A Brief History of the Whippet
The origin of the Whippet is somewhat obscure, although dogs of whippet type and shape have been known in England for may hundreds of years. In medieval days both large and small greyhounds were kept, and the latter would obviously be the ancestors of the modern Whippet.
The word whippet was generally used to describe any quick moving little dog, and it is only in the late nineteenth century that the Whippet was recognised as a separate breed.The breed was first popularised in the Midlands and the North, with Whippet racing in mining areas, and until the First World War this sport was much more popular than greyhound racing; no racehorse received more care in its training than a mining family’s whippet.
The Whippet was recognised as a pure breed by the Kennel Club in the late ninteenth century, and The Whippet Club was formed in 1899, the first Whippet breed club in the world. Since then the numbers have grown dramatically, and the breed is now one of the most popular in the Hound Group, with no less than eleven breed clubs in the United Kingdom.
Whippets Registered with the Kennel Club in 2017
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Membership Of The Whippet club entitles you to up to date information on all forthcoming Whippet Club shows as well as two free issues a year of our great club magazine.