Is A Whippet A Cross Breed?

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Today as you cuddle on the couch with your favourite little fur child, I’m going to answer the question, “Is A Whippet A Cross Breed?”.

Now you may get a little bent out of shape that I even put this notion into your head.

You perhaps got your whippet from a breeder or maybe your little sad-eyed beauty is a rescue whippet.

Gazing at your little speedy bundle of joy, you may have wondered this yourself since they closely resemble the greyhound.

Yes, I am going to tell you that your whippet is a crossbreed but I’m going to give you a little history lesson that will calm your nerves and also a little explanation of what exactly a crossbreed is.

So sit back, relax, read and cuddle!

The whippet is a medium-sized dog that is believed to have emerged in the 1600s, although some say it is only a few hundred years old, bred in the late 1700s. History is not always an exact science.

There are, however, many drawings from ancient Egyptian times that depict greyhound or whippet-like dogs.

Whippets were primarily used in England for hunting small mammals or racing. They were primarily created when the greyhound was too large for the house and way too expensive to feed.

Reading this you can imagine what your cute little guy’s ancestors may have been doing centuries ago, which probably wouldn’t have been sleeping in your bed or on the couch, hoovering up treats and racing around your yard at warp speed.

What Is A Cross Breed?

A crossbreed is a dog that is a mixture or crossing of two separate breeds, or if one of those dogs is already a mix, several breeds.

The resulting puppies will be a merging of the two parents traits just as in humans.

They can inherit traits in many different ways, from temperament to physicality, such as eye colour and build.

This is why if you decide to get a crossbreed puppy you must make sure the breeder is a reputable one.

You should also consider when getting a mixed breed as well as any breed, which type would suit your household and family; big, small, active, laid back, etc.

is a whippet a cross breed?
Image: bbartlomiej

There are such a wide variety of purebreds to choose from, such as Schnoodle (schnauzer-poodle mix) and puggle (pug-beagle mix) and yes, don’t panic, we will get to the dear sweet whippet mixes.

Just please make sure you do some research on breeders and most certainly you do want to see the “parent” dogs as well.

Is A Whippet A Cross Breed?

Many may think that the whippet appears to be a miniature greyhound.

In fact, a whippet is not a miniature greyhound but does embody some greyhound.

It has been found that a whippet is a cross between purebred greyhounds and a type of purebred speedy terrier with long legs.

So, in fact, the whippet is a purebred.

The working class in England wanted a smaller greyhound to be used for hunting and racing.

The whippet is also known as the snap dog or English whippet.

The name snap dog came about because they would chase down and “snap up” their prey, such as rabbits and small rodents (I can see you shaking your head and thinking how quickly your little muncher snaps up a Milk-Bone!).

The wealthy who raced greyhounds considered the whippet “the poor man’s racehorse.” We, of course, know otherwise. They are royalty!

The working man used the whippet for racing as well as hunting.

They have the fastest running time for breeds in their weight class and it is believed they can also accelerate quicker than any other breed.

How’s that for putting the pedal to the metal?

While the working class had bred the whippet for hunting and racing, many believe that today’s whippet has been refined by the wealthy and includes some Italian greyhound. See! Refined is the word!

Can Whippets Be Crossbred?

All of this talk of crossbreeding brings me to another question which is can whippets be crossbred?

Yes, they can most certainly be crossbred. A whippet mix would be the merging of any purebred whippet and another pedigree breed.

The whippet has a lovable, amiable disposition and that would be added into the mix of the new breed along with eye colour and coat colour.

Coat colours for whippets are tan, white, black, fawn, black, blue and brindle.

is a whippet a cross breed?
Image: bbartlomiej

This does not necessarily mean the mix would be these colours. Depending on what breed the other parent would be the new dog’s weight could range between 9 and 80 pounds and length from 10 to 24 inches.

A whippet can have a few medical issues. It is a possibility that any dog breed can contract or inherit almost any disease, the whippet does not generally suffer from too many medical problems.

Some issues that they may be prone to can be hypothyroidism, congenital eye problems and some cardiac problems.

Whippets are sometimes born with heart murmurs. Keep in mind, if you are considering getting a whippet mix breed you are upping the ante of a chance of more health problems.

If the other breed is prone to health issues it is a possibility for them to be passed on to the puppy. It is not definite as you can’t be sure which breeds dominant traits the new dog will acquire.

Also, a whippets lifespan lies between 12 and 15 years. A whippet bred with a larger dog may make the new dog larger resulting in a shorter lifespan since statistics show that smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs.

Again, there are exceptions to every rule but it is something to consider.

Temperament is another consideration when choosing a mixed breed whippet.

Whippets are calm, gentle, friendly, quiet (rarely bark), playful and oh so affectionate.

They will cheerily greet friends as well as strangers to your home. They would happily lead a burglar to your jewels!

If you would like your whippet mix to be a little more protective then getting a dog that has some defence added might suit you more.

Also, the whippet is extremely fast, so fast you don’t want to let it run free. He or she may be gone in a flash chasing after a small mammal and you would never be able to catch them.

Getting a mix that contains a breed that is not as energetic might be just the ticket.

With a whippet, both male and female make excellent pets and are both easily housebroken.

This is another good thing to think of when considering mixed breeds. Sometimes males and females of other breeds differ in temperaments.

What Are Some Popular Whippet Crossbreeds?

Below I’m going to list some popular whippet crossbreeds and their new names.

Feel free to research them if you are considering a whippet mix or just for your own curiosity.

Whippets Are Sighthounds

The definition of a sighthound is a dog that has excellent vision to detect their prey quickly and is able to keep that prey in sight while having the agility and speed to pursue and finally capture.

Unlike scent hounds, such as beagles and bloodhounds who locate their prey by scent or smell, the sighthound uses their vision.

Today sighthounds, which are also called gazehounds, are mainly family pets. but they do require plenty of physical activity, in fact, they thrive on it.

Sighthounds are among the oldest breeds on Earth and may date back to the second century A.D.

They rely mostly on vision but usually have a smaller head with a deep chest to enclose their larger lungs and heart.

is a whippet a cross breed?
Image: bbartlomiej

They have much lung capacity for their speedy sprints when chasing down prey.

Sighthounds are all business while working and some can reach up to 40 mph.

Looking at your whippet all sedate and docile you wouldn’t think them fast as they sleep on the couch but you know how fast they really are.

Final Thoughts

The answer to that question surrounding whippets being mixed breeds is definitely a yes.

They are in fact a mixed breed in a way that has merged two purebred dogs with one another.

Whippets are registered with the American Kennel Club and have been since 1988 and that definitely tells you that they are a recognized pedigree dog.

Our whippets are adored and adorable. They can be couch potatoes, but can run anytime they are given the chance.

When they have something to chase they are like the front part of a mullet, all business and no party!

They can eat like a champ and will happily devour their food as a contestant in a Nathan’s hot dog eating competition would do.

If you would like to add something to the “mix” so to speak, check out the crossbreed whippets, but please do research the breeder.

You can own a dog with some extra qualities plus a whippets excellent virtues.

Anything with a whippet in it is going to be fabulous because our whippets are simply the best, brightest, fastest and have so much love to offer.

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