The Whippet

 

The Whippet is a medium sized sighthound, thought to be bred down from greyhounds crossed with the now extinct English long legged terrier.  The Whippet was first documented as a breed in the mid 19th century England.  At the time, it was illegal in England to hunt game of any sort if you were not a landowner.  Only families of the upper class, who owned land, were permitted to own large "noble" sighthounds such as the greyhound.  The working class family, being devoid of land and so of money, need a sighthound that could be a stealthy poacher, providing rabbits for the pot, and companionship for the family.  It was from these humble beginning that the breed was originated.  Later, as the industrial revolution changed the English social system, the working class Whippet owners took much pride in racing their dogs outside of working hours.  Because of this new-found venue, Whippets earned the nickname "the poor man's racehorse".

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Chapleton Whippets Breeding Philosophy

 

At Chapleton Whippets, my breeding philosophy is that very few dogs are good enough to be breeding dogs.  Our dogs are not only tested in the conformation ring, and lure coursing field, - but our ultimate goal is to produce dogs who perform superiorly in both.  Furthermore, when considering a breeding, we strive to pair animals that are complimentary to each other in hopes that the breeding will produce offspring superior to the previous generation.  For each potential breeding I will consider phenotype (athletic and conformational assets), but known genotype, pedigree, temperament, health testing information (CERF, BAER, Cardio tests at minimum) and past production histories.  Any breeding we do, is done expressly for the purpose of enhancing Whippets as a breed.

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Athletic show and pet quality puppies may be occasionally available to select homes.  All puppies will be vaccinated, dew claw removed, and vet checked prior to going to new homes. They are accompanied by a health guarantee and a contract entailing my responsibilities to the puppy and buyer as the breeder, as well as my expectations of that puppy's new home.  Pet puppies are sold with spay and neuter clauses, and (in pets) additional, adult health testing is optional but encouraged.