A Whippet's skin is almost paper-thin with almost no fat or coat to protect it, so ordinary scrapes, thorny brush, or roughhousing that wouldn't mark a Labrador can tear it open — and its sighthound prey drive means it will not reliably come back if let off-leash in an unenclosed space, no matter how well trained, full stop.
13.4years, median
0.9 years above the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 6,454 dogs of this breed. 95% confidence interval 13.2 to 13.7 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
In the same study, small breeds as a group had a median of 12.7 years and long-muzzled breeds 12.1. This breed is small and long-muzzled.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
American Whippet Club sets the tests a Whippet needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- BAER test for normal hearing in both ears (once)
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist (OFA; within one year of breeding)
- Cardiac Evaluation (OFA echocardiogram by a board-certified cardiologist, within two years of breeding)
When to spay or neuter: the guidelines split at 45 pounds grown, five to six months under it and after growth is complete over it, and the UC Davis study gives a guideline by breed for 35 breeds. The spay and neuter page has both, and the two weeks after.
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Whippet near you
Shelters and rescues list Whippets and Whippet mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
Listings come from Petfinder and open there. Petipedia does not take part in adoptions and earns nothing from them.
Living with a Whippet
Whippets are often called '45-mph couch potatoes' because they alternate between explosive bursts of speed and sleeping most of the day indoors — but the catch is they can never be trusted off-leash outside a securely fenced area, since sighthound prey drive will override recall every time. Their thin coat and low body fat mean they get cold quickly and often need a jacket in cool weather, and minimal shedding and grooming needs are offset by genuinely fragile skin that nicks and tears more easily than most breeds'.
Health you should know about
- Skin tears and lacerations — a direct consequence of the breed's very thin skin and minimal body fat, not a disease but a routine practical risk during play or exercise.
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat) — owners are advised never to free-feed and to avoid vigorous exercise around meals because of this life-threatening risk.
- Mitral valve disease — an age-related heart valve condition that becomes more common as Whippets get older.
- Von Willebrand disease — an inherited bleeding disorder affecting the blood's ability to clot properly.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Whippet? British dog and cat names, 89 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 4 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 4 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.