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You’re either thinking about adding another furry friend to your family or about to introduce your whippet to another pup for their first interaction. But, you first want to make sure whippets get along with other dogs.
Some dogs simply don’t get along well with other dogs and it’s important to know which ones don’t.
Do Whippets Get Along With Other Dogs:
Whippets are an affectionate, fun loving breed that can easily get along with other dogs. The most important factor in whether whippets get along with other dogs is whether they were socialized as a puppy. If they were, they would get along just fine with other well behaved dogs.
This post reveals:
- 8 different breeds whippets do or don’t get along with
- If whippets can get along with other animals (cats are a unique situation for whippets)
- 4 tips to help make sure your whippet gets along with other dogs (Tip #2 is by far the most important!)
- And much, much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
Do Whippets Get Along With Other Whippets?
Whippets can get along well with other whippets.
Personality is a big factor when it comes to dogs getting along with one another.
Which is why, for the most part, whippets do well with other whippets.
They enjoy lounging when inside while also loving to run around in open areas off leash.
The earlier the two can be introduced the better.
Whether it’s bringing another whippet into your home or setting up a playdate with another whippet.
When they build their friendship as puppies and have good interactions, they’ll continue to get along for many years.
Do Whippets And Chihuahuas Get Along?
Whippets and chihuahuas can absolutely get along.
While chihuahuas can be more on the sassy side and a little yappy, whippets are very laid back which should help the two get along.
However, because whippets can become nervous more easily this yappy behavior might cause your whippet to feel a little anxious around them.
But if the two are introduced at a young age they should get used to one another and have absolutely no problem getting along.
Do Whippets And Dachshunds Get Along?
Whippets and dachshunds can get along.
They do have quite a personality mismatch though.
While dachshunds are smaller, they tend to bark more and can be quite protective.
Whereas whippets aren’t very vocal and are more timid/scared than other breeds.
The two can still get along, but you might find that the dachshund becomes the boss when around your whippet.
Which can be funny given the size difference between the two.
So long as both dogs have been socialized as puppies, whippets and dachshunds should get along just fine.
Do Whippets And Greyhounds Get Along?
Whippets and greyhounds should get along well.
Whippets were bred from greyhounds which means they have a lot of similarities.
They both can run incredibly fast and enjoy being active, while also enjoying time inside being couch potatoes.
Both breeds are affectionate and laid back as well.
If the two have been socialized when they were puppies they should get along well with one another.
Do Whippets And Labradors Get Along?
Whippets and labradors can absolutely get along.
Both breeds are laid back, easy going and enjoy playing.
When the two have been socialized and learned how to play nicely with other dogs they can have a wonderful relationship.
The sooner you can introduce the two the better chance for them to get along and have a great friendship.
Do Whippets And Pugs Get Along?
Whippets can definitely get along with pugs.
Pugs are goofy little guys/gals that likely won’t cause any trouble for your whippet.
The only thing you’d have to watch out for is the pug overdoing it trying to keep up with your whippet when outside.
Pugs aren’t great with running and lots of fast paced physical activity whereas whippets are really good at it.
And a pug may harm themselves trying to keep up.
When inside the two would likely enjoy relaxing with one another.
Do Whippets And Staffies Get Along?
Whippets and staffies can get along.
Staffies can sometimes take a little longer to warm up to other pups but if they’re introduced at an early age they should have no problems with one another.
Both breeds are considerably affectionate with their family so if they see each other as family they should have a wonderful relationship.
If they’re meeting for the first time as older pups, as long as they were socialized when they were young the two should get along just fine.
Do Whippets And Terriers Get Along?
Whippets and terriers can definitely get along.
Whippets are a mix between greyhounds and long-legged terriers so they can have quite a few similarities with other terriers.
The major difference is whippets aren’t protective/territorial whereas some terriers can be.
So long as the terrier is a young puppy, or had been socialized when they were young, your whippet should have no problems getting along with them.
Do Whippets Get Along With Other Animals?
Do Whippets Get Along With Cats?
Whippets have a strong prey drive which might make it more challenging for them to get along with cats.
However, this doesn’t mean that whippets can’t get along with cats.
It just means you’ll have to watch the two closely with their early interactions.
Also, in this case it’s very beneficial for the two to be introduced at a young age.
If they’re both a young pup and young kitten when they meet they’ll see each other as family since their whole life has been spent living with one another.
Do Whippets Get Along With Rabbits?
Again, a whippet’s strong prey drive will make it challenging at first for them to get along with rabbits.
The two can get along, but it will take additional training and keeping a close eye on the two when first introducing them.
Over time your whippet should learn that the rabbit living in their home is family as well.
It’s important not to leave the two alone with one another until you’ve seen many friendly interactions between the two with no escalation.
4 Helpful Tips To Ensure Your Whippet Gets Along With Other Dogs
1) Exercise Before Meeting New Dogs
Pent up energy is one of the more common reasons for a whippet to act out when around other dogs.
Especially if they’re around dogs they’ve never met before.
This is why giving them plenty of exercise before any new introductions is important.
Taking them for a nice long walk beforehand ensures their energy levels are under control and they won’t get too excited or be too much for the other dog(s).
While you want them to play and interact with one another, you don’t want your pup to be overly sniffing the other dog’s face or private areas because they have too much energy.
This could cause the other dog to react aggressively to get them to stop.
And when one dog snaps at another, if they’re both normally well-behaved dogs, it’s likely because of an energy mismatch.
Which is why exercising before meeting any new dogs is a good idea for high energy whippets.
They’ll still be excited to be playing with their new friend, but won’t have too much energy where they’d misbehave or bug the other pup too much.
Related Reading: Can Whippets Go On Long Walks & Hikes? The Truth + Tips
2) Socializing Is Super Important
By far the most important thing to do when your whippet is 2-12 months old to help make sure they get along with other dogs is socializing them.
This helps them learn how to behave when around unfamiliar dogs and people.
Without a variety of new experiences at a young age they won’t learn what’s acceptable behavior and what’s unacceptable behavior.
It’s also important to help them learn they shouldn’t be the only ones to ever get attention from you.
Many whippets that are too isolated at a young age become overly jealous whenever their owner interacts with other dogs or people around them.
Which can either be quite annoying or even make them behave aggressively.
Both of which I’m sure you’d like to avoid.
And the best way to do that is by introducing them to as many new pups and people as possible before they turn 1.
3) Training In Many Different Environments
Many whippet owners only train their pup basic commands inside the comfort of their home.
Which means their doggo has only been trained in an environment with the least amount of distractions as possible.
The only problem with this is when they’re in an environment where there are other distractions, more often than not, they won’t listen.
This is why once they’ve learned the basics inside your home, it’s important to continue training them outside in different environments.
It will help your whippet listen to your commands when in unfamiliar situations and interacting with other dogs.
Because of their training, they’ll be used to listening to you when other distractions are present.
Which will help make sure they stop misbehaving, if they are, when around other dogs.
That way there’s a much less chance for any interaction with other dogs to escalate into something more than play.
Related Reading: Are Whippets Easy To Train? The Truth + Mistakes & Tips
4) Be Selective At First
The first interactions your whippet has with other dogs can be very impactful in good ways or bad ways.
If your pup interacts with well behaved, playful but also calm dogs, they’ll learn how to play nicely by interacting with them.
But if your pup interacts with a dog that has bad habits and/or doesn’t listen to their owner, they’ll learn some of these poor behaviors.
Which is why it’s a good idea to be selective when giving your pup their first interactions with other dogs.
A well behaved pup can help show them the ropes on how to play nicely with other dogs and how to get along.
Other posts you might find interesting:
Can Whippets Get Fat? The Truth + Reasons Why They Will
Do Whippets Smell? The Truth + Common Reasons They Do
Are Whippets Easy To Train? The Truth + Mistakes & Tips
