Whippet puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Whippet puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• The Whippet frame is not suited to carrying excess weight, so lifelong portion control is advised
• Orthopaedic problems linked to being kept overweight
• Cardiac disease, with a cardiac exam recommended by the national breed club
• Eye disease and deafness, with an ophthalmologist evaluation and BAER testing recommended

From Whippet breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/whippet/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Whippet puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Whippet.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 11.3 to 18.1 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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