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It’s not uncommon for a whippet to put on a sad face when they want something. But when you start to notice they look sad more often than they don’t, you might start to worry.
Is it normal for whippets to look so sad or is something wrong?
Why Do Whippets Look Sad:
There’s harmless reasons why whippets look sad as well as more serious reasons. Most of the time when a whippet looks sad it’s because they’re bored and want your attention. However, sometimes it can be because they’re feeling high levels of anxiety or are in pain.
This post reveals:
- 8 real reasons why whippets look sad (Plus a bonus reason)
- When a whippet looking sad is something to worry about
- 4 tips to help reduce how often your whippet looks sad (Tip #3 is the most important!)
- And much, much more
Let’s jump right in.
Table of Contents
8 Real Reasons Why Whippets Look Sad
1) Boredom
If your whippet has been bored for an extended period of time they’ll definitely put on a sad face.
No one likes being bored!
If their attempts to get you to play with them have all failed they might be a little upset because of it.
Something my doggo does when we stop playing or I tell her not right now is she’ll find a place close by to lie down then let out a BIG dramatic sigh.
She likes to make it well known that she’s bored and wants me to play with her.
Such a drama queen!
Truth be told it usually works and I go over and pet her.
Which brings me to the next reason.
Related Reading: 10 Best Toys To Entertain Your Dog | Boredom Buster Toys
2) You’ve Rewarded Their Sad Face
If you’ve accidentally rewarded their sad face often enough, they may put it on more frequently because they know it works to get your attention.
The best thing to do to stop them from putting on a sad face so often is to ignore them when they do it.
Which is much easier said than done, believe me, but it’s one of the best things to do if they’ve gotten into this bad habit.
It’s only reinforcing to your whippet that looking sad gives them what they want.
Your attention.
Once you’re aware the way you’re reacting to their puppy dog pout is rewarding the behavior it can help remind you next time they do it to not give in.
3) Picking Up On Your Emotions
Dog’s are very intuitive and in tune with their owners emotions.
Studies have shown that your whippet can actually smell your emotional states.
Happy, sad, excited, tired, etc. they can pick up on it with a sniff of their nose.
How impressive is that!
So if you yourself have been feeling blue lately your whippet is likely picking up the scent and starting to feel blue themselves.
One psychological study shares that the reason behind this is because they trust your judgment.
If you’re feeling a certain way in a particular situation or environment, they’ll trust what you’re feeling as the right reaction and replicate the feeling.
Related Reading: 7 Unexplainable Things Dogs Can Sense Before They Happen
4) Not Enough Physical & Mental Stimulation
Whippets need at least 60 minutes of daily exercise, not only for their physical health but their mental as well.
Without enough physical activity each day, it’s likely going to affect your pup and make them look sad.
Exercise has many benefits beyond keeping their weight under control.
It’s been proven to release happiness hormones like dopamine and serotonin while also reducing cortisol (the stress hormone).
If your whippet doesn’t get enough time outside on walks or playtime with you throughout the day they’ll likely get into a funk.
Physical and mental stimulation is incredibly important to help whippets not look & feel sad.
Related Reading: 13 Best Mind Stimulating Dog Toys: Features & Benefits
5) Pain Or General Discomfort
If your pup is in a moderate amount of pain over a long period of time it could make them appear super sad.
Most dogs will do whatever they can not to show that they aren’t feeling well.
Which means if they’re looking sad all the time as well as distancing themselves from you, they might be in pain.
It could be they have a scratch or wound of some kind, or something is bothering them internally.
If you’re also noticing them acting restless, wincing when doing certain movements, throwing up or having diarrhea it’s important to take them to the vet.
Their pain might be a dull ache right now but could become something worse if left for too long.
6) Overly Jealous
Dogs have two main ways of demonstrating their jealousy.
The first way is by being vocal and barking at you and whoever else you’re giving attention to.
The second way is to be a sucky pup and go lie down somewhere and pout.
And your whippet might show their jealousy in the second way.
If you notice that whenever you have friends over or pet other dogs your doggo sits alone and looks sad, they’re probably jealous.
They’re likely used to being the only one to get your attention and don’t like when that changes.
The more you socialize your whippet the less sad they should look when around other dogs and people.
More time spent around other dogs and people will help them understand that it’s normal for other dogs/people to get your attention and not something to be sad about.
7) Depression
When someone in the family passes away or leaves for an extended period of time your whippet can become very sad about it.
Just like how people go through a mourning period when a loved one passes away, so can your whippet.
Studies have shown that when a dog loses a furry brother or sister they sleep 34% more and eat 35% less.
So if you’re noticing a super sad look on your whippet’s face as well as more sleeping and less eating, they could be depressed.
8) Big Changes To Their Environment
Whippets thrive with habits, structure and routine.
All dogs do.
And when their environment changes in a big way they can become anxious and sad.
Things like moving to a new house, a change in their daily schedule, or if someone new starts living in your home full time.
Each of these situations dramatically changes what your pup is used to.
And like people, dogs really don’t like change.
Unfortunately, the only thing you can really do to help them in this situation is give them time to get used to their new environment.
The quicker you can help them find new structure and routine in their new situation the better.
Related Reading: Is Separation Anxiety Common In Whippets? The Truth + Tips
Bonus: That’s Just How They Look!
Your whippet might simply have a sad looking face.
They could be happy as can be and their facial expressions are misleading you.
For example, certain breeds like bulldogs tend to have sadder facial expressions because of the saggy skin on their face.
But your pup could also have fixed facial expressions that don’t mean they’re feeling a certain way, it’s just their resting face.
As long as they’re healthy and not showing other signs of serious anxiety there’s likely nothing to worry about.
4 Tips To Help You Whippet Not Look & Feel So Sad
1) Find Their Trigger
If you’re noticing that your whippet tends to look sad only in certain situations, do your best to find their trigger.
More often than not there will be something that’s causing them to put on this face.
And once you’re able to identify it, you can reduce how often the trigger presents itself or help them better cope with how it makes them feel.
2) Do Your Best To Increase Time With Them
Whether it’s increasing their physical activity, helping them get more structure in their day-to-day or simply spending more time with them, do what you can to help bring them out of their funk.
In this case, you’d only want to do this if your whippet was depressed about something or going through a big life change.
Doing things they love can help take their mind off of whatever is making them feel so down.
Increasing the amount of activities they’re doing on any given day can really help bring up their mood.
3) Don’t Reward Their Sad Face
Definitely easier said than done, but do your best not to reward your whippets sad face/behavior in the future.
The better you are at ignoring them when they act sad in an attempt to get attention, the less likely they’ll be to continue putting on the face when they aren’t actually sad.
If you also replace rewarding their sad face with rewarding happy behavior, you should notice them not looking sad nearly as often.
This way they’ll learn that being a happy pup gets mom/dad’s attention and being sad (for no actual reason) doesn’t.
4) Take Them To The Vet
It’s unusual for a whippet to be sad for an extended period of time.
And if you don’t think it’s because they’re depressed or looking for additional attention, it might be something going on internally.
Regardless, it never hurts to have a vet look at them.
Sometimes it’s better not to guess and instead let a professional tell you if anything appears off to them.
Bonus: Give Them Some Time
If unfortunately a family member passed recently, sometimes the only thing that can help is time.
As the saying goes, time heals all wounds.
And while it’s hard to sit and watch your pup be so upset, they may simply need to let enough time pass to start feeling themselves again.
Other posts you might find interesting:
9 Eye Opening Reasons Why Your Whippet Stares At You
9 Reasons Why Your Whippet Is Always Nervous + 3 Tips
9 Reasons Why Whippets Sleep So Much + Helpful Tips
Sources:
Dogs Smell Your Emotional State and It Affects Their Mood
Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners
Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animal’s Behavioural Response to the Loss of an Animal Companion
Oxytocin-Gaze Positive Loop and the Coevolution of Human-Dog Bonds