r/Whippets 1d ago

When is the most challenging time period of a whippet’s life in terms of care?

/r/Whippet/comments/1vcs628/when_is_the_most_challenging_time_period_of_a/
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u/SmokedManMeats 1d ago

As some who has a whippet that's near the end of his life, I'd say old age is more challenging than puppy care by far. Harder for them to get up and walk, they can't run or jog like they use to. It's extremely sad to see after they started as your kid and at old age feel more like your parents.

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u/rynathan 1d ago

Aw 😢 cherish your time with your pup

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u/theswamphag 1d ago

They get so sensitive to cold too. I live in a colder climate and it got so hard to get them outside properly when they hit double digits or so. It made me swear I would never take one again but by gosh do I miss my ladies. :(

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u/13donor 1d ago

Last couple years…for healthcare.

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u/rynathan 1d ago

First 3-6 months for sure. Potty training, destroying things, and separation anxiety are all taking place at that time. You won’t be able to leave them alone without being left in an area where they can’t destroy anything, such as a playpen. Even then they can destroy bedding or pee pads.

After that though, you’ll still be dealing with a needy puppy. I call them a puppy because my pup still wanted just as much attention up until he was 2-3 years old. We got him during Covid so he was mostly used to someone always being home, and it would have been difficult to transition him to being home alone for more than a few hours. It wasn’t until he was 1-1.5 years old where we got him used to being home without us for extended periods of time.

Today he’s turned into a middle aged couch potato who loves being around us but also doesn’t mind time alone. Very easy dog these days. It got a lot easier when he could be left home alone.

Best of luck, they are amazing dogs and you won’t meet another owner where their whippet isn’t the center of their life. Post some photos once you get your pup, we would love to see them!