“I just want a pet not a show dog”
You want to be careful using this term with breeders. Pet owners sometimes say this because they think purebred puppies from a good breeder are too expensive. Also using this term can be a red flag for pet people who have not researched the breed and understand how much a well-bred dog costs after health testing has been done. Buying a well-bred dog is a family investment for the next 12-16 years. Make sure you choose a breeder who does genetic health testing and cares about the future of the breed in both structure and performance.
Think ahead and make plans. Make it a family project and save up for a healthy well-bred dog. Whippets are rare breed and you will have to be put on a waiting list. Make sure to plan ahead.
When asked to describe what the family is looking for they often say things like:
To be good with children, friendly, trainable, and low cost. In reality this can be any dog. The animal shelters are full of lovely pets that are low cost and will make fantastic companions. Adopt or rescue if these are the only qualities you are looking for.
If you want a pet that is beautiful, independent, athletic, sweet, has a desire to be around family and something special a whippet is for you. You have done your research and understand what makes whippets unique from all other dogs. Then you are ready for this investment of a pure bred whippet.
Why are the puppies in the classified listings or online cheaper?
Nothing explains this better then an article written by Joanna Kimball
“Pet owners next step, tragically, is that they go out and find a puppy for as little money and with as much ease as possible. You need to realize that when you do this, you're going to the used car dealership, WATCHING them pry the "Audi" plate off a new car, observing them as they use Bondo to stick it on a '98 Corolla, and then writing them a check and feeling smug that you got an Audi for so little.
Keeping a group of dogs looking and acting like their breed is hard, HARD work. If you do not get the impression that the breeder you're considering is working that hard, is that dedicated to the breed, is struggling to produce dogs that are more than a breed name, you are getting no bargain; you are only getting ripped off.”
One reason why our whippets look the way the do is because we take special efforts in preserves abilities, temperaments and structure. We work hard to preserve this along with those breeders who came before us.
Avoid the classifieds!!! Don’t go for the cheapest and easy to get puppies. Classified listings are not a great place to purchase puppies from. You have to weed through a lot of bad breeders to find the good ones. A lot good breeders avoid the classifieds. Get breeder referrals from the American Whippet club and avoid classifieds.
What if I do not want to show my whippet?
Crossfyre whippets do not make you to show your dog. We have placed many fine whippets into pet homes. We always encourage trying out performance and show events as a fun hobby but it’s not required. It’s more important to us that our whippets are placed into loving family homes that care for them. Occasionally there may be a pup that we want to hold onto and wait for just the right show home to come along. But generally we like our pet homes as much as show homes.
How much does a whippet cost?
You should be prepared to pay $1000-$2000 for a pet whippet. If the whippet is cheaper then that I would question why. Generally cheap puppies in classified ads are from back yard breeders. Those are people who decide to breed their pets. They have done no health testing on parents; they do not know any genetic history on their lines and breed for money. They also do not care or know if their breeding stock is passing physical faults onto their puppies such as blue eyes, over bites, prick ears, incorrect whippet structure, deafness and genetic health issues.
Being a good breeder involves lots of pedigree research, costly health testing on parents and vet bills. Breeders need to be proving their stock is worthy of breeding which means they compete in dog shows or performance events. Being a good breeder is not cheap. We often just break even on litter costs when you factor in the money spent doing health testing and vet care.
Invest in your puppy’s future. Purchase from breeders that test for eye, heart, and hearing problems on BOTH parents. Make sure your breeder cares where the puppies are living. Breeders should be there for you throughout the life of your Whippet. Good breeders answer any questions that you would have no matter the dog’s age.
