I have a 3yr female whippet who is constantly mouthing other dogs, she isn't biting or hurting them but it's cracking me up. It looks and sounds awful, she's chasing them doing it and totally ignores me when I shout at her to come back to me. I initially put a muzzle on her but it made no difference she still did it. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I would have her on a long line until her recall is reliable. Training classes should help her to learn to interact more calmly with other dogs.

If your Whippet did that, or tried to, with my hounds I'd be teed off    Frankly she shouldn't be allowed to be doing this, and especially if you don't have a solid recall.   I bought a 30 ft long line and a whistle when training my Whippet although to be honest, as she's likely to spook, I tend not to let her off the lead at all rather than lose her - and the same would go for bothering other dogs.   If you do use a line, be careful she doesn't take off when on it - they have such fragile necks and running to the full length of the line, and being jerked to a stand-still causing injury to her neck.

When using a lone line always attach to a harness not the collar. I whippet charging to the end of a long line attached to a collar doesn't bare thinking about.
Find a good fitting harness with a soft lining to protect your whippets delicate skin.

This very noisy mouthing without actually biting is how whippets play together. The noise can  sound horendous but no damage is actually done. I expect other breeds and strange dogs in the park etc might find it alarming - but probably not as alarming as you might :-)

Physical damage may not be done but for some dogs, this can be very frightening behaviour.  I've already spent several years undoing the damage done by a whippet chasing and grarring at one of my dogs, and it would not have happened, had the dog not been off lead.  In that instance the dog was not friendly, but my 'victim' was already a little nervous and would have found the friendly version just as frightening.  Please, have her on a long line while you work on her recall, and do not allow her to practice this behaviour.

> This very noisy mouthing without actually biting is how whippets play together.

Interesting.   Since Whippets are not my first breed, I can only say mine doesn't do this with her companion, our Basset.   However, she rags her Kong Wubba and the noise she makes doing that is horrendous (if amusing!).   I'd still not want her running at any other dog she happens to meet (not that she would - she'd run in the opposite direction which is why she's rarely off the lead).    Point taken about the harness when using the long line.   But fact is she's past all that now.   Anybody want a 30ft barely used long line?   Seriously - it's pink!!

Thanks for all your advice I do agree with Garbo, she's not doing it aggressively her tails wagging and you can see she's having the best time as when she's finished mouthing the poor dog she wants to lick it's ears and be best friends, but also agree, should put her on a long line until my recall is better. Thank you.

Josiex, a wagging tail is a sign of emotional arousal, sometimes friendly, sometimes not. Your whippet is refining her hunting skills...using other dogs. Mouthing around the neck and face is pretend killing. She is acting on instinct but this type of play can be alarming for other dogs and could land you in trouble if it becomes habitual. I'd continue with her line and try to redirect her mouthing behaviour into a controlled game of tuggy with you.

There is a lady with a whippet who walks on our field, and her whippet does the exact same. I'm lucky enough that I've known her dog since she was a puppy, and my girl loves playing with her on the field each day (I have a spaniel so it's win win for us owners who can chat while the dogs run). However, when friends of mine join me for walks with their dogs who aren't as confident, she ALWAYS puts it on a lead as it's recall is not reliable.

A neighbour has a six year old male whippet who is very quiet and just trots along beside his owner.

I met up with them one day in the fields and there was a friend along with her tiny little dog who immediately fell in love with my dog and both had a play. The little dog ran like the clappers and everytime she ran the whippet, who had been standing nearby not wanting to be involved in the play, suddenly sprang into life and sped after the little dog trying to grab her. His whole demeanour changed in an instant and he went from not interested to 'I'm having this' in seconds. Everytime he chased the little dog, she just stopped and crouched down and the whippet stopped too and went back to being bored. It was just like a switch going on and off, it was fascinating to watch, but the little dog was becoming a bit stressed so the the whippet went on the lead.

> This very noisy mouthing without actually biting is how whippets play together.

My Bearded Collies did it and my Long Coat Chihuahuas do it.  In fact I have a 7 year old and 5 year old, mother and daughter who never stopped this sort of play and it doesn't bother me as they enjoy it so much.  The noise would scare off any would be burglars!     

I think, as with so many things, that if dogs are part of yhe same social group, living together or meeting daily from puppyhood, then play styles are understood and generally more tolerated, but it  is different when the dogs do not know each other well.

> that if dogs are part of yhe same social group

Point taken.

My 2 whippets and my friend's 2 whippets often walk together and the first five minutes is mayhem, their idea of playing is high speed, noisy and sometimes downright dangerous, my friend and I often cling together in case they try to zoom between us and knock us over, if we try to limit them by releasing them one at a time then the free one just waits until the next is off lead and the general excitement builds even more. All part of the fun of having sighthounds

Thank you so much for your comments. Can see it's her instinct and just in whippets, so how I react is what counts. She goes the park daily and has her own circle of doggie friends, who generally ignore or tell her off, but one dog her favourite to mouth (i can't believe this) is a male one of the toughest looking staffies i've ever seen, but he's so gentle and kind he instantly lies down when she chases him and i've learnt that is the time to call her when the dogs lay down and she'll come to me quite happily, or if it's a strange dog i'll do it straight away before she gets the chance. Learn't so much from you all so thankyouuu.