Wrenwood's Whippet Tips

Helpful Hints for New Whippet Owners

In this section, I have compiled a list of things that I have discovered over the four years I have owned whippets. I hope these ideas will be helpful to new whippet owners or maybe even a current owner. They may also be helpful to other breeds but I have only owned whippets.If you have any tips that you would like to pass on, e-mail me at wrenwood@yahoo.com and I will add yours to the list.

Grooming Tips:

A curry brush (oval rubber grooming brush) seems to work well to get rid of hair while shedding.

To cut the nails, try wrapping the dog in a towel and sitting them on your lap. The towel will help hold they still.

Nail cutting is easier after the bath. The nails are softer and easier to cut.

Try cutting the nails by bending the foot back and holding the foot like a horse getting fitted with shoes.

Use a shaving action with the nail clippers to take a little off at a time. This may help prevent bleeding.

You can use a human toothbrush to clean their teeth.

Dog toothpaste works okay, but my vet gave me a dental rinse to brush on. It keeps down the plaque and helps the breath.

Exercise Tips:

Most whippets need at least 15 minutes of exercise a day.

Toss and retrieve games with tennis balls or toys. Use soft fabric balls and stuffed animals to play this in the house.

Play hide and seek with your dog in the house. Hide and call their name and let them find you.

Gumabone brand discs are easier on their teeth and last longer than the cheaper discs or the official "frisbee" ones.

Some Gumabone brand discs have a bone shape molded into it. This can help them learn to retrieve it at first.

If your dog is having trouble catching the ball/disc in the air, practice with tossing popcorn or a ball of paper first.

No fenced in yard? Use a 40 foot check cord/training lead. You can let them out the door to do their "duty" without going out in the bad weather. It gives them the freedom to search for the right place and you still have control if they decide to wander off. Beware - hold the cord tight and stay alert or you could get a painful "rope" burn. I know from experience.

Feeding Tips:

The double diner stainless steel bowls with a stand set work well. They have rubber feet on the stand so the bowls stay in place.

Use a placemat under the water bowl to make clean up easier.

Plastic baby bowls with the suction cup on bottom keep the bowls firmly in one place on the floor.

The ceramic crocks are awkward to lift and clean. I used one for a water bowl and the insides chipped off. Don't use.

Inside their crates, I use stainless steel bowls that have a hanger that permantly attaches to the door with a screw. This reduces spilt water and they don't chew on the bowl like the soft ones that come with the crate. The bowls can be removed very easily for cleaning. Some pet stores sell hard plastic "crocks" that can attach firmly to the door. These are often used for large parrots. They are good because they are plastic and the hardware that attaches them won't rust. They are also difficult to chew but more expensive than the stainless steel ones and you have to unscrew the entire bowl in order to take it off and clean it.

Chewing Tips:

Rubber type toys, latex toys (supervise them because of the squeaker), cotton rope bones or rawhide are effective.

Twisted rawhide sticks work well. They don't choke on them like the rawhide chips.

If you don't mind the mess or the idea of them, try pig ears. My vet says the sharp pieces are good for the gums.

If you don't mind the mess, carrot bones are the new dog treat. They are dog bones made with carrots and basted.

Try raw carrots. They can satify the urge to chew and don't make much of a mess.

The rubber "Kong" toy with a treat inside satisfies the biggest chewer. If your dog is not a big chewer, they won't use it.

Some teething pups enjoy ice.

It chewing your items is a problem, a product called "Bitter Apple" may need to be sprayed on the item. It stops the chewing.

Prevention is the best intervention. Keep those shoes and personal items out of reach.

If you catch them chewing on something inappropriate. Give a firm verbal correction and then give them one of their chew toys.

Separation Issues:

Leave your dog for very short intervals and then increase the amount of time gradually.

If your dog isn't a fierce chewer/shredder, leave a previously worn t-shirt in the crate with them so they can smell you while you are gone.

Use a rubber "kong" toy. Put a little dog bone inside the kong toy firmly so they really have to work to get it out. They will work so hard on chewing that they won't realize how long you were gone. The chewing action tires them out. If they are really good at this, leave them with two kongs. I have not had a problem with them. They are virtually indestructible.

Equipment:

Martingale collars and collar/lead combinations keep whippets from sliding out of their collars. They look elegant too. You can find the martingale collars on the following web sites:Bunny Run, Greyhound catalog.

Martingale collars are easy to slip onto wiggly puppies that need to go out right away. They prevent puddles when trying to put on those buckle or latch type regular collars.

A coat is essential in cold weather, below 30 degrees. You can also find coats to fit whippets on the following web sites: Bunny Run, Greyhound Catalog

I also use dog sweaters when the temperature ranges between 30 to 50 degrees fahrenheit.

A plastic crate or kennel is good to have. I have a large size (36" long x 24" wide x 26" high) for my male and an intermediate size (32" long x 22 1/2" wide x 23" high) for my female. I have found that either dog would be happy in either size crate.

If you can afford it, get the plastic crate with the "dial" hardware used to assemble them. It will make it easier to clean up after a messy puppy when housetraining them. Just turn the dials and it comes apart opposed to the nuts/bolts assembly style.

Inside the crate, I use a fleece type mat for them to curl up in. I used to use towels which were okay, but as a puppy Tippy would shred them up.

A dog pooper scooper shovel works the best. The garden trowel and the regular shovel just didn't do the trick.

After I scoop, I put the waste in an inground digester system, e.g. Doggie Dooley. It works like a home septic system. You dig a long hole in the ground, add water and add special enzymes to liquify the waste. It is o.k. for the environment. It has a lid on it but in the summer when the temperature is above 95 degrees, you can smell it even with the lid on. Place it away from areas you or your neighbors use frequently.

Train your puppy to do their "duty" on pine straw (a landscape material common in the southeast USA) or hay. That way, they learn not to go on your grass or your neighbor's lawn, it is easier to scoop up on it and you can rinse it off with the water hose to reduce odors. My dogs have gotten so used to going on the pine straw that they are very hesitant to go on grass. Tippy will avoid going on someone else's grass or in a park and hold it until she gets home to go on the pine straw.

My dogs love the cuddler style beds. Oval shape with fleece cover and sides all around it. I have used the ones made of foam that have a removable cover. They were a pain to put the cover back on the foam form after washing. Tippy also loves to turn them over and chew off pieces of the foam that was exposed underneath.Get one of the Sleepright beds from the Foster & Smith catalog. You can put the whole bed in the washing machine to clean them.

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