Can Whippets Be Service Dogs? 5 Ways They Can & Can’t

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Most people love whippets for their unique personalities and calm, loving nature. Which is why many people want to know if whippets can be service dogs.

Do they have what it takes or should whippets stick to being loving family pets?

Can Whippets Be Service Dogs:

Whippets can be service dogs but very few qualify for physical service dog roles. This means they won’t likely be used for work related jobs or helping physically disabled people. However, when it comes to emotional or therapeutic service dogs, whippets can be excellent for these roles.

In this post you’ll discover:

What are the different types of service dogs?
Which type of service dogs suits a whippets personality
The 5 reason whippets can be great service dogs (#2 Is surprising!)
The 5 reasons whippets usually make bad service dogs (#1 Is biggest reason)
And much more

Let’s dive in…

Table of Contents

What Are The Types Of Service Dogs?

There are 4 different types of service dogs that exist in today’s world: emotional support dogs, physical support dogs, therapeutic dogs, and working/vocation service dogs.

Working Service Dogs & Whippets

These types of service dogs help with work-based activities. These types of service dogs can be used to help with herding, hunting, guarding locations, protecting people, etc.

Whippets were bred as hunters so they could be used to help with hunting animals like deer and rabbit.

However, In regards to some of the other work related things a whippet is usually not the best choice.

They tend to be more timid and friendly then the dogs you would want for protecting people, guarding locations, etc.

Physical Support Dogs & Whippets

A physical support dog is one that aids people with physical disabilities.

This can be anything from blindness, deafness, to someone prone to seizures.

In fact, some dogs can be so in tune with their owners they can detect an owner’s drop in blood sugar or an onset of seizures.

These dogs are able to warn their owners before things occur so they can take preventative measures or avoid potential crises.

Other examples of physical support dogs are those that help alarm deaf people when someone rings the doorbell or calls their phone.

When it comes to whippets, very few qualify as trained physical support service dogs.

Some may possess abilities in certain areas but it’s more rare for this breed to become this type of service dog.

Emotional Support Dogs & Whippets

An emotional support dog is one that provides emotional and physiological support to their owner.

Many studies have shown that dogs can promote social interaction, help stabilize emotions, and improve the overall health of owners.

Whippets are caring, loyal by nature, and have a calm indoor disposition that can help someone who suffers from social anxiety or depression.

This can make some whippets the perfect choice as an emotional support dog.

Therapeutic Dogs & Whippets

A therapy dog is trained and certified to be stable and safe in a variety of environments outside of their home and with strangers they do not know.

Therapy dogs remain calm and collected even when people may behave erratic, unusual, or have medical equipment that may make loud and weird noises.

In order to become a therapy dog one must be tested and undergo training to receive certifications.

These certifications allow them into medical units, assisted living, and memory care facilities so they can brighten the lives of people who are ill.

Whippet can make great therapy dogs due to their friendly nature and their ability to adapt to people quickly.

Whippets also have short hair, are easy to groom, bathe, and prepare for visits. Plus their moderate size makes them easy to lift on a bed for easy access to patients.

The 5 Reason Whippets Can Be Great Service Dogs

1) Whippets Can Be Very Intelligent

One of the biggest reasons a service dog is selected is in part due to their intelligence.

The American Kennel Club says that whippets are a very intelligent breed.

Intelligence allows a dog to learn things quickly and pick up on subtle cues given by owners.

Service dogs need to be obedient and reliable in order to find success.

Although you don’t find many whippets becoming physical service dogs, you do find many as emotional support and therapy dogs.

Whippets are able to pick on human behavior and adjust while remaining calm.

This leads me into my next point.

2) Whippets Adapt Quickly To New Environments & People

Due to their brilliance a whippet can be thrown into a new environment with new people and thrive.

To be a service dog one needs to be adaptable to environments while remaining calm, cool, and collected.

Dogs that get easily distracted will likely fail a test to become service dogs.

When it comes to whippets, their adaptation is very dependent on the training and how the whippet was raised.

Not all will be good with new environments and faces. A poorly socialized whippet may be shy and timid.

With the proper training and socialization whippets can learn quickly and become masters of adaptations.

This is why many are able to be therapy dogs. They can be placed in a new facility with new people and still be able to comfort and adapt to patient needs.

3) Whippets Are Calm, Gentle, & Cuddly

Whippets are gentle, non aggressive, and love human companionship.

These make great qualities for emotional support dogs and therapy dogs.

A whippet will love nothing more than to cuddle up on a bed or couch and lay there for hours being pet.

They are quiet inside and rarely bark unless something is really worth barking at.

Whippets can be a bit timid with new people if not properly socialized at a young age.

When trained properly they are extremely friendly with all people and partly why they make horrible protection dogs.

4) Whippets Have Relatively Low Maintenance

Another great feature of a service dog is low maintenance.

This makes it easier for dogs to do their job without needing much in return.

Physical service dogs need to help people with disabilities. These people may not be able to keep up with high maintenance dogs.

Although not many whippets become physical service dogs, therapy dogs are ones that benefit from being low maintenance as well.

As a therapy dog they need to be cleaned and groomed before seeing patience.

So having a low maintenance dog that can be easily cleaned and groomed before visits is ideal.

A whippet’s short coat needs very little upkeep aside from an occasional bath and brushing.

5) Whippet Can Be Trained For Almost Anything

With time, dedication, and consistency whippet can be trained for almost anything.

However, whippets may take more time and effort to train for working tasks than some other dogs.

They can be stubborn with obedience training for work related jobs, but with dedication a whippet can become a perfect service dog for certain avenues.

It’s much easier to train a whippet for emotional support and therapy because they are naturally calm, gentle, and loving.

This makes training to be these types of service dogs pretty easy for whippets. They naturally have these tendencies already.

The 5 Reasons Whippets Usually Make Bad Service Dogs

1) High Prey Drive

High prey drive can cause whippets to fail a test to become a service dog.

This is because if they are outside and small children or animals dart past they may become distracted.

A whippet’s desire to hunt animals may make them more reactive to movement and sounds.

A service dog needs to be attentive to their owners or the people they are caring for.

Being reactive to things around makes for a poor service dog.

This leads me to the next point.

2) Whippets That Get Easily Distracted

For some whippets any movement or noise can be distracting.

They can be curious dogs that respond to even the slightest things.

Service dogs need to be focused without being easily distracted. They need to be aware of things going but their number one priority is their owner or the people they are helping.

3) Can Lack Motivation To Work

If you ask a whippet owner what their pup loves most, the answer will sound something like “running full speed ahead and sleeping”.

Whippets like to play, cuddle, sleep and run. When it comes to working they can be lacking in this department.

They do not have the desire to work like some other dog breeds, which makes them a poor choice for a service dog in some areas.

However, there are few examples where you can find whippets as search and rescue dogs.

This might be because it doesn’t feel like work for them, they just get to run full speed

4) Hopeless Protection/Guard Dogs

Most whippet owners will agree that whippets make hopeless guard dogs and protection dogs.

They are far too friendly and loving. They rarely bark or become aggressive so they are pretty much the worst for these roles.

5) Sighthounds Are Not Known For Obedience

Whippets are classified as sighthounds, which are typically not known for their obedience.

Service dogs need to listen to orders and commands to be fully effective.

There are always exceptions and some whippets can be very obedient.

In fact, they are the most obedient of all the sighthounds.

Other posts you might find interesting:

5 Ways Whippets Can Live With Cats Peacefully + 5 Risks

6 Reasons Whippets Like To Cuddle + 6 Reasons They Don’t

Why Do Whippets Yawn So Much? The Truth + Reasons & Tips

Citations:

10 Things Only A Whippet Owner Would Understand
Whippet Dog Breed Information and Personality Traits
10 Things Only A Whippet Owner Would Understand
Whippet