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Afghan Hound
The Afghan Hound is a very old sighthound dog breed. Distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end, the breed acquired its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan, where it was originally used to hunt hares, and gazelles by coursing them. Its local name is Tāzī (Persian: تازی). Other alternate names for this breed are Balkh Hound, Baluchi Hound, Barutzy Hound, Shalgar Hound, Kabul Hound, Galanday Hound or sometimes incorrectly African Hound.
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Written by Sighthound Puppies for sale | Whippet
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Saturday, 10 January 2009 |
Whippet
The Whippet is a breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. They are active and playful and are physically similar to a small greyhound. Their popularity has led to the reuse of the Whippet name on a large number of things, from cars to cookies.
Description of Whippet
Appearance
Whippets are a medium-size dog averaging in weight from 25 to 40 lb
(11–18 kg), with height (under the FCI standard) of 18.5 - 20
inches (47 - 51 cm) for males and 17.5 - 18.5 inches (44 - 47 cm) for
females. Whippets tend to be somewhat larger in the United States with
their population in show, coursing and some race whippets required to
be within the AKC standard of 18.5 to 22.5 inches (47–57 cm)
for males, and 17.5 to 21.5 inches (44–55 cm) for females.
Because color is considered immaterial in judging whippets, they come
in a wide variety of colors and marking patterns, everything from solid
black to solid white, with red, fawn, brindle, blue, or cream. All
manner of spots and blazes and patches are seen, sometimes all in the
same litter.
Temperament
Whippets are generally quiet and gentle dogs, and may be content to
spend much of the day resting. Although especially attached to their
owners, they are friendly to visitors. They are not prone to snapping,
so they are good with young children. Because of their friendly nature
whippets are known to have been used in aged care facilities. They may
bark when strangers arrive but are not suited to being guard dogs. They
do, however, tend to attack cats that stray into their territory,
unless they have been brought up living with a cat.
Unlike some other breeds, male whippets are as easy to housebreak as
females. Male whippets are also as unaggressive as female whippets.
Males are sometimes considered to be slightly more loyal and enjoy
repetitive play. Females can be a little more complex and
strong-willed. Males tend to be one to two inches taller and three to
six pounds heavier than females.
Whippet sleeping in the 'cockroach' position characteristic of
sighthounds
Whippets are not well-adapted for living in a kennel, or as outside
dogs. Their coats do not provide insulation to withstand prolonged
periods in cold temperatures. Their natural attachment to people makes
them happiest when kept indoors. They are most at home in the company
of their owners--in their lap or lying next to them on the lounge.
Whippets are quiet and thus well suited to apartment life, although
like all dogs they need regular, healthy exercise. The chance to run
free in open spaces should be made available to the whippet; however
care should be taken with whippets on the street as it is difficult to
instill any sort of traffic sense into them.
Whippets have been called a "poor man's racehorse." As their heritage
would suggest, whippets are outstanding running dogs and are top
competitors in lure coursing, straight racing, and oval track racing.
Typically in these events, a temporary track and lure system is set up.
The lure is usually a white plastic trash bag, sometimes in conjunction
with a "squawker" to simulate a sort of prey sound or with a small
piece of animal pelt. With the advent of new methods in motivational
obedience training being used, whippets are becoming successful
obedience dogs. Many enjoy flyball and agility.
A May 7, 2007 article in Science Daily reported on a genetic mutation
that may account for the abnormally high athletic ability of whippets.
The elegance and ease of grooming of the whippet have made it a
somewhat popular in the sport of conformation showing. It has, however,
never quite gained the popularity of such dog show stalwarts as the
poodle.
Whippet health
Given proper nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care, most whippets
live for 12 to 15 years. They are generally healthy, and are not prone
to the frequent ear infections, skin allergies, or digestive problems
that can afflict other breeds. Genetic eye defects, though quite rare,
have been noted in the breed. Because of this the American Whippet Club
recommends that all breeders test for this defect in their breeding
stock. Hip dysplasia is unknown in whippets. Undescended testicles are
common in the breed. Whippets, like most sighthounds, are intolerant to
barbiturate anesthetics. The whippet is one of the fastest dogs.
The heart of a whippet is large and slow beating, often being
arrhythmic or even intermittent when the animal is at rest. This
sometimes causes concern to the owner, or to the vet not experienced
with the breed. Whippets will, however, demonstrate a regular heartbeat
during exercise. In a health survey conducted by The Kennel Club (UK)
cardiac problems were shown to be the second leading cause of mortality
in Whippets. It is not clear, however, whether this is at all related
to the breed's somewhat unusual heart function.
A 2007 study identified a myostatin mutation particular to whippets
that is significantly associated with their athletic performance.
Whippets with a single copy of this mutation are generally very fast;
those with two copies have disproportionately large musculature and are
known as "bully whippets".
History of the Whippet
Whippets were bred to hunt by sight, coursing game in open areas at
high speeds. One can find numerous representations of small
greyhound-like hounds in art dating back to Roman times but the first
written English use of the word "whippet" with regard to a type of dog
was in 1610. There is a picture by Jean Baptiste Oudry
(1686–1755) of "Misse", one of two English whippets presented
to Louis XV, in the Washington National Gallery and another, with her
companion, "Turlu", by the same artist in the Musée National
de Fontainebleau. However, some French sources, notably the Ministry of
Culture, use the word "levrette" to describe Misse and Turlu. Levrette
translates as "female greyhound". In the nineteenth century, whippet
racing was a national sport in England, more popular than football. It
is only beginning with this period that the existence of the whippet as
a distinct breed can be stated with certainty. The age of the modern
whippet dawned in 1890 when the English Kennel Club granted the breed
official recognition, thus making the whippet eligible for competition
in dog shows, and commencing the recording of their pedigrees. In the
United States, the whippet was recognized in 1888 by the American
Kennel Club. Early specimens were taken from the race track by dog
fanciers of the time and exported all over the world. The whippet's
versatility as a hunting, racing, exhibition or companion dog soon made
it one of the most popular of the sighthound breeds.
Article: Wikipedia.org
Photos: Petrezselyem Projekt Whippet &
Magyar Agar Kennel
Links:
Whippet
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