Out of my 3, the middle one Oliver has bad separation anxiety, if I leave the house he acts like I'm not coming home, so we decided to stop letting him follow us around the house especially when we go upstairs, which is slowly working. Whippets are just so adorable softies ❤
Hello. It was useful that you mentioned how we, as whippet owners, might create ‘dependency’ or separation anxiety….but it’s so hard not to give them attention when they are so pleased to see you or want to nuzzle round your legs! As you say we ‘project’ a lot of our feelings about leaving them onto them! They can be very independent dogs….and as you said, it’s useful to teach good behaviours from the start. Ours knows that when we are eating he stays away from the table, he also knows that his place is on the mat when we go out to eat, so we can happily take him to a restaurant. We got ours just as the first lockdown hit England so we didn’t leave him as much as we might have and are still working on this. I don’t think he has separation anxiety..it’s more like “How dare you go out and have fun and not take me with you!”. We set the video to monitor..it’s getting better 😊
We have a camera set up so when we are out we can check on our whippet Winx....I think this helps with our (husband and myself) with separation anxiety... thank you for all your helpful tips. Xxxxxxx
Another great upload. Thank you SP. A question regarding behaviour of Whippets. All information I'm seeing so far seems to suggest that the only way to address undesirable behaviour is through positive rewards for good behaviour which I understand but does this mean that they will not respond at all to hearing a... deserved 'NO' when they are doing something wrong?
Good question! I use, support and recomment balanced methods of raising a whippet and teaching them things. I mainly use positive approach, treats and love. But I am also all about discipline and "no" or a strict "ah-ah" are something all my dogs learn from a very young age for stuff they aren't allowed to touch, places they're not supposed to go, etc. It's a huge topic I'm planning to make a video about at some point 😊
Thank you for your honest answer. I'd like to think that Whippets 'can' be responsive to the odd scolding (for lack of a better word). Not necessarily harshly, but surely there will be times when you need to address (as I said before) undesirable behaviour(s). Even children need to 'be told' from time to time. Often for their own good/safety etc. 😉🙏🏻
our whippet had his own au-pair, we couldn't handle his separation anxiety. really. we tried everything. we got him when he was an adult and he was very afraid to forgive us even for a moment...
...I know exactly what you mean. I see Lacey is in her usual position! My boy has mild anxiety even though he has company with his sister. A regular morning routine with an enrichment toy treat, some supportive calming chews and confidence that I will return, has built up his resilience. Loved your video, especially the home snippets - I recognised similar whippety scenes in my home. :)
I knew about the higher incidence of SA, but... I didn't really know what it meant. I thought it meant that if you leave all day, they'd get upset. Since I work at home I figured that wouldn't be an issue. But I didn't realize it meant you literally can't take the garbage out. I knew I was in trouble the day I picked up my boy and he was screaming bloody murder the whole way home. Then I left him for 10 minutes in his ex pen... I heard his screaming all the way out in the street, and then when I came back in, he had pee/poo all over the pen, and was just panting and shaking. After 3 sleepless nights for both of us, I was seriously thinking about taking him back. But I decided to stick it out. Honestly, I have often thought that was a mistake. My life has been massively affected in a negative way. I really can't go anywhere or do anything significant. He hates the car as well, so he doesn't want to go with either. I've tried all the training, but it never works. I've never pampered him, but it doesn't matter. So I pretty much gave up. I would warn people... Don't assume your dog will NOT have SA... Assume that they WILL have it. If you can't handle it, then maybe think of a different breed.
My whippet girl was almost perfectly behaved as a puppy when I was working on a strict schedule but ever since I took my sabbatical year, she has become much more clingy. She howls terribly as soon as I leave the house even though I leave her with family. After watchi g this video, I will start making more short trips without her and giving her a treT whenever I go out plus ignore her behaviour when I return and give her a treat when she xalmed down. Let s see what happens
Thanks for the very good videos; as a recent whippet owner I am more than grateful for your dedication. Now I would appreciate your advice: Oliver, my three months whippet puppy is generally well behaved (he adapted very well to the crate and we already negotiate regarding the use of the furniture) but he tends to jumps in complete desperation while I am eating. Any suggestion?
I will have a whippet in the next year I think, until I'm financially okay and ready for taking care of a puppy and this video was really useful to me. Can you make a video in the future where you speak about their dramatic behaviour? Or their sensitivy. I heard they can crush if you speak with a kind of rude tone in your voice. How are they acting? How will it affect the training in the future. Thinking about a dog training school, and not every trainer know, that their personality can be stubborn. I'm really looking for a good school where I can learn how to teach them in the right way. Since January I'm searcing information about this breed, and reading tonns of topics. Someone suggests whippet as a first dog, someone says it's not the best choice for the first time mainly because of their instinct to chase (of course because they breed for chase things :) ). I know they can be stubborn, and you have to teach them in a really nice and kind way, making mentally training sessions a happy, interesting and not repeatative work for them. Thank you for your answer.
Thank you for doing a lot of research and preparing before getting a dog ❤ I will definitely make such a video and also on other breed specific traits. In terms of sensitivity, they all react differently depending on the specific situation. Whippets can be great first dogs to those who have done enough research and know what to be prepared for. They are more difficult, in comparison to working breeds, but with the right approach and understanding they are truly amazing companions. If you have any other specific questions, just ask away 💞
I have a question. What about Kennel training with a new whippet when they are a puppy? Does this help? As well, is it bad if after they are kennel trained we want them to sleep in the bed with us? Or should we create that boundary and not let them?? I just want what's best for them, but also cuddles if possible!!
Crate training can be very useful for different situations, for example when they are still in the naughty, destructive puppy stage and noone can keep an eye on them for the moment, potty training, traveling, etc. This doesn't mean that they need to sleep in the crate at night, so you can of course take them in bed with you. The idea is to teach them that the crate is a safe space and a place to be calm, whenever they need to be created. I hope that helped, but if not I will explain further 🤗
Just found your videos as we adopted a whippet mix puppy last week 😊 definitely can see those typical whippet traits in him already at only 10 weeks old! Thanks for these tips for separation anxiety, really would love to get our pup comfortable with being alone - having him in the crate at night has been an interesting experience so far 😂 if you have any tips for crate training a whippet pup specifically, please share! We have found that leaving radio on in room with him helps a little so he doesn’t feel totally alone!
Hi Chloe, thanks for sharing. But are you able to share what you mean by having your whippet pup "in the crate at night" being "an interesting experience"? Was it positive or negative, and how so? We are living in an apartment and are seriously considering getting a whippet and trying to ascertain how the first few months with a whippet puppy is going to be like. Thanks Chloe!
I definitely helped create Separation anxiety in our first Lurcher....But am doing better with our third Whippet {Who is an ''Only'' at present} But I got her used to going in her crate for short times and now...She is asleep on the sofa in another room. I'd far rather she was with me...but must let her know it's ok to sometimes be alone in a room.
