Adding Another Dog?

Fleur with her daughter Envie (L)

If one whippet is fun, two must be even more? Well, yes! One of the many wonderful things about whippets is that they tend to do best with canine company. Now that's not to say they can't thrive as an only dog. Many pet owners are able to provide a full and enriching life for their whippets, but if you're considering adding another dog to the mix we could not possibly recommend it more. Dogs, being pack animals tend to enjoy the companionship of another dog. You need not fear that you as their primary care giver will ignored or become less significant in their life. That's simply not the case.

In terms of timing, if this is something you are considering for your family, we would advise you wait until your first whippet is no longer a puppy or adolescent (meaning older than1year of age, ideally 18 months or older). The reason we recommend waiting is that by the time your puppy is more mature, it will make it easier to introduce another dog and less work on your part. Of course if you are considering adding a whippet, reach out to your breeder early so they can keep you mind when their next litter arrives. Quite often breeders will be thrilled you're adding to your family and some may move you to the front of the line. Reasons being you've already proven to be a wonderful home and built a solid rapport with your breeder.

One caveat that can't be forgotten is that at Aureate we do not sell littermates to families. Why you might wonder? Littermate Aggression Syndrome. It is a well documented phenomena that can occur in any dog breed where the puppies become co-dependent on each other and don't develop a strong rapport with their new family. There is constant jockeying for a hierarchy between the two as nature loves order, but siblings can't find it. Do you have a sibling you're close to in age? Did you ever squabble? Enough said! At Aureate we want every new family to feel like they've brought home the very best puppy in the world. It's a really special time for everyone welcoming home a new family member and we want to set everyone up for success so we will not sell littermates.

Photo credit: Mike White

If you're considering adding another dog to your family and do not wish to add another whippet, keep in mind as a breeder our first, second and third recommendation for another dog will be whippet, whippet and whippet. That's not because we breed them. It's because whippets, being sighthounds love their own kind most. Have you ever noticed how excited your whippet becomes seeing other whippets at sighthound walks? It's because they speak the same language of sorts, have similar play styles, speeds and feel most secure with their own kind. Now if you're adamant that your next dog won't be a whippet, that's fine. Reach out to your breeder and inquire for recommendations of reputable and ethical breeders in the breed of your choice. We would recommend always keeping in mind play and size differences. Meaning your whippet is probably around 20 inches tall at the shoulders, runs 50 km/hr and weighs about +30 lbs. Don't go adding a tiny toy dog like a chihuahua or pomeranian. Those dogs may very well look like a prey animal to your whippet. Secondly, it would also be advisable not to add a great dane or something massive to the mix because the dog is so much larger and unintentionally could do significant damage to your whippet when playing in the yard together. Remember safety always needs to kept in mind.