9 Real Reasons Why Your Whippet Grunts & Groans + 4 Tips

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When a whippet groans it can be quite puzzling. Do whippets groan for the same reasons that people do? Or is something wrong?

Why Do Whippets Groan:

Whippets will groan for similar reasons that people do. Many times your whippet will groan because they’re getting stiffer and have more aches and pains as they get older. It could also be learned behavior because in the past every time they’ve groaned you gave them some form of attention.

In this post you’ll discover:

9 reasons why your whippet grunts or groans
Whether your whippet groans on purpose or not
4 tips to help your whippet groan less if you’re bothered/concerned about it (Tip #2 can help the quickest!)
And much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

9 Reasons Why Your Whippet Grunts & Groans

1) Wanting Your Attention

The most classic reason for your whippet to be grunting and groaning is because they’re trying to get your attention.

More than likely, up until now, whenever they’ve grunt or groaned you probably gave them some sort of attention.

Which has taught them that being vocal in this way is a great way to get attention when they want it.

So whether you stopped petting them, stopped playing with them or are ignoring their requests to go outside, your whippet could be groaning to get your attention.

2) Bliss

When your whippet is really happy and content, they might grunt or groan as a way to express their joy.

This could be when they’re being petted by you, playing with another dog or just enjoying life in general.

If you hit the spot right behind their ear and it feels really good, they have to let out a groan to express how much they enjoy what you’re doing.

If you stop they’ll likely start pawing at you to keep going.

Sometimes your whippets’ groans are sort of like a little “I’m so happy” noise that they make.

3) You Have An Expressive Pup

Some dogs are just more expressive than others and your whippet may be one of them.

This doesn’t mean they’re trying to get attention or that they’re in pain, they just tend to vocalize their emotions more than most dogs.

You might notice them groaning after enjoying a tasty treat, enjoying a comfortable spot they’re relaxing in, or when they’re upset you stopped playing with them.

If you have an expressive pup, don’t worry too much about their grunting and groaning, they might simply be a drama king/queen.

I know mine certainly is!

4) Dreaming

While your dog is sleeping they could be grunting or groaning because they’re dreaming.

Dogs dream just like we do and sometimes during their dreams, they vocalize what’s going on.

You might notice them twitching or paddling their legs while they sleep as well.

Do you ever talk in your sleep?

Well, your dog could be doing the canine equivalent by grunting or groaning in their sleep.

Next time you hear your pup making noises in their sleep, don’t worry, they’re just dreaming.

They might be running around with their furry friends or dreaming about a giant treat they get to eat without mom saying they can only have a little!

5) Growing/Aging Pains

Just like us, as dogs grow and age they can start to experience more aches and pains.

Puppies experience growing pains just like kids do.

And senior dogs experience aching pains as they get older similar to how people do.

It could be in their joints, hips or back and is often the cause of older dogs grumbling and groaning.

It’s simply a part of life for joints and bones to start to stiffen up as your whippet gets older.

The best thing you can do to prevent your whippet from grunting or groaning from pain as they get older is to keep them active.

If they don’t get much physical activity their muscles and joints will only get stiffer which will make them groan even more.

As the saying goes, move it or lose it!

6) Unhealthy Weight

If your whippet is carrying around a few extra pounds, they might start grunting and groaning because of it.

This is because basic movements are more difficult and require additional effort than if they were at a healthy weight.

Whippets should weigh anywhere between 25-40 lbs and if they’re over 40 they would be considered overweight.

Another way to visually tell if your pup is overweight is my looking at their stomach.

If their belly is closer to the ground than their ribcage, they’re considered overweight.

A whippet that is at a healthy weight will have a stomach that is inline, or further away from the ground than their ribcage.

It’s definitely normal to hear a whippet grunt and groan if they’re carrying around a little extra weight.

7) General Discomfort Or Pain

Your whippet might grunt or groan if they’re feeling generally uncomfortable or in pain.

This could be from a number of things such as an injury, illness, parasite or even just being out of their comfort zone.

It could also be if they’re recovering from a surgery or if they have an underlying health issue.

If your whippet is grunting and groaning more than usual, or if you touch them in a specific spot, it’s never a bad idea to take them to the vet to get them checked out.

8) Disappointment

Your whippet may groan if they’re disappointed.

This could be because you didn’t give them the treat they wanted, you left them at home while you went out without them, or they didn’t get to go on their favorite hike.

It could also be if you said the word ‘walk’ which didn’t end up in you and your pup actually going out for a stroll.

After their excitement goes away from thinking they were about to go out, they might lie near you on the floor and let out a big groan.

Just to let you know how disappointed they are that you’re not taking them outside.

They got all worked up about doing their favorite thing in the world only to see you didn’t mean right now.

Your whippet’s groans here are more than likely a display of disappointment.

9) Depressed

Just like people can experience strong negative emotions, so can your pup.

And if your whippet has been feeling depressed lately, they may grunt or groan more because they’re feeling blue.

This could be from the loss of another animal or family member, not getting enough attention, feeling neglected or from abuse.

If your whippet is grunting and groaning more than normal and doesn’t seem to want to do anything, it might be a sign they’re depressed.

They may not eat as much or play with their toys as they normally would.

They may also distance themselves from you more than they normally would and sleep more.

4 Tips To Help Your Whippet Not Grunt & Groan As Much

1) Better Diet & Exercise Routine

If you think your whippet is groaning because they’re overweight or having general aches and pains from aging, help introduce a better diet paired with more exercise.

If your whippet is still a young adult this can help ensure they don’t have too many complications as they get older.

Which should also help with how much they’re grunting and groaning.

A good diet for your pup should be 90% dog food and 10% treats/snacks.

If you’re giving your pup too many treats each day it’ll be easier for them to get overweight.

It’s also important that they have a good quality dog food.

One that has one of its main ingredients being a source of meat-based protein, has little to no preservatives and is highly digestible.

Once their diet is covered, it’s important they get 2 good walks a day with some playtime in between.

2, 20 minute walks with roughly 20 minutes of playtime over the course of a day will help make sure they don’t put on any unnecessary weight.

2) Ignore It

This may sound a bit heartless but if you think your whippet is groaning because they’re trying to get your attention, the best thing you can do is ignore it.

They’ll soon realize that grunting isn’t going to get them what they want and will eventually stop doing it as much.

It’s important here not to give in and give them what they want when they start grunting and groaning.

They’ll only do it more if they think it works.

If you consistently ignore them when they groan, eventually they’ll do it less and less until it’s non-existent.

Of course, if your whippet is grunting because they’re in pain then you shouldn’t ignore it.

But if you think they’re just trying to get your attention, the best thing you can do is act like you don’t hear them.

3) Help Bring Joy Back

If you think your whippet is grunting because they’re depressed, there are things you can do to help bring some joy back into their life.

One of the best things you can do is try and spend more quality time with them.

This means putting down your phone, turning off the TV and giving them your undivided attention.

Playing with them, taking them for walks or just sitting and cuddling with them can help make them feel loved and wanted.

The more things you can do with your pup that they really enjoy (but might not be excited about right now) the quicker they can get out of their slump.

Hanging out with other dogs is also a great thing to try as it can help take their mind off what’s bothering them and focus on playing with their friend.