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Are Whippets Territorial? 

Are Whippets Territorial? 

A territorial dog will bark and act aggressively when someone approached your home. If you want to adopt a dog, you may be wondering “are Whippets territorial?

Whippets are not a territorial dog breed because they rarely bark or growl. Since Whippets enjoy being around people, they are often accepting of new people on the premises. This dog breed is one of the few that don’t give the local mailman a hard time.

Are you curious to learn more about how territorial a Whippet is? You’re on the right page. We’re going to discuss what you can expect with a Whippet’s behavior when people come to your house. Keep reading to learn more. 

Are Whippets Territorial?

If you have a territorial dog, it will start barking the moment it notices someone or something approaching your property. As many Whippet owners quickly realize, their dog is not territorial. Whippets hardly ever bark and if they do, there is usually a reason for it. 

These dogs actually enjoy having new people come by their territory. Whippets are known to enjoy being where the people are and have no trouble making friends with new people. While other dogs see a stranger approaching as a possible threat, a Whippet sees them as a possible new playmate. 

A lot of dog breeds will act territorial, attempting to prevent intruders from entering the home. This is not something that people can expect with Whippets, as they will stay calm and allow nearly anyone to enter. If you are looking for a dog that has the instinct to protect your property, a Whippet may not be the right choice. 

Do Whippets Bark at Strangers?

Whippets don’t bark very often. However, there are situations when somebody the dog doesn’t recognize is approaching the property. When this happens, the Whippet may let out a bark or two to let you know someone is out there. This barking usually isn’t excessive, especially if the Whippet can tell by your reaction to seeing the person that there is no reason to be worried.

Some Whippets may growl when doing this bark. It can give the impression that the dog may be territorial. However, this growling usually doesn’t last long. The Whippet will only growl if it’s someone it doesn’t recognize. In most cases, this growling won’t persist. Once the dog can sense that everything is okay, it should calm down and may even greet the person in a friendly manner. 

A lot of Whippet owners don’t mind when their dog does this bark. Most Whippets will only let out one or two barks, acting as your own personal alarm system. This can also be very helpful if you have multiple entrances to your home and someone is approaching one that you don’t use as often. 

Once a Whippet becomes familiar with someone, it won’t bark when they come over. For example, your Whippet may bark the first time a Fed-ex driver drops off a package at your house. However, the next time the driver brings you another package, they won’t hear a peep from the dog.

How Do Whippets Act Around Strangers?

If you like to have visitors stop by often, then a Whippet could be the right match for you. This is because Whippets tend to be very friendly when meeting new people. Not only are they well-behaved when meeting other people but they are also friendly when meeting other animals. You can have a friend and their dog stop by and your Whippet will see 2 new friends.

When you see a Whippet romping around or running, you may think they are rambunctious and full of energy. However, once a Whippet burns off some energy, it’s more than happy to relax in a comfortable area. Since these dogs are so relaxed, they tend to be very calm and gentle when meeting new people.

Parents don’t have to worry about how a Whippet will act around children because this breed is not known for snapping. Most Whippets love to be around kids. If a child is too loud or rowdy for the Whippet, it won’t growl or nip at them. Instead, the Whippet will try to find a safe place to hide from the child.

These dogs tend to be very trusting around new people. Since Whippets enjoy people, they don’t view strangers as threats. Even if your Whippet does bark at a stranger, it’s very easy to train them to stop. Many Whippet owners can get their dog not to bark at people by training it to sit and stop.  

Are Whippets Aggressive?

Whippets typically aren’t aggressive, especially if they have been trained properly and are well taken care of. If the Whippet owner is tending to its dog’s needs, then the Whippet shouldn’t be aggressive. These dogs are well-behaved around people and other animals. It’s in their nature to be calm and gentle.

When a Whippet play, it does enjoy roughhousing. The dog may even let out a few barks while doing this to show how excited it is. This may look aggressive from the outside, but it’s all in good fun. Once the Whippet is done playing, it will be very calm, relaxed, and obedient. 

The only time that a Whippet may appear aggressive is if it feels threatened. For example, if you are taking your Whippet out for a walk and you pass another leashed dog that is much bigger, your Whippet could feel threatened. You may notice it start to bark, growl, and show its teeth. This is its way of trying to intimidate the other dog so it gets left alone. 

Do Whippets Chase Away Animals?

If a Whippet gets the chance to chase another animal, its instincts will take over and it will be determined to go on the hunt. These dogs were initially bred to hunt small animals, so it’s in the dog’s nature to run after squirrels, rabbits, and cats. While your dog may not be aggressive, it will still be tempted to go for the chase. 

A Whippet won’t chase an animal off of your property because it’s trying to be protective of the territory. It will only chase because it wants to catch the prey, even if it hasn’t been trained to hunt. This is one of those situations where natural instinct will take over any training you have given the dog. When the chase is on its mind, it may not listen to commands.

When a Whippet begins chasing an animal, it will be very determined. If it’s chasing a mouse or rabbit that goes underground, the Whippet may start digging at the ground where it can sense the animal. However, if the animal takes off running, your Whippet will as well. Whippets can run incredibly fast and go for miles, so it’s very easy for them to get lost.

For this reason, we strongly recommended you keep an area of your property fenced in for the Whippet to run around in. If the Whippet is romping around in an open area and then sees something it wants to chase, it will take off running. This can be prevented if it is playing in an area that’s built securely so it can’t escape.

Are Whippets Protective of Their Owners?

While a Whippet loves its owner more than anything in the world, it doesn’t act possessive or protective of its owner. Whippets are very trusting of other people and as long as the dog senses there is no threat. An older Whippet has less patience and may growl or appear aggressive if it senses that its owner is being threatened.

Don’t expect your Whippet to act as a guard dog if someone is giving you a hard time. These mild-mannered dogs do get scared easily and hate confrontation. If the Whippet senses trouble, it is more likely to find a hiding spot than act protective. Whippets aren’t brave enough to act threatening with someone much larger than them.

Keep in mind, Whippets are not the largest breed. They aren’t very tall and have a slender body, which usually doesn’t weigh more than 35 lbs. Whippets know their size so they won’t act boldly towards a person. 

Final Thoughts

Are Whippets territorial? Whippets are not a territorial dog breed. They are very calm, relaxed, and quiet dogs. Many Whippet owners rarely hear their dog bark. Whippets also love to be around people, so they don’t feel threatened when someone approaches your home. If anything, your Whippet may get excited that another person has shown up to pay attention to it.

Whippets aren’t bothered when other people or animals are on their territory. For this reason, they don’t make the best guard dogs. However, if someone that the dog doesn’t recognize approaches your home, the dog may let out a few barks or a growl to alert you. These gentle dogs won’t act aggressive or threatening to anyone you invite into your home as long as they have been trained properly.