Why Do Whippets Sleep So Much?

When I hear the word Whippet, three words come to my mind- elegant, speedy, and amicable.

These slender beauties are known for their agility and speed. Whippets love to race around and are capable of touching a speed of 35 miles per hour.

You will be left spellbound with the grace with which they run. This is not very surprising considering the fact that this sighthound breed is a descendant of the greyhounds.

A few centuries back, whippets were utilized as hunting dogs as they could chase small prey animals and snap them up easily.

They also went by the name of snap dogs’ because of these hunting tendencies. You might feel that this breed is skinny, unlike the other cuddle-worthy fluffy bundles.

But if you feel like cuddling up, whippets will snuggle right up to you and offer you a warm companionship. If you own this amicable and energetic breed, you must have realised by now they like sleeping a lot.

In this article, I will tell you the facts about the sleeping pattern of Whippets and how you can help your 4-legged companion get a comfortable sleep.

By the end of this article, you will know exactly how to help your whippet adjust to various sleep patterns.

So why do whippets sleep so much?

Let’s find out…

How Many Hours Do Whippets Usually Sleep?

With all the tales of agility and fast running skills, whippets can be excellent couch potatoes. If they don’t find anything interesting to do, they will curl up on your sofa or snuggle into the nice warm rug in your home.

This breed can sleep for 19 to 20 hours every single day. Whippets are a fascinating breed that exhibits a lot of contrasting characteristics.

Let me tell you for a fact that they are quick learners and love robust training sessions.

This slender breed is highly exuberant. You need to channel their enthusiasm for proper exercises and training sessions.

Once they exhaust themselves while training, exercising, or running, they can sleep like a log for hours.

You might have assumed them to be aggressive after knowing that they are the descendants of greyhounds and have a history of chasing prey.

And yet, this breed never exhibits violent behaviour and always looks for opportunities to make friends.

Ironically, whippets are not suitable for keeping as guard dogs because of their unsuspecting nature.

They don’t tend to bark at strangers and look forward to striking up camaraderie with people around them.

So the next time you want to invite a friend around, your dog will ensure that your friend receives a warm welcome.

That is in case your Whippet is not busy getting its beauty sleep.

Their sleep duration of 18 to 20 hours might seem like a lot but that doesn’t mean they are lethargic or lazy.

Once they make up their mind to entertain you and offer you their companionship, they are not going to leave your side.

Then again, the moment they are done and feel tired, they hit the snooze button within no time.

Why Is Sleep Important For Whippets?

Whippets are highly exuberant dogs and require regular physical activities.

Here are some facts for you that will help you understand why it is important for Whippets to sweat it out and then have a content sleep.

• It is in their nature to prey on small prey animals, such as rabbits or rats. Despite being a very calm-natured and unaggressive breed, they tend to break into a chase when they see small prey.
• Whippets need to socialise and enjoy some quality time with the people around them. You thought only humans suffer from anxiety? Well, even breeds like Whippet exhibit signs of anxiousness when left alone and not given proper emotional care. This anxiousness makes them destructive in nature and they can start tossing and damaging whatever they find in the house.
• Whippets also become uneasy if they don’t get proper training. They love getting involved in a plethora of activities to vent out their energy. They become very uneasy and restless if they don’t get to do any sort of robust activity to release their built-up energy. So lure training is a great way to tire our your whippet whilst building a bond with him.

One of the major factors that lead to your Whippet’s sound sleep is exhaustion.

You need to be like a hands-on parent to ensure that they get proper emotional and physical care.

A good variety of physical activities will keep them engaged for a considerable period.

This will reduce their anxiety and help keep your pup in shape.

A good session of physical training will induce exhaustion within them which will make them happy and sleepy.

Good sleep for long hours rejuvenates their body and keeps them away from angst and worry.

This is only possible if they get to do a lot of different activities. Most importantly, these activities give them an opportunity to socialise with you and create a good bond through some quality time.

These factors keep this graceful breed sane and healthy.

So the next time you find your 4-legged companion stretching on the couch and dozing off towards a long nap, you can rest assured that your Whippet is doing fine physically and mentally.

Why Do Whippets Sleep So Much?

Whippet sleeping has attracted a lot of fascination and questions about how they can manage to sleep for so many hours.

There is an interesting story behind it that is said to have contributed to this factor.

Whippets have originated from England which has cold and moist weather.

Many years back Whippets were popular among miner families who had to leave their kids behind at home and go for work.

Now you must be thinking what has this to do with Whippet sleeping. Well, here is your answer.

They served 2 purposes for the miner families:

1. Whippets gave the much-needed companionship to the kids when their parents used to leave for work.
2. Whippets helped in keeping the kids warm by cuddling up to them under their snug blankets. The cold and moist weather of England made the families huddle up together while sleeping. Whippets became used to huddling and the warmth made them sound asleep.

So if you are asking how Whippets manage to sleep so much, it is also because they absolutely love comfort.

One of the factors of Whippet sleeping is they like to tire themselves out to the point of exhaustion so that they get to enjoy a good nap.

Another factor is, once they find a nice and cosy place, they will take no time to stretch their legs and get into a 20-hour slumber fest.

So don’t be surprised if you find your slender play-mate leaving its bed and cuddling to you under the warmth of your blanket.

Or maybe sprawl across the comfy rug! You can assume that your Whippet is not waking up any time soon.

How Whippets Adapt To Different Sleep Patterns?

An interesting fact about Whippets is they can enter into a state of deep sleep (also called REM sleep) almost within no time.

A funny and fascinating thing is dogs get into sleep pretty quickly and also wake into alertness within no time.

This is unlike humans, as we enter into a deep sleep within 1 hour of dozing and wake up feeling groggy and inattentive. You need to ensure that your whippets get proper rest and adapt themselves to healthy sleep patterns.

Whippets tend to imitate their owners by looking at their activities. They are also very obedient as well, making them easy to train and handle. So as an owner you need to set up a healthy routine where your Whippet can get enough sleep from time to time.

At night, your Whippet will sleep peacefully, knowing that its owners are asleep and there is little scope of socialising.

They will also follow the pattern that you set for them like napping after having snacks.

So you can decide their snack schedule and train them to sleep accordingly.

How To Make Sure Your Whippets Sleep Is Comfortable?

No matter how much personal space you provide your Whippet or even build a large kennel for them, Whippets simply love to huddle and cosy up with others.

If you have quite a few Whippets at your place, you will notice them huddling together while sleeping instead of sprawling in their individual spaces.

Even if you have a single Whippet, you will notice him leaving his kennel and snuggling up to you at night.

They simply need something to wrap their 4 legs around and get some warmth.

To ensure that your Whippets sleep peacefully, get them a snug bed which will offer good warmth.

The American Whippet Club states soft bedding will help give your whippet the sleep that it deserves.

Whippets love the feeling of security, shelter, and emotional comfort.

So make sure that you provide your Whippet with a nice and cosy blanket of its own.

More importantly, be welcoming and give your Whippet a nice hug under your blanket when it comes cuddling up to you.

This will make your buddy sleep soundly for hours.

Final Thoughts

Whippets are absolute sweethearts who can cheer you up even in your bad days.

They will keep you entertained with their funny antics and their energy is contagious.

Initially, you might be taken aback by their grace, poise, and running speed. Also, not to mention their impressive sleep time!

They do have the style and elegance to impress anyone in their radius and also exhibit amazing skills to sleep for hours.

It is natural for you to have questions about their care and sleeping patterns.

I hope I have been able to answer your queries about why do whippets sleep so much through this article.

This breed is extremely easy to maintain.

All you need to do is give your Whippets lots of love and they will forever remain loyal and obedient.

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