What Age Do Whippets Calm Down? Age By Age Breakdown

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A whippet’s seemingly boundless energy can start to become a lot for any owner. Nothing you do seems to affect their energy levels and you may start to wonder when/if they’ll ever calm down.

Is it true they’ll get calmer with age?

What Age Do Whippets Calm Down:

Most whippets start to noticeably calm down once they’re between the age of 3-5. Some will take longer to calm down while others may start slowing down at a younger age. The best way to help a whippet calm down regardless of age is to increase their daily exercise.

This post reveals:

What energy levels you can expect from your whippet at each stage of their life
What phase most whippets typically start to calm down
13 reasons why whippets can have trouble calming down
And much, much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

Whippets Energy Levels Broken Down By Age & When They Calm Down

Below is a broad generalization of how energetic a whippet is based on their age.

Stage 1: 0-4 Weeks Old (Low Energy)

Still with their mother, brothers and sisters for most of stage 1
Taking first steps in this world
Very exploratory
Doesn’t yet have too much energy and spends a lot of time napping

Stage 2: 1-4 Months Old (High Energy)

Most whippets are with their new forever home now
Their body is going through it’s biggest growth phase during this stage
Your whippet will have high energy in this stage that looks like burst of energy which are usually followed by lots of naps
Socialization is important to start in this stage to ensure they can behave calmly when around unfamiliar dogs and people

Stage 3: 4-12 Months Old (Highest Energy)

This stage is when your whippet will have the highest amount of natural energy
They’re growing into their adult bodies and curious as ever
Shouldn’t expect your whippet to easily calm down during this phase of their life
Continued socializing in this stage is highly recommended to help them remain calm when in unfamiliar situations

Stage 4: 1-3 Years Old (High Energy)

At this age your whippet is becoming an adult doggo
They will likely still have high energy but start losing their boundless puppy energy
Some whippets will start calming down during this stage of life

Stage 5: 3-7 Years Old (Lower Energy)

This stage of life is when most whippets will start to calm down if they hadn’t already in the last stage
This is the longest stage of their life where they’re an established adult and start moving into their senior years

Stage 6: 7+ Years Old (Lowest Energy)

Their lowest energy stage is when they’ve reached their senior years
You won’t see their energy levels drop off all of the sudden but should see a gradual decrease in how much energy they have
As they get further into their senior years their ability to calm down will be much easier

12 Reasons Why Whippets Won’t Calm Down

1) Built Up Energy

Having too much pent up energy is one of the more common reasons why a whippet won’t calm down.

While whippets aren’t the highest energy breed, they certainly aren’t the lowest either.

On average they need roughly 60 minutes of good physical activity each day in order to stay physically and mentally healthy.

Without this exercise it will definitely be difficult for them to calm down in your home and in situations where you’d rather them be calm.

Their age will also be a big factor in how much pent up energy they have.

As they move into their late-adult/senior years they’ll naturally start slowing down.

But if your whippet is still a pup, that’s years away.

So the best thing to do to help them calm down is to give them more daily physical activity.

Longer walks, adding another walk each day, or making time for a game of fetch each day.

Whatever you’re able to do to help them burn off their pent up energy the more calm they should become.

2) Feeling Anxious

Sometimes a whippet isn’t able to calm down, not because of excess energy or excitement, but because they’re feeling anxious.

If in certain situations you find your pup is considerably restless and not able to calm themselves, they could be experiencing stress or anxiety.

One of the biggest signs that your pup is feeling anxious is if they’re doing anything excessively.

Things like excessive licking, barking, pacing, drooling, panting, etc. These are all signs that something is bothering your pup.

If for as long as you’ve had your whippet they’ve been anxious in certain situations, they may have had a traumatic experience before coming into your home.

However, whippets are known for being a little more skittish and scared than other breeds.

So it may not be that they’ve had a traumatic experience and more that your pup gets nervous more easily.

Things that are proven to make dogs feel more anxious than usual are big life changes.

Such as moving to a new home, a change in family members at home (adding a new one or losing one), or even changes to their schedule.

So if any of these things have happened recently it’s normal to see your pup more anxious than usual.

Once your whippet gets used to their new environment they should start to calm down again.

3) Their Age

As you’re probably well aware of, age plays a big role in your whippets ability to calm down.

When they’re young and full of energy it’s much more challenging to get them to calm down.

But once they start to get a bit older they progressively have less and less pent up energy.

Some whippets lose most of their puppy energy when they reach the age of 2-3, but some don’t start to calm down until 4, 5 or even 6.

It really depends on your unique doggo.

My pup didn’t start to really calm down until she was 5.

4) It’s a Whippet Thing

Whippets were bred to chase and race.

Which means for a long time they spent most of their time running fast and for long periods each day.

So naturally they have more energy that needs to be expressed in order for them to calm down.

This is why it’s recommended that they get roughly 60 minutes of physical activity each day to keep their energy levels under control

5) Too Much Stimulation

If your pup is feeling overstimulated it will be hard for them to calm down.

Times when your whippet may feel overstimulated are after a good night’s sleep, after a nap, after a meal, seeing another dog run around with high energy, or when a person has high energy around them.

You might also see them get the zoomies or FRAP (frenetic random activity period).

This is where they go absolutely wild and start running around or spinning in circles because of their high energy.

The inability to calm down from too much stimulation generally goes away with age.

The only way to handle it before it naturally goes away is by giving them more exercise.

6) Easily Bored

Boredom is a big reason for your whippet to not want to calm down.

If they’re bored and not tired, they’d much rather run around the house and do whatever they can to curb their boredom.

Unfortunately a bored doggo is often a destructive doggo.

Whether that’s breaking their toys apart, being mischievous simply to get your attention or destroying items in your home.

7) Need More Daily Exercise

A major reason why whippets have a hard time calming down is because they aren’t getting enough daily exercise.

Without roughly 60 minutes of exercise each day it will be difficult for your pup to calm down.

They simply need that amount of exercise or they’ll have extra energy to cause trouble.

Two good 20-30 minute walks each day with some play time in between should help ensure your pup is better able to calm down.

If you’re already doing that, you may simply need to add another walk or make their current walks longer.

8) It’s Been Reinforced

Many dog owners accidentally reinforce their pups’ high energy behavior.

It’s all to do with how you react to them having high energy and running around.

If whenever they get the zoomies or are bugging you with their high energy you chase after them or yell at them, they’re getting what they want.

Your attention.

And if they continue to learn that being a high energy doggo, as opposed to a calm doggo, gets your attention, they’ll keep behaving that way.

While it’s cute when they’re just a puppy, it’s unintentionally training them to continue this behavior as they get older.

The best thing to do is reward them for being calm and ignore them when they’re running around for no reason.

9) Lack Of Socializing

If your whippet isn’t able to calm down around other dogs and people it’s more than likely due to a lack of socialization when they were young.

Between the age of 2-12 months it’s super important that your pup interacts with as many new dogs, people and places as possible.

This helps them understand how to behave around unfamiliar people and dogs as well as whem in unfamiliar situations.

Without proper socialization it’s normal to see a dog not know how to behave around other dogs and unfamiliar people.

As well as to get overly nervous in new environments/situations.

A great way to help your whippet calm down is to increase their time spent around other dogs and people.

10) Not Enough Training

When a whippet won’t calm down either around other dogs and people or even in your own home, it’s usually an indicator of improper/lack of training.

When a whippet has gotten plenty of training from a young age they’ll know you’re their leader/alpha and listen to your commands.

They’ll also trust that anywhere you bring them is safe because you yourself are there.

Often a dog will misbehave in unfamiliar situations because they’re not sure who the alpha is and who should be following who.

When it’s obvious to your pup that you’re the leader they’ll have an easier time calming down and trusting your judgement.

11) Not Getting Attention

If your whippet feels like they should be getting more attention than they are they’ll typically act out.

Which could in the form of barking more, running around the house, taking something of yours, whining, etc.

If your pup feels like they aren’t getting enough attention they more often than not will act out in an attempt to get you to interact with them.

Like many of the other reasons, this can generally be solved by giving them more exercise.

Whenever a dog is acting out and demonstrating they have far too much energy, a sure-fire way to help them calm down is by taking them for a long walk, going for a hike or playing fetch.

Anything that will help them burn off some of their excess energy is great to help a whippet calm down.

12) Missing Mental Stimulation

Without enough mental stimulation your pup will turn to destruction or general misbehavior.

Helping ensure they have enough mental stimulation on a given day can be through training or puzzle toys.

Some dogs love to be challenged through learning new tricks or behaviors or by playing with a tricky puzzle toy with treats inside.

But one thing’s for sure, if they aren’t getting enough mental stimulation they’ll be overly energetic/bothersome.

Other posts you might find interesting:

7 Reasons Whippets Destroy Everything + 7 Helpful Tips

Why Whippets Get Zoomies & Run Around Like Crazy + Tips

Whippets & Separation Anxiety | The Truth + Helpful Tips

Sources:

Whippet

Puppy to Dog: Your Pet’s Life Stages

Canine separation anxiety: strategies for treatment and management

6 Steps To Managing A Dog’s Over-Excitement

When Do Dogs Start to Calm Down?