for any dog owner. 

You’ll Worry Less

I don’t know about you, but the thought of going to work and knowing that my pup is outside in a kennel all by himself makes me worry.

What happens if someone breaks in and wants to take him? Or what if something bad happens to him?

All of these are worries that I know I personally would have if my dogs were kept outside, which is a major reason why I keep them inside to ensure their safety and my peace of mind. 

What Are The Cons Of Keeping Your Whippet Outside?

There are many downsides of keeping your whippet outside whilst you’re indoors.

First, there are a ton of dangers in the outside world, depending on where you live in the world there are chemicals, dangerous animals, poisonous plants and much more.

Not only that, but there are plenty of dognappers that would love to steal your beautiful whippet and sell him for some quick cash!

Another risk of keeping your whippet outside in the yard is the fact that whippets are able to jump very high, over 6ft in some cases.

This means that if your garden isn’t fenced off by a large fence, he could decide that he’s had enough, jump the fence and escape.

This could be a disaster for everyone involved, as a lost dog is a nightmare for any dog owner.

Leaving your whippet outside opens you up to a whole host of negative effects, one you might not think of is you may start to annoy the neighbours.

If your whippet is left outside too long and starts to experience separation anxiety, there’s a good chance that he will start letting you know by whining and crying.

This is not only unpleasant for you as the dog owner to hear, but also your neighbours who may have young children that are trying to sleep, but can’t because all they can hear is your anxious dog in the yard. 

Final Thoughts

So can whippets live outside? Technically yet, but I would not recommend it.

Whippets are meant to be indoors, they are incredibly social and can suffer from anxiety if left outside and alone for too long.

Don’t get me wrong, whippets love the outdoors and love nothing more than going for long walks on the beach with their owner, but they also love getting home and snuggling up on the couch, keeping nice and warm and cosy.

As a whole I really wouldn’t recommend keeping your whippet outside, your dog will be cold, lonely and simply not as happy as he could be if he was inside with you and the family.

If there’s a reason behind why you don’t want your whippet to live inside, maybe he’s not toilet trained or is clumsy and knocks the odd ornament over.

It’s much better to teach your whippet some basic house rules instead of resorting to putting him outside where you open yourself, and your dog up to a whole host of other potential risks.

Hopefully, we have answered your question of can whippets live outside, and why it’s a much better reason to allow your furry friend to stay indoors.

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