i have spent a few months lookin up info on whippets.A few things i read said that they dont need much exercise and that they dont grow big.i bought a 10 month old whippet bitch on sunday.i was just wondering if any body could give me some help on how to exercise her.I take her for walks every day but i have read loads of different things about how to exercise her.some things i have read are: you should let them race, you should take them for 3 walks a day, they dont need much exercise at all..im getting lost on what to do. Can any body give me a straight answer?
and i was also wondering Why do whippets, greyhounds etc wear those wide leather collars?

Whippets are sprinters - they have spurts of energy.  They don't need much exercise in comparison to, say, a Dalmation, but they do need to let off steam once or twice a day.  If you have a fair size back garden then they can run themselves out there - you can throw a toy and play fetch.  They will sleep a lot.  But they will also go for as long as you want them to, so if you want to walk them several times a day they will totally be up for it.

Please keep in mind that whippets are NOT EVER 100% reliable off lead.  They are sighthounds and if they see something they think of as prey (cat, rabbit, plastic bag, blowing leaves) they go completely deaf and chase - even if the chase is into the road and under a car!  So if you are going to do any offlead exercise try your best to get some good recall ahead of time and make sure you are far away from roads or in a totally fenced area where they are safe.

If you want to get into racing that's great fun from what I'm told.

They wear the wide collars as they have such long necks that a narrow collar could cause serious damage if they pull, also because a narrow collar, if fitted correctly for the base of the neck could slide right off over their narrower head.  I tend to use wide half check (the americans call them martingales) collars so that they won't ever slip off.  I have heard that the origin of the wide collar was to protect their necks from scrapes and scratches when coursing hares, but don't know if that's truth or myth.

Hope this helps.

Wendy

i read the average height for a bitch is 18 1/2 inches..but i measured mine the other day and shes roughly 23/24 inches.Do you keep whippets?thanx for the info its really helped.i have the biggest garden on my road...she usually likes to run with our other dog. i also read that they are supposed to eat half of their weight a day...i dont think thats true tho. thanx for ur help ne way :)

That's awfully tall for a female whippet, but not unheard of.  I would think perhaps she came from a non-pedigree racing background, but that would just be a guess.  I do have a whippet, and a whippet/terrier mix.  I'm also about to get my 2nd whippet soon.

NO!!  Not half their weight a day!  YIKES!!  Where are you reading??

What are you feeding?  I feed a combination of James Wellbeloved and raw.  If I was just feeding the JWB I would give 2 cups a day - one in the morning and one in the evening.

Wendy

At 10 months at that height I think your whippet may be a greyhound or at least a whippet/greyhound cross. Makes no difference you still have a hound with similar temperaments and habits.

Just thought where are you measuring to, the withers are where the measurement is taken that is the top of the shoulder blades, are you measuring to the top or the head.

well i read its from the head..but if i do it that way shes 20/21 inches.she is very under weight aswell.you can see all her ribs and her spine...its so horrible to c her like that..i took her to the vets and they said she needs to be fattened up alot. Shes constantly hungry..the guy that i got her from apparently had had greyhounds and lurchers before.so he shud of known to feed her abit more. i feed her a cup of dried food in the morning and tin food in the evening.we also have 3 other dogs. 2 JRT and 1 corgi cross. i think she is greyhound cross whippet but apparently the guy said she is full whippet. At night she gets in my bed coz shes so cold..shes got a cushion type bed and a fleece blanket..any ideas how to keep her more warm?

We usually measure from the top of the shoulder and at that point a Whippet should not measure more than 20" for a dog and 18 1/2" for a Bitch. The ribs should be covered but there is a definite high lift on the loin. Problem with measuring from the head is that it can move about so much. Hope you soon get some weight on your dog and I am sure you will have years of pleasure together they are a lovely breed.

Whippets & Greyhounds are from hot countries originally and do feel the cold, you could try a coat until she has recovered and she may well need a waterproof coat for the winter.

Sounds like you may have a greyhound x whippet.  That's what my boy is and to the untrained eye he gets mistaken for a greyhound (albeit a midget one!) and more often a whippet.
Remember you're meant to be able to see their ribs, even once she's been fed up to a healthy size and weight!  Nothing worse than an overweight greyhound/whippet!  :)