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.