How To Take Care Of Your Whippet Puppy

Bringing your new whippet puppy home is an incredibly exciting experience, but if you’ve never owned a dog before, it can be quite daunting.

It can be difficult to know where to begin when you first bring your whippet pup home, with dog bowls, dog beds, food, training and much more racing through your mind.

In this post, we teach you how to take care of your whippet puppy and go through everything you need to know to be well on your way to a happy, healthy whippet pup.

Puppies can be a lot of work, but the reward is a loyal companion that will stick by your side for many years to come.

If you’re reading this post, then you’re doing the right thing, preparation is key to a good support structure for your whippet pup.

Let’s jump into it…

Table of Contents

First Days At Home & Puppy Proofing

Bringing your puppy home for the first time is incredibly exciting, but it can also be quite stressful too.

Your whippet pup has never been to your home before, so may be a little anxious at first, imagine being separated from everything you’ve ever known in an instant and brought to a completely new environment.

This is why it’s important to allow your puppy some time to adjust.

Your home is full of new smells, objects and people that your pup will want to explore.

how to take care of your whippet puppy — Image: Ecothewhippet

Thankfully puppies leave their mother and siblings at an age where they are ready to move into a new family, and what would seem a traumatic experience for a human has no lasting effect on your puppies confidence.

In a few days, he will have settled in and will see your home as his own.

There are a couple of things you’ll want to do in the first days that you bring your whippet pup home, I like to call it puppy proofing.

What is puppy proofing? Well, it’s making your home a safe place for your pup to live, so that he doesn’t get hurt on any new objects in your home.

Here are some things you may want to consider to puppy proof your home;

Tie up all loose cables and cords.
Tie up curtains.
Ensure that there are no small items on the floor that your pup could pick up (kids toys, bottle caps etc).
Ensure your shoes are packed away in a shoe cabinet.
Invest in some dog toys for your pup.
Invest in a crate to start crate training early.
Put toxic cleaning supplies in a cabinet that is higher up and out of reach.

How Much Exercise Does A Whippet Puppy Need?

Most first-time whippet owners are under the assumption that whippets need an ungodly amount of exercise.

When in fact, that’s not the case, whippet pups don’t actually need any formal exercise until they are over the age of 7-months.

This is because their bones are still growing and hardening until the age of around 12-month, and simply running around your home is more than enough for these early months.

Let your whippet pup play in your garden and take him for small walks around your neighbourhood whilst he’s still growing.

This will help your pup develop into a beautiful, healthy whippet, and then you can start taking him on longer walks.

When your whippet is over 7-months you can then start taking him on longer walks, but even then whippets only require around 40 – 60 minutes of physical exercise per day.

They are couch potatoes at heart that love nothing more than to chill and relax with their owner.

Although you should be aware that a whippet puppy has a very small bladder, so you’ll need to ensure that you’re letting him out to alleviate himself every couple of hours.

A good rule of thumb I like to use is for every month of age you should let him out for a bathroom break, for example, if he’s 3 months, he will need to go to the bathroom every 3 hours or so.

How Much Food Does A Whippet Puppy Need?

Whilst your whippet is still young and growing, you need to ensure that you’re feeding him a high quality, nutritious diet that is rich in proteins.

Whilst it can sometimes be tempting you opt for a less expensive item on the shelf, feeding your whippet a healthy diet is the key to ensuring he’s big, strong and healthy.

If you’re unsure on what to feed your whippet then you may want to speak to your veterinarian, as they’ll often recommend a product that is suited to your furry friend.

Whilst you’ll want to control the amount of food your whippet puppy is eating, you’ll want to ensure that he always has a full bowl of water to drink from all of the time.

You should also keep in mind that whippet puppies actually need more food than adults, this is because they are growing at a much faster rate and need more calories to sustain this growth.

You should feed your whippet pup multiple times per day according to his age, see below;

8 – 12 weeks: 4 meals per day
3 – 6 months: 3 meals per day
6 – 12 months: 2 meals per day

Crate Training

One of the best forms of whippet puppy training I have done over the years is starting to get them used to a crate early.

Proper crate training will see that your whippet looks at the crate as a secure, safe place that he can go to relax and enjoy some alone time.

The crate should NEVER be used as a place of daily confinement or for punishment, as this will put your dog off the idea of a crate and he’ll begin to resent it.

Crate training your pup is great as this will help him in years to come when you need to leave him for a little while, he will have a place where he can go to feel safe, which will help him with separation anxiety.

Not only that, but your whippet will have a “home from home” should you go to a friends house or stay over at a dog-friendly hotel, often if dogs don’t have this special place they can go for alone time they can become very unsettled and anxious.

You should not leave your whippet in a crate whilst you’re out for work all day, as this can result in a very frustrated and sad whippet, crates are boring places, so they should be used for a place for your pup to relax.

As a whole crate training is super beneficial, especially in your whippets early days, it’ll give you and your puppy a ton of advantages when growing into adulthood.

House Training

House training a whippet puppy is actually a lot easier than training some other breeds.

This is because whippets have a natural desire to be clean, they are elegant dog’s that don’t enjoy being dirty.

Bonnie will actually tip-toe around puddles, jump over mud, and never, ever goes in the water.

She can’t stand to be dirty which makes my life much easier as she’s always clean.

Whippet puppies will use the newspaper that you put out for them when they need to use the bathroom.

A new home can be very stressful for your puppy, so don’t be surprised if he’s having a couple of leaks here and there, it’ll take some time for him to adjust and understand where he needs to go for a toilet break.

It’s important to let your pup out regularly for bathroom breaks, as mentioned they only have small bladders, and it’s not until they grow that they’ll be able to hold it in for a little longer.

Getting Your Whippets Vaccinations

Getting your whippet pup vaccinated is very important as these vaccines protect your pet from several highly contagious diseases, such as canine distemper, parvovirus infection and respiratory tract infections.

It’s wise to speak with your veterinarian about vaccinating your whippet pup, but many breeders advise waiting until around 12 to 16 weeks to vaccinate your pup.

This is because he needs a little time to grow and strengthen physically, and at this age, their immune system will have had time to develop.

Start Training Your Whippet Puppy

Whilst your whippet is still a puppy, it’s wise to start training him with simple commands such as “sit”, “stay”, “down” etc.

I’m not talking about intense training, just light, fun training that will get your pup used to the idea of listening to you.

You don’t want to correct your pup if he does something wrong, this will put them off and they’ll become fearful of you, making them not want to work with you in the future.

However, when your pup is around 8 – 10 weeks old you can start to learn him a thing or two, this is what I recommend at this age;

Follow me – teaching your pup to walk after you and stay by your side when you’re outdoors.
Recall – Slowly start learning your pup to come back to your command, you can use a whistle for this or simply call his name.
Bite inhibition – Discourage hard biting, allow playing but say no to bites.
Food training – Teach your whippet pup how to take food gentile without scratching or grabbing from your hand.
Socialising – Take your pup out to meet some friends and family members, to new places so he can experience new scents and scenery.

What Age Should I Neuter My Whippet?

If you’re going to neuter your puppy then it’s best to wait until they are around 1 year old, this gives nature time to take its course and ensure that your pup has grown up and matured.

The puberty hormones help to develop your puppy if you neuter then too early then they will miss puberty and you’ll have an immature dog that is incredibly hard to train.

Once your whippet calms down and is fully grown, then this is when you can neuter him safely without hindering his growth.

Useful Products For Your Whippet Puppy

When bringing a new puppy into your home you’ll want to be prepared and ensure he has everything he needs.

It’s easy to forget some essentials that you’ll need for your puppy, so I’ve listed a couple of products that I recommend to help you in raising your whippet;

Whippet Coat – Whippets are terrible in the cold, they have thin fur that doesn’t insulate them very well. If you’re going to be taking your pup out in the rain, then it’s wise to have a whippet coat to keep him sheltered.
Food – Your whippet’s diet is incredibly important to his growth, he needs nutritious food that’s full of protein to help him grow big and strong.
Treats – Giving your whippet pup a treat once in a while is a good idea, not only will this help with his training, but some treats are healthy and will help him grow.
Toys – Whippet puppies are full of energy and need stimulation, a toy is a great way to do so. Not only that, but it’s a great tool for you to use to strengthen the bond between you and your whippet pup.
Bowl – A bowl is essential for your whippet to eat and drink out of, these are a must for any puppy owner.
Leash – You’ll need a good quality leash whilst taking your pup for walks, they can be mischievous sometimes so I recommend one with a bit of run on it.
Shampoo – Although whippets are a very clean breed, it’s a good idea to keep some dog shampoo to keep him smelling and feeling fresh whilst at home.
Collar – You’ll need a collar to attach the leash too when you’re out walking with your pup. My favourites are the traditional whippet collars, they look incredible and are durable, comfortable and high quality too.

Have Fun And Bond With Your Whippet

The most important part of taking care of a whippet puppy is to ensure you build a relationship with him that’s unbreakable.

Spend lots of time with your whippet pup and get to know his personality inside and out, this will make it much easier for you to understand what he likes, and what he doesnt like.

Not only that, but when it comes to training your whippet puppy it’ll be much easier as he will trust you fully and will want to make you happy.

Over time you’ll be able build up a consistent routine and set of rules that you’re pup will respect.

It’s fun owning a whippet pup as they’re full of energy and incredibly loving, enjoy this time with him, as before you know it he’ll be an adult and fully grown.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you now know how to take care of your whippet puppy, and have a good idea of what you can do to prepare for bringing your new pup into your life.

Your first puppy is a huge adventure, there’s lots ahead and some incredibly fun and exciting experiences.

Whippets are one of the most affectionate, loving breeds I’ve ever come across, so you’ll be rewarded with a loyal, trusting whippet once he grows into adulthood.

It’s important to arm yourself with as much information as you possible can before adopting a whippet pup so you can raise him the right way.