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Running With My Whippet

by Girl-person
(Brisbane)

I have a 4yo in great health; she's been with me just 6 months.

We have been gradually increasing our running exercise together - I'm an average-speed jogger (25-30 mins for 5km).

Here's the thing, though. She runs beautifully for the first half of the run, then lags horribly on the way back.

This happens no matter what the distance - when she could easily run 3km, I tried turning around after just 1km and it still happened.

It happens regardless of the route (I've tried circuitous loops to fool her, but it doesn't work).

I've also tried varying the time of day, the pee-breaks we stop for along the way, encouragement/just forging on, and our routine when we get home.

Nothing has made any difference.

However last weekend she ran a 5km fun run with me and we had no problems whatsoever! I guess running with others around us focussed her?!

Any ideas gratefully received. We also walk and do short sprints at the park, so she has plenty of other options if the jogging really does not work for her, but I would like to work through it if we can.

ANSWER

Interesting!

5 km should not be a problem for a fit whippet. I walk (not run) about 5-6 km everyday in about 1 hour. My 4 year old whippet enjoys our walks very much and adds to the walk some play/running time with the other dogs we might encounter along the way.

Actually she only runs when there are other dogs to play with or to chase the occasional squirrel or rabbit.

What about the weather? In warm temperatures my whippets slow down considerably and it is obvious that they do not like exercising in the hottest hours of the day.

Dogs do not sweat and have very little tolerance for high temperatures.

But, if this is not the case, maybe the solution to your problem would be finding a canine running mate for your whippet.

I always suspected that us humans (even when we run) look pathetically slow and boring to our fast whippets.



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How Far Can Whippets Walk?

I'm considering getting a whippet, but I need a breed which will be happy to join me on the occasional long walk.

Are whippets generally able to walk long distances or do they prefer shorter bursts of exercise? For example, can they cope with a 13 mile hike with a few hills?

ANSWER

Whippets love short bursts of speed and long, comfortable naps but I always took my whippets hiking with me and they love it!

13 miles is a long walk but I think that a healthy, trained whippet should be able to do it without problems.




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Whippets and Exercise

by Emma
(Nottingham)

Can a whippet cope with 5 hours fell walk and/or an hour jogging?

I am thinking about buting a whippet as family pet. I have read loads and think they sound ideal for me.

However do they have the stamina for a full day out fell walking on the odd weekend and the twice weekly 5- 6 mile jog my hubbie plans to take the dog on?


ANSWER

Whippets are not as delicate as they appear.

We regularly go hiking with our dogs and they love it. They have at least one hour exercise everyday. I walk but I’m sure they would easily keep my pace if I was jogging.

A healthy, adult and trained whippet can easily go for one hour jogging or hiking for a day provided the weather is not too extreme. As a rule of thumb if it is too warm or too cold for you to exercise comfortably, it is also for your whippet.


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Whippet Exercise


(Virginia, Washington Metro area)

We have 2 young males who run vigorously in our fenced in back yard, roughly a quarter acre with a sloping hillside. They've torn up all the grass from their running, and we are now facing a sea of mud. Are there known solutions for the best ground cover to resist the result of their powerful activity? We also walk them several times a day and let them run around in an enclosed tennis court (this is rough on their pads, though). Any suggestions for how best to meet their excercise needs?

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