Whippet Plott Hound Mix: Ultimate Guide

The Plott hound is one of the six types of the Coonhound dog breed. It’s also the only Coonhound without the foxhound heritage.

Plott hounds are generally courageous, loyal, and alert canines with tranquil and affectionate nature.

Although fierce and muscular, they’re incredibly loving and sensitive dogs that thrive more on constant attention and company.

Mixing this dog breed with the amicable, snuggly, and agile whippet produces exceptionally playful, friendly, intelligent, and dedicated dogs that are a pleasure to own.

If you intend to add a whippet Plott hound mix into your home, you may wonder how it looks and behaves or its possible health issues, needs and lifespan.

Well, if these are your concerns, then you’re just at the right place. This article outlines all essential details about the whippet Plott hound mix, including its origin, temperaments, health, life expectancy, pros and cons to help you decide if it’s a suitable addition to your home.

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What Is A Whippet Plott Hound Mix?

The whippet Plott hound mix is a hybrid dog produced by crossbreeding a purebred Plott Hound and a whippet.

This dog has the Plott hound’s hunting and guarding spirit, plus the whippet’s light feet and agility, as well as other great traits and features any active person would love.

The Plott hound, developed primarily to hunt bears and wild boars, are confident, strong, and energetic canines that require plenty of exercise and activities to burn off extra energy.

Whippets are also muscular, alert, and playful like the Plott hounds, but they’re gentle and calm when exercised and trained well.

A mixture of these two dogs produces a well-adjusted and adaptable pup that can quickly adapt to apartment living. It will have mixed traits and features from its parents.

Below is a brief account of whippets and Plott hounds to help you learn more about their mixes.

Whippet Background

Whippets originated in England in the 1800s; however, some evidence shows that they existed even before this time.

The primary reason for breeding these lean and swift dogs was to hunt and race. They were produced by crossing greyhounds and terriers many moons ago.

The breeders later crossed them with Italian greyhounds to give them their sleek, elegant skin.

Whippets usually look like miniature greyhounds and still compete in several canine competitions and sports like lure coursing, rally, obedience, and agility.

They’re also excellent therapy pups due to their friendly, gentle, and calm nature.

These dogs have a very high prey drive since they’re hunting dogs by blood. They need to be on a leash or in a well-fenced area if you don’t want them to chase after every moving thing they see.

A whippet may not be the best watchdog, but it’s the most charming and loveable companion you will ever need.

Plott Hound Background

The Plott hounds originated in Germany and are descendants of the five Hanoverian Schweisshunds that Johannes Plott, a German immigrant, brought to Carolina.

They’re the only coons without the foxhound bloodline. They’re sturdy and fierce hunting hounds with an affectionate, submissive, and docile nature, hence great family and hunting companions.

Initially, people used these dogs for hunting wild boars, bears, and mountain lions. Today, owners still use them for hunting and participating in dog sports and tracking, but many keep them as family dogs.

They’re muscular, strong, and energetic canines that can work all day long. Therefore, if you’re not planning to take this dog hunting, you should be prepared to give it the exercise and stimulation required.

When trained and exercised well, Plott hounds make excellent working, show, and apartment dogs. Socialisation is also necessary if you need it to interact with people and other pets well.

Whippet Plott Hound Appearance And Size

A whippet Plott hound cross is slightly larger than the whippet but a bit smaller than the Plott hound.

It can weigh around 30-65 pounds standing at the height of about 18-25 inches. The appearance of this hybrid dog usually depends on the dominance of its parents’ genes.

It can have the whippet’s narrow sweet face and deer-like limbs with the Plott hound’s medium robust build, prominent eyes, long tail, and flashy, brindled coats.

Or it may alternatively have a white, black, blue, fawn, or cream coat like the whippet.

Whippet Plott Hound Mix Temperament

This hybrid dog has highly adaptable and has impressive traits. It has the whippet’s gentleness, amicability, and calmness, plus the Plott hound’s courage, playful energy, and protective nature.

It’s highly energetic; therefore, it needs plenty of exercise and activities to burn off the excess energy in its body.

Lack of sufficient exercise and mental stimulation will cause this dog to become destructive or stubborn.

It also enjoys spending time with its owner/family. Leaving it alone for long hours can make it develop separation anxiety or start chewing things

It’s also intelligent and cunning like the Plott hound.

Hence, training can be relatively challenging. You need to be firm in your leadership, patient, consistent, use positive reinforcements and the appropriate approaches to train it successfully.

This dog is extremely loyal, protective, and devoted to its owner/family. If it’s appropriately trained and socialised early, a whippet Plott hound mix can live peacefully with kids and other pets.

Whippet Plott Hound Mix Health

Hybrid dogs can be exposed to several health issues common in their parents’ breed. Whippets are usually susceptible to Von Willebrand’s disease, deafness, anesthesia sensitivity, arthritis, heart murmurs, kidney issues, and eye diseases.

On the other hand, Plott hounds are not susceptible to many health problems like the whippet; they’re only vulnerable to bloat.

Your whippet Plott hound mix can also suffer from the above diseases. However, most breeders usually crossbreed healthy dogs to prevent the risk of these health issues from occurring.

Hence, it’s advisable to avoid buying your pup from puppy mills or breeders who only prioritise profits instead of their dogs’ wellbeing.

It’s also advisable to regularly take your pup to the vet whenever it gets sick if you need it to be healthy and live long.

A whippet Plott hound mix can live for about 11-15 years if you care and maintain it properly.

Caring For A Whippet Plott Hound Mix

This dog is full of life and energy. It needs a balanced diet, sufficient food, and exercise to sustain its robust and masculine body.

Apart from food and exercise, the whippet Plotthund mix requires love, attention, grooming, training, and early socialisation to be happy and comfortable at your home.

It needs about 60-90 minutes of daily exercise plus other dogs games to keep it mentally stimulated, focused, and fit.

As a bold and intelligent breed, training it can be somewhat tricky. It’d be best to be patient with your dog, find the best approach to teach it, and make the training sessions as fun, engaging, and brief as possible.

Grooming and maintaining this hybrid dog is also easy since it doesn’t shed excessively and has a short coat. Brushing it 1-2 times a week and washing it once a month will leave its skin gleaming and combed.

Nails trimming and dental care are also essential routines for your dog. It would help if you also remembered to check for infection, pests, bruises, inflammation, redness on the skin, eyes, ears, mouth, and feet when washing or brushing it.

Ensuring your dog gets all its jabs on time and medical care when sick will significantly improve its resistance to diseases/infections.

This dog can also be territorial with its eating bowls. Teaching your dog to allow other people to remove/handle its dishes it’s critical training you shouldn’t ignore.

Underfeeding or overfeeding your dog can significantly affect its overall health. Excess food will cause it to be obese and more vulnerable to health issues, while too little food will cause it to be malnourished.

It’s best to give your dog the right food amount and a proper diet if you want it to grow strong and live comfortably.

Pros And Cons Of The Whippet Plott Hound Mix

While this dog is adorable and fun, it has its strengths and drawbacks that you should know to be sure if you can coexist with it peacefully.

The pros and cons of the whippet plot hound mix are:

Pros

It’s an energetic, playful, loving, and friendly canine.
It is low maintenance and doesn’t require much grooming.
Its athletic and dynamic nature encourages an active lifestyle.
It relates well with people and other dogs.

Cons

Requires plenty of exercise.
It can be territorial and overly protective.
It may become destructive when not exercised or bored.

Is The Whippet Plott Hound Mix For You?

This dog is an excellent choice for savvy and active owners who can give it the training, socialisation, and training it needs.

It’s a kind, loyal, brave dog that will quickly protect its family/owner from danger.

While it’s a courageous and sturdy dog, it needs lots of attention, love, and care to be contented, focused, and happy.

You’ll also need a leash and a well-fenced home to quickly get hold of this dog when it starts running after small animals such as rabbits, rats, and squirrels.

With proper care, training, early socialisation, and sufficient exercise, this dog can make all your days memorable and blissful.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better insight into the whippet Plott hound mix and you now know if this is the right dog for you.