Mission Statement
Breeding whippets has been a goal and a passion of mine for many years. I am entirely dedicated to the preservation and improvement of this breed, ensuring I am breeding close to all aspects of the breed standard.
We are a couple of whippet enthusiasts with a unique goal; to bring back the original purpose and temperament of the Australian pedigree whippet, an outgoing, confident, stable and intelligent dog, a dog that can relax in a home environment, dedicated to loving its family, but intense and strong when working the field.
The whippet is an extraordinary breed, capable of excelling in a vast range of different work, sport and companion activities. Originally descendants of the greyhound, whippets were selected for their size, colour, and sheer attitude. A little dog capable of intense speed, agility and endurance, the whippet quickly gained popularity in England as the perfect poaching dog, capable of feeding it's family fast and with accuracy, all whilst providing excellent companionship in the home. With their original dark colour, they were excellent poachers, unable to be seen at night, this colour is mostly lost in the show rings today, but is prominant in all original working lines.
My passion lies in the history of the whippet and bringing this history back to the present.
Whippet Temperament Standards
ANKC Standard
CHARACTERISTICS He is equally at home as a devoted family pet or a highly intelligent sporting dog, happy to do whatever you are doing. If you feel like lounging around at home, that is fine, he will curl up in a corner and go to sleep, always with one ear cocked to know what you may do next. If you want to go for a day in the bush, that is fine too, as he is up in a flash, ready for anything.
TEMPERAMENT Gentle, affectionate, even disposition.
The Whippet is one of the least aggressive of dogs, both with people and with other dogs. He is gentle and affectionate in the extreme, but will also form a very close relationship with one particular person. He is amenable to discipline and very anxious to please. Whilst all this is true, he should not be at all retiring or shy. He might not be very interested in you, as a stranger, but he most definitely should not be timid, and will, given cause, warn off intruders.
A relaxed but confident, even disposition. A Whippet should be neither timid nor aggressive
FCI Standard
TEMPERAMENT: An ideal companion. Highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings. Gentle, affectionate, even disposition.
AKC Standard
Temperament: Amiable, friendly, gentle, but capable of great intensity during sporting pursuits
Whippet Size & Colour Standard
Dogs: 47-51 cm (18½-20 ins)
Bitches: 44-47 cm (17½ –18 ½ ins)
Although the standard calls for any colour or mixture of colours, the Whippet should only come in Black, Blue, Cream, Brindle, Blue Brindle, Fawn and Blue Fawn, the later five can vary in pheomelanin intensity; piebaldism can be present on any colour.
Per original breed purpose, dark colours should always be present and admirable within the breed.
Whippet Health
Health is incredibly important and is paramount in our breeding program.
Health testing is to be done for the entirety of the breeding dogs life as most issues wont be present until later on in life, after the dog has been retired from breeding (6+ years). We are passionate about ensuring we can prove longevity of health through health testing. It is incredibly important that we are continuously health testing older dogs to ensure we are breeding for the longevity of the breed.
Common health issues in whippets include:
Heart Conditions, most commonly, heart murmurs and mitral valve disease. An echocardiogram performed and examined by a specialist veterinarian is the only way to properly screen the heart. The heart must be examined yearly to ensure of no later onset issues.
Although not testable genetically, heart issues are most certainly caused by a series of genetic factors and less commonly, environmental. We make sure we are examining pedigree's extensively to ensure we are not breeding affected bloodlines.
Epilepsy is a common occurrence in whippets, sadly this is not testable and the genetics are still unknown, we do not know for sure if epilepsy is inherited from the parents or another cause. Certain bloodlines seem to produce epilepsy more frequently than others so we err on the side of caution to avoid known affected bloodlines.
New studies are always being done and right now we know for sure that genetic diversity in the DLA markers are crucial for reducing epilepsy, diabetes, IMPA, and other autoimmune diseases in all dog breeds.
Allergies can be common in the breed, little is known to what causes allergies in certain dogs, but both genetic and environmental factors can be present. We are dedicated to ensuring our pregnant and lactating dams, as well as all puppies starting from early on, are exposed to many different foods and gut support to help build up good gut bactiran to support a strong immune system, which can help greatly on the occurrence and intensity of allergies.
Genetic Diversity is becoming a problem in most if not all dog breeds and localities. According to the UC Davis Genetic Diversity Study, tests indicate that the whippet breed has good genetic diversity, however whippets have a low effective population size and it is highly recommended for breeders to maintain heterozygosity as vigorously as possible in order to prevent a genetic bottleneck within the breed.
The effective population size for Whippets from 1980-2000 has been calculated as 56.4Ne, which is just above the theoretical limit of 50 individuals necessary to maintain HWE (Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium). For comparison, the effective population size for Toy poodles has been estimated at 136.3. The low Ne for Whippets suggests the need for breeders to maintain current heterozygosity as vigorously as possible.
Complete heterozygousity in both haplotype 1 and 2 is crucial for health and longevity of the breed, this is easily known using a very simple test through UC Davis.
Below is the breed specific health testing for whippets as per the Whippet Health Foundations recommendations and requirements.
Required:
The Whippet must be in the Whippet Health Foundation database
ACES Eye Exam (yearly)
Echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist (yearly)
BAER Hearing Test (once)
Recommended:
Thyroid testing by an approved lab (every other year)
Myostatin Deficiency Test (once)
CHED Hips OR PennHIP evaluation (once)