Should I Choose A Male Or Female Whippet?

Whippets are quiet, clean, and affectionate dogs. People love owning this dog breed because whippets come with many benefits and only a few drawbacks.

However, many first-time owners often have concerns when choosing an appropriate whippet.

When deciding to buy a new pet for your household, it is always advised to consider several factors. One factor many individuals take into consideration when buying any dog, including whippets, is its gender.

If you’re trying to decide “should I choose a male or female whippet?”, it would be best to consider several aspects that will help you pick the best household pet.

This article will provide you with relevant, up-to-date information on female and male whippets and help you decide which gender is better.

Table of Contents

Why The Gender Of Your Whippet Is Important

Considering a whippet’s gender before adopting or buying it is a critical process for any potential whippet owner. Additionally, this process is more important if you’re acquiring the whippet as a second dog.

If you already have one male dog in your home, it would be best to procure a female whippet. Having two male dogs may bring about issues as they might fight over toys.

Also, dogs with mild temperaments such as whippets can suffer domination problems when paired with a larger dog.

Although gender may not be necessarily important when comparing different dog breeds, it’s essential when analyzing different sexes in a specific dog family.

A whippet’s gender often determines its behaviour and personality, making gender a critical thing to consider. When choosing which whippet to buy, you will likely want to understand the two whippet genders’ specific habits and traits.

Although many breeds consider males hard to housebreak and more aggressive, this rule doesn’t apply to whippets. Male whippets are gentle, and it’s relatively easy to train them to relieve themselves in a specific place.

Generally speaking, male whippets love repetitive games and are highly energetic. These attributes make them perfect pets/ playmates for homes with young children.

Many people love male whippets because they are slightly more adaptive than their female counterparts.

Male whippets are somewhat more affectionate than females. Males always love getting positive human attention to a point where they crave it. If you buy such a dog, it will repeatedly stop fussing when you cuddle with it or call it a good boy.

Female whippets tend to have more independent behaviour and can be manipulative at times. When these dogs don’t get what they want, they will attempt to charm you into doing their bidding.

If this action isn’t fruitful, female whippets will try to resist your commands by stealthily sulking around your home. The dog may also alter its behaviour by looking at you with puppy-dog eyes.

Female whippets that are in season (on heat) can be messy and embarrassing during heat periods. Females tend to release a vaginal discharge during this period, which can cause stains in your house, particularly on furniture and carpets.

Females whippets on heat are also susceptible to the phantom pregnancy condition. This medical condition is whereby your dog starts mimicking behavioural and physical manifestations of pregnancy, but it doesn’t have one.

Leaving your female whippet to roam the neighbourhood during heat season can result in you having unwanted litters up to two times per year. For these reasons, many potential owners carefully contemplate the gender choice when deciding on a whippet.

How To Choose The Right Gender Whippet For You

Several factors can affect whether you should buy a male or female whippet. Since these different sexes come with various features and habits, here are some aspects to consider.

Do You Want A Neutered, Spayed, Or Intact Whippet?

Spaying is the process of making a female dog sterile by surgically removing its ovaries. Neutering is conducted on male dogs to make them infertile by removing the testes.

An intact whippet refers to a dog that is naturally fertile and hasn’t undergone neutering or spaying. If you don’t like to neuter or spay dogs, it would be best to buy a male whippet. This dog is quite gentle and non-aggressive, unlike some other male dog breeds.

Although male whippets may occasionally display humping behaviour, these pets don’t necessarily have to undergo neutering because they are loyal, docile, and compliant to commands.

Additionally, the neutering process for male whippets is more straight-forward than the spaying procedure for female whippets. If you want to buy a sterile whippet, you can consider other reasons before choosing your desired whippet gender.

Some of the benefits of sterilizing your whippet include various health benefits and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies. Removing your whippet’s ovaries or testes helps prevent several dog cancers, including uterus, testicular, prostate, and breast cancers.

Do You Want A Family Of Whippets?

Some whippet owners love these adorable pets so much that they adopt/ buy several of them. Having several whippets in your home can be very advantageous, even to first-time dog owners.

First, multiple whippets mean you have more comfort and affection in your house that you could dream of. Even if one of your whippets isn’t in a mood to cuddle with you, the others will be available for you.

Secondly, your whippets will always have each other’s company. Since whippets are very social dogs, they quickly get depressed when left alone for extended periods. Having two or more whippets helps to ensure that your dogs have a companion when you are away.

If you want to own several whippets, buying a female whippet is the best and most economical way. Owning a female whippet allows you to have pup litters and raise them according to your standards.

Owning only a male whippet may force you to buy a female to start your dog family and regularly results in inbreeding issues in the future. If you own a female whippet, kindly ensure you sell or give away the males to prevent inbreeding incidents.

What Other Dogs Are Living Next Door?

Dogs living in the same community are always bound to interact with each other. If your next-door neighbour has a male dog, you should consider buying a female dog. This process helps to reduce and avoid fence-fighting.

Male whippets love to mark their territory and can find themselves in fights, especially if your neighbour has an aggressive male dog. Therefore, in such situations, it would be better to buy a female whippet.

The Difference Between Male And Female Whippets

Deciding to buy a male or female whippet can be a tedious process, particularly for first-time owners. To help you make an informed judgment, here are the differences between these two whippet genders.

The Size

Male and female whippets have varying measurements and mass. According to the American Kennel Club, male whippets can measure 18-22 inches in height and weigh approximately 30-34 pounds.

Female whippets are typically smaller than males and can measure 17-20 inches in height at the shoulder level. When it comes to weight, the female whippet weighs roughly 28-30 pounds.

When it comes to whippet size, it’s purely up to you to choose the gender that best meets your requirements or standards. Since female whippets are slightly smaller, they may seem easier to handle to some people.

However, if you prefer a larger and taller whippet, it would help if you acquired a male one.

Trainability And Exercise

Male dogs tend to act like big puppies and often take a longer time to attain psychological maturity. This same principle applies to whippets, where the males of this breed tend to display puppy-like behaviour during playtime.

This drawback can bring slight focus issues during training, which you can solve by showing your dog some loving attention when it comprehends the training. Such a positive reinforcement during training helps your male whippet try harder to grasp new concepts.

In comparison, female whippets are also relatively easy to train, and they are very devoted to their masters. Since female dogs undergo faster psychological maturity, they can quickly understand new concepts.

If you don’t believe this dog fact, kindly find the history of dog shows, and you’ll find that a high percentage of past winners are females. When it comes to exercising your whippet, the dog’s gender also matters.

Male whippets will always want to exercise and go for neighbourhood walks and runs. They are highly agile and energetic when off the leash. Male whippets require regular exercise, which should ideally occur daily.

Although female whippets also require similar exercises, there is a slight variation in the exercise frequency. Female whippets shouldn’t participate in strenuous activities when in heat or during pregnancy.

Since the whippet is a swift dog breed, females can easily suffer a miscarriage when they crash into furniture and other items during pregnancy.

Final Thoughts

Whippets are intelligent, loyal, and affectionate dogs that have only a few variations based on gender. When deciding whether to own a male or female whippet, it is always best to understand what each whippet gender has to offer.

Both female and male whippets can make excellent household pets. However, it is critical to note that male whippets tend to be more affectionate and playful. On the other hand, females are more strong-willed and independent but still loving and loyal