How Big Do Whippets Get?

Whippets are known to be small, cute and loving dogs that are exceptional sprinters used for racing and hunting.

But how big do whippets get? In this post we answer exactly that, giving you a clear idea of how big your whippet will typically grow to.

This helps you decide on what size dog bed, raincoat and other products you may need for him as he grows into adulthood.

Not only that, if you do feel that your whippet is on the smaller side, this post will also help make sense of it, and after you’ll be able to identify whether your whippet is above or below the average whippet size.

Most dogs are generally fully grown by their first birthday, then they typically reach maturity by their second.

However, whippets can reach their full growth potential much earlier than this.

The size your whippet will grow to is different from dog to dog, it’s largely genetic makeup among other factors that influence a dog’s growth.

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When Do Whippet Puppies Stop Growing?

It doesn’t take a genius to work out that when your whippet is six or seven years old he’s fully grown.

But at what point do whippet puppies stop growing?

Generally, your puppy will reach his full growth potential sometime between the ages of one and two years old.

There are a lot of variables that can influence this, such as the diet that you feed your whippet.

how big do whippets get? — Image: Echothewhippet

Diet is a huge part of your whippet’s growth, which is why it’s crucial that you feed your whippet pup on a high quality, nutritious diet that is filled with protein.

Whippets have large muscles which allow them to run at speeds of up to 35mph, but they don’t grow out of thin air.

A diet full of protein will ensure your whippet pup reaches his growth potential as early as possible, sometimes as early as eight or nine months old!

So how big do whippets actually get?

Well, again this comes down to many factors, mainly genetics.

If your whippet comes from parents that are both small, then the chances of your whippet being small are increased, likewise with larger whippet parents.

The typical weight for whippets when they are fully grown is somewhere between 6.8kg – 14kg, making them very light dogs even at the larger end of the breed.

Height wise your whippet will grow to somewhere between 19 and 21 inches tall, however, these are only guidelines and there are certainly bigger whippets out there.

Whippets were bred to hunt small pests such as rabbits and runs, so they needed to be small and nimble to be able to hunt.

It’s normal for whippets to be very small dogs that can sometimes look a little underweight, they have large muscles and can burn lots of calories whilst out exercising, so they don’t typically carry a lot of fat on their frame.

How To Ensure Your Whippet Grows Big And Strong

If you want to ensure your whippet pup grows big and strong and is nice and healthy, there are a couple of things you can do to help.

Here are some tips to help your whippet grow;

Exercise

Giving your whippet plenty of exercise is a great way to ensure he grows big and strong.

Just like humans, dogs also need physical exercise to wear down muscle fibres and rebuild them stronger.

Giving your whippet 40 – 60 minutes of physical exercise per day and the opportunity to run each day will contribute to him growing.

One of my favourite ways to do this is to take my whippets out with other dogs.

This gives them the chance to run around with each other and socialise, which is crucial to a happy and healthy whippet.

Diet

A whippets diet is a crucial part of their health and growth, they need nutrients and complete foods to grow.

Your whippet’s calories should be coming from a healthy diet, instead of human food and excess dog treats.

It’s wise to speak with your veterinarian to ensure you’re feeding your whippet correctly and giving him the food he needs to grow big and strong.

The best way to make your dog grow is to simply feed him more calories, but you’ll also need to ensure this is complimented with a strong exercise regime so that your whippet doesn’t end up fat.

Consideration

You’ll also want to take into account that whippet pups actually need more calories than adults.

This is because puppies are growing at a much faster rate than adults, so they need more calories to keep up with this growth.

Whippets have large muscles that help them run at high speeds, so when these muscles are growing they need to be fueled with a lot of calories which need to be burned through regular exercise.

Why Is Your Whippet Not Growing?

It’s possible that your whippet pup may not grow into the average-sized whippet with regards to height and weight.

The size of whippets can vary quite a lot, and some whippets will naturally be smaller than others.

If you’re finding that your whippet is not growing then there could be a few reasons for this.

The first thing to take into account is the amount of exercise and food you’re giving him.

If your whippet is being used as a working or racing dog, then he will be burning a lot more calories than your average whippet.

This means that you’ll also need to up his calorie intake, to ensure that he has plenty of food to help his growth.

Another common reason why people complain of their whippets not growing is that their dog simply has small parents.

The size of your whippet is largely down to genetics, which means if your whippet has small parents, the chance of him being a small whippet is increased.

It’s wise to contact your breeder and try to get some more information about this as it will give you peace of mind to know that your whippet is naturally a small dog.

Whippet puppies that are not getting enough to eat may also experience stunted growth, as mentioned, you’ll want to ensure you’re feeding your puppy more than you will when he is an adult to ensure he grows to his full potential.

Here are some other reasons which may be stopping your whippet from growing:

Illness
Mistreated as a puppy
Anxiety
Stress
Dental issues stopping him from eating
Picky or fussy eater
Not enough exercise

How To Tell If Your Whippet Is Underweight

There are a few effective ways you can tell if your whippet is underweight.

Look at your whippet from the side, the stomach should tuck up to the chest and not be level with or hang below your dog’s chest.

It’s normal for whippets to look skinny, but not skinny but that they have multiple ribs showing and look very thin.

A rule of thumb to go by is that you should be able to see two of your whippet ribs, this is typically an indication that your whippet is a healthy weight.

Whippets have very short fur, which means you can usually see if they’re underweight or not.

Feel the side of your dog’s ribs, if he has a slight padding like feeling then chances are they are just the right weight for a whippet.

If the ribs feel very obvious or feel like they’re barely covered at all, then you’ve probably got an underweight whippet that needs to be fed more calories to bulk up.

When looking at your whippet from a birds-eye view, you should see that your whippet has a visibly tucked in weight, but the hip bones shouldn’t stick out severely.

If the hips protrude sharply then your dog is probably underweight, there should be an inward curve at the waist that isn’t too sharp.

Final Thoughts

So how big do whippets get? Not very big at all, this breed has always been small as they were bred to be this way.

Whippets are descendants from greyhounds, which are a similar-looking buy larger breed.

Whippets were bred to hunt small game such as rabbits and rats, so they needed to be small so that they could run after these small pests.

Whippets are known to be small, nimble dogs that can sometimes look underweight to the untrained eye.

It’s important to know the average weight and height of a whippet before making any judgement on whether they are underweight or too small.

If you do have a whippet that’s a little on the smaller side, then there is likely a plausible reason for this, be it genetics or a diet that isn’t suited to a whippet.

Hopefully, you’ve learned something about the size of whippets in this post, and have a better understanding of how to spot an underweight whippet and ways to get your dog back to a healthy size and weight.

How Big Do Whippets Get?

When Do Whippet Puppies Stop Growing?