Here are 10 interesting facts about Whippets.
Despite their relatively small stature, Whippets are undeniably one of the best athletes
in the dog world. They can do it all: from running At high speeds to jumping. And while they are
very impressive in the field, there's more to the Whippet than their natural abilities. The breed is
speedy, but they also enjoy the role of man's best Friend and are loving and cuddly family pets.
Now onto the facts about these dogs that Will surely leave you amazed!
Fact number 1: They live for speed!
Right off the bat, it is necessary to
mention that Whippets are incredibly Fast. These dogs are easily some of
the speediest in the canine kingdom. So just how fast are Whippets? Well, on
average, they can reach an astounding 34 Miles per hour! But that's only the average. Whippets can actually hit a top speed of 40 Miles per hour when running in full stride!
For reference, Racing Greyhounds are about Twice the size of Whippets but only reach
a few miles an hour extra, which makes This breed one of the fastest in the world.
Fact number 2: They're the bane of balloons!?
Have you ever heard of "canine balloon-popping"? Well, it is a thing in the Guinness World Records, And apparently, this dog sport has
been around for several decades now.
Essentially 100 balloons are lined up
in a 10 by 10 square, and the dog has To crush every balloon as fast as possible. You may remember a viral video of a Jack Russell Popping 100 balloons in roughly 39 seconds.
However, two years later, a Whippet named Toby Destroyed that record. Toby was able to pop all
100 balloons in just 28.22 seconds! That's more Than 10 seconds faster than the previous record!
Apparently, a lot of time and preparation was Needed, and they trained with yellow and blue
balloons that are easier colors for dogs to see.
So do you think your dog is
up to this challenge?
Fact number 3: They're really good at fetch!
Yet another impressive Guinness world record Was set in 2012 by a Whippet named Davy for the
"longest flying disc catch." And since then, No dog has even come close to touching it!
The record was set in Canada; the Whippet was Able to catch a frisbee thrown 134 yards – or
402 feet! What we think is even more impressive Is that he also reached a top speed of 40
miles per hour in order to do so. With this Incredible speed, it only took Davy 10 and
a half seconds to make the skillful catch!
Davy has become a superstar in the canine
community and has his own children's book called "The Davy Rule," where the frisbee champion
covers essential topics regarding kindness, Curiosity, and acceptance of others. Fact number 4: They'd win the dog Olympics! A Whippet named Reas is lauded as the fastest
individual dog in the world. In December of 2021, This 3-year-old male Whippet ran
the 100-yard dash, finishing in an Outstanding time of just 5.769 seconds!
In fact, Reas was so incredibly fast that
He beat the previous year's champion by more than
half a second! In the human world, Usain Bolt may Be known as the "fastest man alive," with his
personal best record of 9.56 seconds for the 100-meter dash, but Reas would easily embarrass
Usain Bolt any day if the week and for now, Remains champion of the dog world.
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Fact number 5: There's a
reason for their small size!
Whippets were once called
the "poor man's Greyhound."
Make no mistake though, this was
not a criticism of the breed.
This nickname makes a lot more sense if
you understand the Whippets' history.
At the beginning of the 20th century, dog
racing was a massive sport in England. And the primary racing dog breed of
choice was the Greyhound. However, The problem was that Greyhound racing was mainly
something only the wealthy could participate in.
That wasn't good enough for the "poor"
working class of the textile industry Who also wanted to participate in dog racing. They did not have access to fancy oval tracks, But the men would clear out empty lots,
back alleys, or fields to use as tracks.
What's more, because Greyhounds were more
expensive to breed and more costly to keep, The working class used the smaller Whippets as
their racing dogs instead. They soon realized That the Whippets were just as fast
as Greyhounds and never looked back!
Times have changed since then, and
those fancy oval track races today Feature many Whippet dogs in the most
prominent racing competitions.
Fact number 6: They won't disturb the peace!
If you can't stand the incessant barking of Some dogs, then the Whippet might be a good
choice for you. They are some of the quietest Dog breeds you can find. It's why they
make such fantastic apartment dogs, so Long you can give them enough exercise that is.
That's not to say that the Whippets won't bark at All, but they are much more of a watchdog. This
is in part thanks to their old hunting instincts. Originally Whippets were bred as sighthounds that
hunted with sight and speed. That meant they had To be extra quiet so they wouldn't scare off
any potential prey. So if your Whippet suddenly Starts barking out of nowhere, you should
check it out. These dogs don't "cry wolf" For no reason.
Fact number 7: Their name's origin is up for debate!
As with many dog breeds, the Whippet's Name is a bit of a mystery. Yet there are plenty
of good theories and speculation. According to one Etymologist, the name's true origin comes from
the word "via." For those who understand Latin,
It's the word for "road."
Because of this, it has become The root of many words, such as "convey,"
"trivial," "vibrate" and, of course, "whip."
Whip has been associated for a long time
with all things that tend to move quick And fast. And given the Whippet's obvious
speed, this sure makes a lot of sense.
Yet that's not the only theory. The Oxford
Dictionary instead suggests that the word came Partly from a now obsolete early 17th-century
word that translates to "move briskly."
Although it's worth noting that the word "Whippet"
did exist before the 17th century. According to The Oxford Dictionary, "Whippet" meant "a lively
young woman; or a light wench." But for some Reason, the word's meaning has changed a few times
throughout the centuries. So we don't know for Sure but it's a fun thing to think about. Is there
another theory you've heard about how Whippets got Their name? Let us know in the comments!
Fact number 8: They are built differently!
Now that we've repeatedly been reminded
how fast and athletic these dogs are, The next question is, " how?" How is it that Whippets can run So very fast and jump so high, seemingly
without trying? Well, it's all in their body.
According to the American
Kennel Club breed standard: The Whippet has a "gentle arch" on its back. Now this arch performs a very specific function. When these dogs are running in full stride, they
have what is called a double-suspension gallop.
This means these dogs are always in a concave
or convex movement while running hard. They either have their legs fully extended
or curled up beneath the body. A slight arch Shape is required to move like this and
other breeds of Dogs with a rigid spine Just don't have the flexibility to
run as hard as Whippets can.
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What's your favorite fact about Whippets? Comment below this video and let us know!
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Fact number 9: They save lives!
There's much more to the Whippets Than being superb athletes and
lightning-fast runners. Did you know They have a fantastic sense of smell too?
A 13-year-old Whippet named Holly had been Trained to alert her owner when she
was about to have a diabetes attack. Amazingly this Whippet can actually use her sense
of smell to detect a drop in blood sugar levels.
When that happens, the chemical makeup of
the human's breath changes. It's very subtle, But a highly trained and capable dog
like this Whippet can pick it up.
Whenever Holly's owner shows signs of a
dangerously low blood sugar level, the dog Gets in her face and lets her know something
is wrong. She is so good at it that Holly Usually alerts her owner before the symptoms even
show up! This gives her more time to prepare.
According to the owner, this nurse-like Whippet
has woken her up countless times throughout the
Night and saved her life.
Fact number 10: They are natural-born athletes!
It should be no surprise, given the insane Athletic nature of the Whippet, that the breed
also holds the record for the "furthest jump by A dog." ESPN has appropriately nicknamed a Whippet
named "Spitfire" "The Michael Jordan of dogs."
It's not only because he can jump
extremely far. He can do it all, Literally. Making him arguably the most athletic
individual dog in the entire world. He was even The first dog to jump 31 feet off a dock!
Spitfire also holds the record for "speed Retrieving," this is where the dog jumps off
a dock into a pool of water, then swims to the Other side, and fetches an object. Spitfire
absolutely crushed this event by being the First dog ever to do it in under 4 seconds.
And let's remember what took Michael Jordan to the Next level. The insane vertical jump of Spitfire
is also a world record. This incredible Whippet Has a remarkable 8-foot vertical leap!
So when it comes to sheer athleticism, Is there a dog as impressive as a
Whippet? We certainly don't think so.
