Looking for a Whippet?

Here are some quick tips about looking for a whippet in 2024 and beyond.

Our breeding program focuses on producing healthy and sound whippets for the show ring and our home. Litters are often planned a year or more in advance. We are extremely selective about where our whippets go, as we want to ensure our dogs are well matched for a lifetime. We breed for ourselves first and are proud to offer beautiful companions to the right homes.

We appreciate that it is challenging to find well bred, health tested whippets right now. We strongly encourage any potential buyers to make sure they work with a breeder who is health testing their dogs. Check out the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for health certificates.

What should you look for? Health Testing on both the Dam and Sire (along with the dogs behind them in the pedigree):

Annual CAER testing (eyes) sometime after the age of 2 years old
Echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist every 1-2 years, starting when the whippet is at least 2 years of age
BAER testing (brainstem auditory evoked response which is a hearing test) optional
Discuss your goals with your breeder, a good breeder will not just sell you any puppy, but want to ensure you are well matched to a puppy that fits your temperament and lifestyle.
Expect to wait for a purposefully bred whippet puppy.
"A health guarantee" is not the same as buying a dog from health tested bloodlines from a breeder with transparency regarding their health testing practices.
Where to start? Right now most breeders waitlists are already full for their 2024 litters. That being said reach out to those listed as members of our National Breed Club (

National Whippet Club of Canada

) or members of the

American Whippet Club

.
Finding the right dog for you and your family is also about finding the "right" breeder. You want to find someone you feel comfortable with and can be a resource for you throughout the life of your dog.
A good breeder will be committed to their dogs and their families for the lifetime of that animal and often beyond. They should always be willing to take their dogs back if they need to come back home.

Things to look out for:

The most expensive doesn’t always equate with the best quality. Be mindful of breeders whose pricing seems out of touch with many long time reputable breeders from the same part of the country.
Does the breeder let you visit and see where their dogs live and where the puppies are raised? If not, that's a MAJOR concern!
Does the breeder allow visits with the litter before puppy placements? Most breeders will match puppies to families but home visits are still part of what almost all reputable breeders offer and this aids in socialization of the litter. If they won't allow you to visit, that's a MAJOR issue.
Does the breeder use the same stud REPEATEDLY for many or most of their females? Do they have a history of multiple REPEAT breedings? If so, it doesn't necessarily mean less of their program; however, it is NOT common practice. Most breeders only pair a male and female to work towards a goal with respect to breed type and the pedigree they would like to work with.
Do they collaborate with their colleagues, or simply work in isolation? They should be part of a community. Do they freely speak ill of their colleagues?
Do they submit health testing to OFA? If not, that's well within their rights as many breeders don't. They should make their health clearances available to prospective puppy people on both the dam and sire. Health testing is not a one time test. It is a lifetime commitment to one's dogs and one's pedigree.
Are they members of their breed's parent club (i.e. National Whippet Club of Canada or the American Whippet Club)? If not ask why, most breeders want to work to protect and care for their breed and that means collaborating with others and being involved with their breed clubs.
There is no simple number of litters/year between reputable breeders and others, but it should always be about producing healthy, sound dogs first, not the quantity of dogs. Most of us don't necessarily put more than 2 litters on the ground each year.