Anonymous asked:
Hi, I met a whippet about a year ago & I've been in love ever since. They have great personalities and seem like great dogs. However, as i don't own one, I am probably look at the world through rose tinted glasses. My mum works and I'm at school during the day. I've heard that they get separation anxiety & I would HATE to be cruel & leave the dog on its own 6-7 hours a day if it would really be bothered by this. Is this tru? How much do they chase small animals? As a bird owner, this is a worry.
Hello!
Well, separation anxiety is present in a lot of whippets... if not most of them. Exi has it as well and he cannot stay at home by himself at all. If it is necessary, I just use anti-bark spray collar (it has citrus smell that dogs hate) but he is extremely stressed and doesn’t leave my side for hours afterwards. It’s a lottery, you can get a whippet that is completely fine with staying alone, and one that cannot do it at all. Usually the only cure for that is a second whippet, even a dog of another breed doesn’t help. As for chasing small animals, there are people who raise whippets with cats, rats and other pets. Whippets chase everything that runs - no exception. So they might not hurt any small animal in a controlled environment, but accidents might happen. I know whippets that, for example, live with cats under the same roof no problem, but chase the same cats outside.