Breeding
Breeding Whippets
Anyone who breeds a litter has a goal, whether it's to breed the top show dog in the country, to win Westminster, to own the number-one racing dog, to have a lasting influence on the breed as a whole, or to produce Hollywood's next Lassie. Some breeders want to make money (a goal that often backfires on them!), some to make a name for themselves in agility, flyball, dog shows, field trials...you name it. And some just want to create another dog "just like Muffy." Who's to say which of those goals is worthy or unworthy?
My goal is to breed the best Whippets in mind and body that I can and to match them with people who will treasure them. Winning shows matters a lot less to me than seeing to it that my puppies make good pets. I try to place them in lifelong homes where they will be loved and enjoyed and will improve people's lives. So my priorities in selecting dogs to breed are temperament, health, soundness, and type, in that order.
My goal is to breed the best Whippets in mind and body that I can and to match them with people who will treasure them. Winning shows matters a lot less to me than seeing to it that my puppies make good pets. I try to place them in lifelong homes where they will be loved and enjoyed and will improve people's lives. So my priorities in selecting dogs to breed are temperament, health, soundness, and type, in that order.
Temperament
- The happiest life for a dog is as a cherished family pet. In making breeding decisions, I first look for the qualities that will make my puppies successful members of a household. This means breeding my females to males whose temperaments I know rather than those I don't. No matter how "famous" the dog or how much he has won, I won't use him in my breeding program unless I am convinced he has correct, sound Whippet temperament.
- It means choosing sometimes to breed animals with easygoing temperaments over those with more drive to win in the show or performance arenas. While I hope some of my owners will show or race my puppies, or work with them in agility, obedience, lure coursing, flyball, and other venues, I place puppies only in homes where they'll be pets first. Nothing is more important in a pet than temperament.
- In the long run, no breed can survive unless its future is protected by breeding only genetically healthy dogs. Whippets are an exceptionally problem-free breed and I would not knowingly breed any animal with a hereditary question mark.
- Eye problems are sometimes found, but are not common in Whippets. I have mine checked annually by a certified ophthalmologist. Heart disease is becoming more common in Whippets, so I've made a commitment to also have echo cardiograms done before every breeding. Deafness has been reported, again rarely, so I have my dogs BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) tested. As additional problems crop up in the breed, I do my best to test and breed against them.
- After steady temperament and genetic health, I look for good structure, proper movement, and Whippet "type"...that hard-to-define quality that makes a Whippet a Whippet, not, say, just a small greyhound or a large Italian Greyhound. Most fanciers would consider my Whippets type-y and sound. I do show my dogs occasionally, because I wouldn't want to breed dogs that hadn't been seen and approved by others with extensive experience in the breed, though the most valuable opinions I get are usually outside the ring from other breeders, not the judge!
- I feel that having a good dog or even a champion isn't a reason to breed. I breed only when I believe that a particular Whippet has qualities which should be part of the future of Whippets -- that his or her genetic makeup is so good that it should not be lost.
