Most dogs are happiest when they have another canine companion around to keep them company. When you’re looking to adopt another dog, you may be wondering “are Whippets good with other dogs?“
Whippets are known for being very good with other dogs. These mild-mannered dogs are also playful, which makes them a great companion for other dogs. Whippets naturally get along with other dogs and people of all ages.
If you already have a dog at home, it’s important to make sure the breed of dog you want to adopt behaves well with other animals. Whippets make great housepets, so more people are interested in bringing one home. On this page, we’re going to discuss if Whippets are good with other dogs. Keep reading for everything you need to know.
Are Whippets Good With Other Dogs?
Whippets are very friendly and mild-mannered, getting along great with other dogs. When they are in the company of other dogs, Whippets are known to be very peaceful. They love having a companion nearby to spend time with. Many dog owners who have more than one Whippet notice their dogs curled up together whenever they aren’t playing.
It’s not just other Whippets that your furry friend will get along with. They get along well with nearly every breed of dog. However, Whippets aren’t a good breed to have around other small animals. Whippets were originally bred to hunt small animals and even house-trained Whippets still have a strong prey instinct. There is a very high risk of Whippets harming small pets, like cats or hamsters.
Do Whippets Need a Companion?
Whippets don’t enjoy being alone, yet many dog owners have obligations that require them to leave home. Since you can’t spend all 24 hours of the day with your Whippet, it’s a good idea to consider having another dog around for it to interact with. Whippets can get separation anxiety, but they are less likely to get anxious if there is another dog with them while you’re away.
If a Whippet is lonely, it could become depressed. When this happens, the owner notices that the dog plays less and often mopes around the house. The best solution for this is another dog for the Whippet to spend its day with. Whippets are pack dogs, so they prefer to stick together with other dogs.
When you choose to bring another dog into the household, you will likely notice a shift in your Whippet’s mood. It should show signs of being upbeat and playful again. Having another dog around will give the Whippet a mate to cuddle with, play with, and spend quality time together.
While Whippets respond well to nearly any other friendly dog, it’s recommended to adopt a dog that’s younger than your Whippet. This is because your Whippet will naturally act nurturing, like a parent to the new dog. People have caught their Whippets grooming the younger dog and correcting disruptive behavior.
Do Whippets Behave at the Dog Park?
A dog park is a fun place to go because it gives your furry friend a place to play and meet other dogs. Most Whippets are well-behaved at the dog park. However, Whippet owners need to keep their dog on a leash at all times when out in public.
The Whippet has two natural instincts when it comes across other dogs at the park, the prey instinct, and the play instinct. Your dog could have either of those. If your Whippet possesses the prey instinct, it could charge at other dogs and nip at them. An overly excited Whippet may need to wear a muzzle to prevent it from hurting other dogs at the park.
Whippets with the play instinct may also frighten another dog. When it sees the other dogs, it gets a burst of energy. This can cause the Whippet to run and jump around at full speed. Another breed of dog that is calmer may be intimidated by this behavior.
Luckily Whippets tired out quickly. If you let your Whippet romp around to burn off some energy, it should act more peaceful around the others dogs for the remainder of your visit at the dog park. You may even notice your Whippet’s natural instincts kick in, as it tries to get other dogs to join its pack so it can herd them.
How To Make Sure Your Whippet Behaves Around Other Dogs
The key to making sure your Whippet behaves around other dogs is to train it and socialize it at a young age. The age at which you begin to socialize the dog matters. It’s recommended to start socializing the dog around 12 weeks of age. If the Whippet doesn’t get socialized at an early age, it will be more difficult to socialize it later on in life.
Socialization is very important to ensure your Whippet knows how to behave when other people and dogs are around. This will prevent them from barking excessively, growling, or nipping at the dogs. Keep in mind, owners also need to be consistent with training and the dog’s needs for it to behave well around other dogs.
Whippets need daily exercise because they love to run and romp around. If a Whippet doesn’t get daily exercise, owners will notice behavior problems. This could lead to poor behavior when it spends time around other dogs. When a Whippet gets enough activity, it will be very obedient, even when it’s excited about another dog’s company.
It’s also important to ensure your Whippet is well trained. Whippets that are trained will respond well to commands. This is important in case it becomes too excited and rowdy with its new doggy friend. Many Whippets are guilty of playful nips, which owners may want to train them not to do.
Do Whippets Chase Other Dogs in Public?
Whippets are known for their strong prey instinct. Even if you have gone above and beyond with your training and are one hundred and ten percent sure that your Whippet will listen to every command you taught it, this isn’t enough to overpower the need to chase.
If your Whippet is unleashed in public, it may chase after another dog, especially if it’s a small dog. This goes back to the history of the breed. Whippets were originally bred as hunting dogs. Their duty was to hunt small animals without any commands from their owners.
This is why Whippets are a great dog to have to chase rodents and other unwanted pests away from your property. However, a Whippet doesn’t have a sense of what animals you want it to chase and which ones it should leave alone. If your Whippet spots a small dog playing, its instincts will take over and the dog will go for the chase.
It’s not a fun situation for Whippets or Whippet owners when they take off chasing a small animal. Whippets are very fast, intelligent, and determined. They can run as fast as 35 mph and go for miles before getting tired. When a Whippets stops chasing, it could be in a neighborhood it’s unfamiliar with. Chasing also puts the Whippet at risk of getting hit by a car.
Are Whippets Good With Cats?
Whippets and cats aren’t always the best combination. Cats are small and run fast when they are frightened. Whippets have a strong prey instinct and love to chase down small animals that run away. This could lead to a fatal situation if the Whippet hasn’t been trained properly.
Now, it’s not impossible to train a Whippet to live with a cat, but there are certain rules that must be followed. Older Whippets are not a good choice for training to live with cats. The Whippet must be young and socialized to the smaller animal. If a Whippets adjusts to living with a cat while it’s young, it’s usually fine when it reaches adulthood.
While some Whippets and cats can live harmoniously together, it’s important that the pet owners always monitor the time they spend interacting with each other to prevent a dangerous situation. If your Whippet is good with your family’s cat, it’s still recommended to separate them when you can’t keep an eye on them together.
Final Thoughts
Are Whippets good with other dogs? Whippets are usually good with other dogs. They enjoy having a playmate and a companion to cuddle with. If you own a Whippet, it will respond very well to having another dog enter the household. Whippets get lonely easily, so another dog at home could benefit its mental health and prevent separation anxiety.
Whippets are also very friendly with other dogs at the dog park. They love romping around and playing with the other dogs and they make friends with other breeds easily. However, it’s very important that you keep the Whippet on a leash to prevent it from chasing after other animals. A Whippet still has the natural instinct to chase after other animals or anything it views as prey.