I've been planning on getting a whippet as a surprise for my wife for a few years. She's always loved them and I've always loved watching them race. But then I read that they cost 4k a year to keep, or over 60k during their lifetime. ( http://www.compareaholic.co.uk/news/insurance/pet/dog/whippet-expensive-dog/ ) and it's here as well ( http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/06/17/pounds-for-fast-hound-115875-22339099/ )

Well, that's way too much for me, but I still really want to get one.

Does anyone have one and is it possible to keep them for less than that? I presume these figures can be cut down in certain areas but wanted to double check.

I don't have whippets but have to say I find the costs given in that survey are highly suspect. I cannot see how you could spend nearly £600 per year on grooming a whippet!! With such a short coat all they need would be an occasional brush.
Food for my collies works out about £300 per year each and surely a Whippet would eat less than a collie?

The insurance figure also seems a bit high and so does the accessories figure.

just had a glance at the first link you posted................How on earth does a whippet need £540+ a year in GROOMING costs, thats over £10 per week,

Chris

>How on earth does a whippet need £540+ a year in GROOMING costs, thats over £10 per week, 

You'd need to buy two brushes a week, instead of one or two in its lifetime!

and 500 a year on accessories.... i know that dogs are generally spoilt but I don't spend that much on myself!!

Seriously though - are you looking to race this whippet or is it going to be a pet? I can't see how such a tiny dog would cost so much of being kept as a pet?

I would love to know where they get their figures

I have 3 Bedlington Terriers (yes THREE! roughly whippet-sized)  and they cost only a fraction of that to keep for a year

    * Food: £996.67  

Whippets aren't BIG dogs and don't eat a huge amount, this figure is HUGE~!  what are they feeding them - Lobster?  My three altogether cost about £150 for their kibble and raw meat, this figure is more or less up to the owner.

    * Vet Bills: £662.38   - is this ON TOP of insurance? surely this should be covered by insurance or is this the excess??  Mine have cost nowhere near this combined!  This might be the figure for a racing whippet as they can get injured.

    * Grooming Costs: £547.14  

I groom dogs and can tell you, no dog that comes to me costs their owner that much to groom in a year!!  A whippet, needs a rubber /brush glove (dog variety cost about £5 will last for years) and the odd bath - no specialist grooming there, it's done by the owner at home for free ;)
  
* Kennels: £190.48 - if you don't leave your dog in kennels then this figure is irrelevant, ours come everywhere with us or stay home for a few hours at a time.

    * Dog Insurance: £498.57  I have only ever insured a new pup for a year, after that the money goes into a bank account and covers every vet visit, my dogs rarely need the vet though and the money has really built up ;)
   

* Accessories: £498.57 

This figure is up to you ;)
A dog needs a comfortable warm dry bed, whippets prefer the sofa, a collar and lead, and for a whippet a weatherproof coat for winter - from about £20.  A few toys/chews/raggers will set you back as much as you want to spend.  An old towel for drying the dog after a wet/muddy walk costs nothing ;)

Hope this helps.

Regarding acquiring a whippet, if you aren't planning to race it, then contact the breed club and be guided by their information on health testing of parents and finding a RESPONSIBLE breeder who breeds healthy pups and will give you lifelong support, ask how long the relatives have lived and how much on average they have needed the vet.  This will help you find a healthy pup with a good chance of staying healthy ;)

Regarding getting one as a surprise, it's better not to surprise someone with a puppy, half the fun of getting a puppy is the choosing of the breeder, the litter and getting to see the pups before eventually choosing one.  Personally, I'd be very upset to miss out on all that ;)   It might be better to locate a few different breeders with puppy lists and then tell your wife so she can join in the fun ;) 

Those 'official' costs are ridiculous; way over the top! A rough estimate, including insurance and top-quality food, would be about £40-£50 a month for most pet smooth-coated breeds.

Bear in mind that no good breeder will sell a puppy as a 'surprise'; everyone in the family will need to meet the breeder to see how they get on with the dogs.

£500 for accessories? I am very jealous! Chanel collar perhaps?

I have a whippet sized dog, and although a trip to the pet/toy-shop can get expensive, he is relatively low maintenance ;)

I think the prices quoted on the given link have been blown well out of proportion. I believe a whippets coat needs minimal grooming, most of which can be done at home by yourselves free of charge.

Keeping any breed of dog (or animal for that matter) can sometimes become expensive with vet bills, but as long as you take the time to research different insurance companies, policies & prices, you should be covered for life in the event of something awful happening to your dog.

All you need to buy to groom a Whippet for a life time even it you are showing it would be one bristle brush and a chamois leather and something to clip the nails with.

Compared with most breeds the are healthy (buy from a good breeder) and they eat comparatively little.

Think the only time you should pay for quality is when you buy the pup.

Oh! and I would stop reading newspapers.

This is crazy, i seriously can't see where they got their figures from, one very very pampered dog with serious health problems??

I have 2 very large coated breed and even they don't come to this amount a year together and they are both insured with top insurance. The only way i'd get anywhere near these costs is by adding in show entries, petrol for travelling to shows and food and drink, but not sure i'd even come to £4k for that.

Do racing Whippets cost more to insure? How much does it cost to enter them into races? Maybe they are adding this onto it, but as for the food costs, well as someone said about Lobster, lets add on filet steak too..

i suppose if they had one whippet in the suvey with horrific health problems and an owner who likes designer accessories etc.. but frankly if you had a dog that had that many health problems would it not be kinder to have it pts?
our family had whippets as a child-they were racers at the amateur tracks and they were not expensive to keep compared to other breeds. injuries weren't any worse then a dog can get ranting round a park either.

i have had whippets and they dont come anywhere close to those figures they are probably one of the easyest dogs to care for coat wise and feeding they are only small so dont eat that much, a dog is as expensive as you make it regards accessories, food ect...(obviously you cant help if they get ill and you need to go to the vets).

Grooming costs?? I would have trouble not laughing down the phone if someone tried to book in a whippet!! Ok perhaps a very elderly or infirm owner, but I can't imagine an average person needing professional grooming for a whippet! :-D

I am a Whippet owner, in fact 6 of them & god knows where they get the figure from it is not at all correct in my opinion the breed is very minimal to keep. No grooming/trimming cost, no hip tests, no eye test, no ear test.

This link should provide a great start to your search for a pup and accurate info on the breed:- www.thewhippetclub.com

There are 11 breed clubs for Whippets, with The Whippet club being the longest running club of over 100 years

> I've been planning on getting a whippet as a surprise for my wife for a few years. She's always loved them and I've always loved watching them race. But then I read that they cost 4k a year to keep, or over 60k during their lifetime

1st thing is never buy a dog as a surprise for someone, best to discuss it with your wife, go to some shows or to the whippet racing and meet whippets, see the different bloodlines etc and what type and colours you both like. Find a breeder you like and then you can pay for the pup :-)

Secondly, the links you quoted are complete nonsense. Other than the cost of the pup you'll need a collar, lead, bed, bristle brush and maybe a polishing cloth/chamois leather. You can spend as much or as little as you like on these, between £50 and £100 is a good estimate. Insurance around £10 a month with Healthy Pets, food would be around a £1 a day. So over a period of say 14 years I'd imagine you would spend around £10,000 on your whippet, including vets visits, worming, inoculations, boarding kennels etc.