What Is A Whippet Cross Greyhound?

The whippet cross greyhound is a mixed breed dog which is the result of breeding a whippet with a greyhound.

These dogs are incredibly similar to both the whippet and greyhound but have some different characteristics and a slightly different appearance.

These dogs are lightning-fast runners, making them perfect for racing and hunting.

These dogs have tons of energy, and you’ll struggle to tire them out.

They love to run and spend time with their owner; they are an affectionate breed that loves nothing more than to curl up on the sofa with their owner.

I actually own a whippet cross greyhound called Bonnie, she is my pride and joy and is without a doubt the best dog I have ever owned, and will own.

Check out the picture of her on the sidebar of this post!

So what is a whippet cross greyhound?

Let’s find out…

Table of Contents

Is A Whippet Cross Greyhound A Lurcher?

A lurcher is a dog that has been bred between two or more different breeds, so yes the whippet cross greyhound is a lurcher.

They are slightly bigger than a whippet, but slightly smaller than a greyhound, but have many of the same characteristics.

A lurcher is typically a working dog cross with a sighthound, making them the ideal companion for a hunter.

A sighthound is a dog that primarily uses sight and speed to hunt, rather than a scenthound which uses its nose to sniff out prey.

This combination adds intelligence to an already fast dog, making them capable of chasing down small game such as rabbits and rats.

Whippet Cross Greyhound History

Hybrid dogs are hard to find much history on, but the whippet and greyhound parents each have an extensive history.

The whippet cross greyhound has only become popular in the last 100 years or so, primarily bred for hunting purposes.

The whippet cross greyhound makes an exceptional working dog, as it has the genetics of two great runners and has a medium build, ideal for small game such as rabbits or rats.

Let’s take a look at the history of the parents of the whippet cross greyhound;

Whippet

The whippet is a medium-sized sighthound that originated in England in the late 1800s where the descended from greyhounds.

Whippets today still resemble the greyhound, only they are much smaller.

Whippets or small greyhounds have been depicted since the ancient Egyptian times.

Pharaohs bred a small sighthound dog related to the greyhound to keep in their places, and this dog may be the ancestor of the modern-day whippet.

Just like most dogs, whippets were bred to help humans hunt in one way or another, mostly for the smaller game thanks to their incredible eyesight and speed.

Greyhound

When it comes to greyhounds, they are the oldest purebred dog, dating back to the time of the Pharaohs.

The first records of the greyhound type dog appeared about 8,000 years ago.

Greyhounds are actually the only dog mentioned by name in the Bible, what a claim to fame!

In ancient Egypt, greyhounds were revered as gods, and only royalty was allowed to have them.

No other dog is closely associated with speed, agility and grace as the greyhound.

It’s clear to see why the Egyptian royals loved this dog, they’re beautiful.

Today’s greyhounds are primarily used for racing or to hunt, as they have a fantastic ability to spot prey and the speed to pursue and capture it too.

Whippet Cross Greyhound Temperament

Just like all hybrid dogs, you need to closely look at the parents to get an understanding of a whippet cross greyhound temperament and how they will behave.

The whippet cross greyhound makes for an incredible working dog, they’ll chase, and sometimes catch most small game that they see.

This means you’ll need to be super careful if you own prey pets such as rabbits, cats or rats.

Whippet cross greyhounds are a high-energy breed, they also have an alpha personality and may need an owner with experience and who can set themselves out as a pack leader to take charge.

These dogs should get along with other dogs just fine, and they’re great with kids.

They are also capable of being alone, especially when they are older and mature.

I wouldn’t recommend leaving your whippet cross greyhound alone for long periods, as they can become anxious and develop separation anxiety, which could result in extreme behaviour changes.

Whippet cross greyhounds respond well to affection and positive praise, and they love spending time with their owner, whether that out in the forest or curled up on the couch.

My own dog Bonnie is a whippet cross greyhound, she has a loving, caring temperament that I wouldn’t change from the world.

She’s fantastic with other dogs and loves children too.

It’s hard to tire her out even after a long walk, but she loves chilling out just as much as she loves running in the fields, so she isn’t bothered too much.

I can leave her alone in the house if I have too, although I try not too as I know she misses us.

As a whole her, and other whippet cross greyhound temperaments are great, they’re gentle dogs that are loving, and love to be around other dogs as they have a “pack” mentality.

Whippet Cross Greyhound Care

So how do you care for a whippet cross greyhound correctly? Well, there are a couple of things you should know.

Thankfully, they’re low maintenance and don’t require a lot of up-keep, although a pamper day every once in a while will see them being forever grateful.

Let’s look at the level of care a whippet cross greyhounds needs:

Exercise

Believe it or not, but these dogs don’t need as much exercise as you might first think.

Whippet cross greyhounds love chilling out in their bed just as much as they love running around outside, making them perfect for those that live in apartments.

A whippet cross greyhound needs around 60 minutes of exercise each day, this can be in one or two blocks if they are mature, but if they are young it will need to be more frequent.

This is because young dogs (especially whippets) have much smaller bladders, so they’ll need to be taken out for a quick toilet trip more often.

If you wish to take your whippet cross greyhound out for more than 60 minutes per day that’s absolutely fine, they love to be outdoors and it’s incredibly difficult to tire them out.

I love to take Bonnie out with me when I exercise, whether that be a bike ride or a run, and she’s always right beside me keen to keep going!

Grooming

When it comes to grooming it’s incredibly easy.

Whippet cross greyhounds have short, smooth fur that doesn’t moult much at all.

This is great as there won’t be much dog fur around your home if your planning to keep your dog inside.

what is a whippet cross greyhound? — Photo by Александр Гросс on Unsplash

They can sometimes have issues with their ears, so checking their ears every once in a while is a good idea, looking out for any infections.

As well as this, keeping their nails nice and short too, as running at high speeds can be painful if they don’t have nicely trimmed nails.

I personally take Bonnie to the dog groomers once every 4 months for a bath, nail trim and brush.

This keeps her smelling nice and keeps her happy when she’s running around playing with her friends.

Training

Trying to train a young whippet cross greyhound can be a little tricky, as they have a strong prey drive that will see them chasing anything and everything.

That being said, if you’ve owned and trained dogs before then you should find it a breeze to train a whippet cross greyhound.

They are extremely affectionate dogs and love to see their owners happy, a couple of well-awarded dog treats and some affection, and over time you’ll have a well-trained whippet cross greyhound.

These dogs make fantastic working dogs, and anyone with a whippet cross greyhound that works will know how well behaved these dogs are.

When I started to train Bonnie, she was a little tricky as she was only a puppy.

However, after a couple of months of being with me constantly and getting to know each other, it became easier and easier, and now she’s older and mature, she’s trained to the highest standard and never lets me down.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, I have helped you answer your question of what is a whippet cross greyhound?

And you now know a thing or two about this incredible breed as well as a little bit about my own dog Bonnie.

Whippet cross greyhounds are amazing dogs; they are caring, loving and are superb with pets and children.

The history of these dogs doesn’t go back too far, as they’ve only really started becoming popular due in the last hundred years due to hunting.

What is a whippet cross greyhound?

Whippet cross greyhounds are a cross between a whippet and a greyhound, making them extremely fast and have many of the traits and characteristics of their parents.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and now know a little more about this cross, if you would like to know more just drop me a message on Instagram and I’ll be glad to chat!