- Any colour or mixture of colours, except merle
Medium-sized, sleek sighthound known for its elegant athletic build with distinctive 'inverted S' shape, explosive bursts of speed, and gentle nature. Originally known as the 'poor man's racehorse'.
Developed in Northern England during the 18th-19th centuries by working-class families, crossing small Greyhounds with fast terriers for rabbit coursing and racing. Recognized by AKC and The Kennel Club.
“An ideal companion. Highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings. Gentle, affectionate, even disposition”
Quoted from FCI standard n°162. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Whippet standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Shortened from FCI standard n°162 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Quoted from FCI standard n°162. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Whippet in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Whippet breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
3 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
Not a disease in the usual sense: a deletion in the myostatin gene, which normally limits muscle growth. Whippets with two copies are 'bully' whippets — heavily muscled and broad-chested, and about half have an overbite; owners report no health problems other than muscle cramping in the shoulder and thigh, but such dogs do not fit the breed standard. A single copy gives a moderately more muscular dog that is, on average, faster on the track. In the original study 22 of 146 Whippets sampled carried it, two of them with two copies, and it was far more common in racing Whippets (20 of 119) than in show Whippets (2 of 42); none of 177 Whippets in a later large screen carried it.
What to ask for
Muscular hypertrophy (MSTN, Whippet type) DNA test result, on both parents — mainly relevant to racing lines
Not a disease in the usual sense: a deletion in the myostatin gene, which normally limits muscle growth. Whippets with two copies are 'bully' whippets — heavily muscled and broad-chested, and about half have an overbite; owners report no health problems other than muscle cramping in the shoulder and thigh, but such dogs do not fit the breed standard. A single copy gives a moderately more muscular dog that is, on average, faster on the track. In the original study 22 of 146 Whippets sampled carried it, two of them with two copies, and it was far more common in racing Whippets (20 of 119) than in show Whippets (2 of 42); none of 177 Whippets in a later large screen carried it.
What to ask for
Muscular hypertrophy (MSTN, Whippet type) DNA test result, on both parents — mainly relevant to racing lines
Described in this breed, but found in few or no dogs in recent screening, or only ever in one dog or one family. They are here so a test result makes sense if a breeder mentions one.
An inherited malformation of the back of the eye, present from birth: most affected dogs have only a thin patch in the layer under the retina and see normally, but some develop a retinal detachment or bleeding and can go blind. It is recessive. It has been found in this breed only once — a single copy among 177 Whippets in a recent screen; it is better documented in the separate Longhaired Whippet.
What to ask for
Collie eye anomaly (NHEJ1) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited lack of an enzyme that red blood cells and muscles need for energy, described in two Whippet littermates: at a year old they had pale gums, a racing heart and murmur, dark urine, bouts of lethargy and muscle cramping after exercise, and over four years of follow-up they stayed anaemic and blood tests pointed to heart disease. They carried the same variant as PFK-deficient English Springer Spaniels. It is recessive and looks very rare — described in a single litter, and none of 177 Whippets in a recent screen carried it.
What to ask for
Phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFKM) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited malformation of the back of the eye, present from birth: most affected dogs have only a thin patch in the layer under the retina and see normally, but some develop a retinal detachment or bleeding and can go blind. It is recessive. It has been found in this breed only once — a single copy among 177 Whippets in a recent screen; it is better documented in the separate Longhaired Whippet.
What to ask for
Collie eye anomaly (NHEJ1) DNA test result, on both parents
Median survival 13.4 years
95% confidence interval 13.2–13.7 years, from 1,483 recorded deaths among 4,969 dogs
Mortality hazard 0.7 (0.66, 0.73) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
An inherited lack of an enzyme that red blood cells and muscles need for energy, described in two Whippet littermates: at a year old they had pale gums, a racing heart and murmur, dark urine, bouts of lethargy and muscle cramping after exercise, and over four years of follow-up they stayed anaemic and blood tests pointed to heart disease. They carried the same variant as PFK-deficient English Springer Spaniels. It is recessive and looks very rare — described in a single litter, and none of 177 Whippets in a recent screen carried it.
What to ask for
Phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFKM) DNA test result, on both parents