The Whippet is a medium-sized sighthound that looks similar to its cousin the Greyhound. The skull is long and lean with a fairly wide space between the ears. The muzzle is long with almost no stop, tapering to the nose. The nose is black, dark blue or dark brown, the latter two being so dark they look black. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The small, rose ears are held back, folded and are semi-perked when they are excited. The oval-shaped eyes are dark in color. The front legs are straight and the feet are thick, either cat or hare like. The tail is long, tapering to a point. It is held low with a slight upward curve near the end, reaching to at least the hock. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The short, smooth coat comes in all colors including brindle, black, red, fawn, tiger white or slate blue, either solid-colored or mixed.

The Whippet is intelligent, lively, affectionate, sweet and docile. This very devoted companion is quiet and calm in the home. The Whippet should never be roughly trained, for it is extremely sensitive, both physically and mentally. Be sure to introduce plenty of variety during training. The best results will be achieved by including games and running. These dogs are good with children of all ages as long as the children do not roughhouse or tease the dog. Whippets are clean, virtually odor free, easy to care for and easy to travel with. They are good watchdogs and may be reserved with strangers. They will pursue and kill cats and other small animals if given the opportunity, but are good with other dogs. Household cats that they are raised with and have become accustom to will be left alone. They can be used to hunt. The Whippet’s sweet personality makes him a fine companion dog. The Whippet is the ultimate sprinter, unsurpassed by any other breed in its ability to accelerate to top speed and to twist and turn with matchless dexterity.