Уиппет: Маленькая копия грейхаунда.

Dog breed resembling a small Greyhound

The whippet is a British breed of medium sized dog, of the sighthound type, related to the larger greyhound and the smaller Italian greyhound. Apart from the differences in height, the whippet closely resembles these two breeds; it has sometimes been described as "the poor man's greyhound". It is kept as a companion dog, for competitive showing, for amateur racing as well as lure coursing. It has the highest running speed of any breed in its weight and size range, and may have the fastest idle to running acceleration of any dog. The breed's name, ‘whippet’, is derived from an early seventeenth century word (now obsolete) meaning "to move briskly". There has been some continuity in describing greyhound types of different sizes — large, medium and small, recorded in hunting manuals and works on natural history from the Middle Ages. Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, confirmed in his early 15th century translation of (and additions to) an original, late 14th century French Livre de chasse the advantages of maintaining the ‘great’, the ‘middle’, and the ‘small size of greyhound’ for different sorts of game. The English physician and academic John Caius refers in his 16th century De Canibus Britannicus to lesser as well as greater sorts of Leporarius, Grehounde (greyhound) and notably to a type which has been connected to the whippet, the tumbler, a lesser sort of mungrell greyhounde and excellent warren dog for catching rabbits, also recorded by the early 19th century Scottish curator and editor Thomas Brown. The Victorian English writers describe an emerging modern breed of whippet, or snap dog, bred for catching rabbits, coursing competitions, straight rag racing, and for the novel show fancy.

Whippets, as with all sighthounds, were bred to hunt by a sight driven prey instinct, coursing game in open areas at very high speeds. There are numerous representations of smallish, sighthound like hunting dogs in Ancient Egyptian artworks dating back thousands of years, possibly portraying ancient forms of greyhound, basenji, Pharaoh hound or saluki. In medieval England, a small greyhound type breed became popular for use as a ratting dog (terrier); the first written English use of the word whippet (with regards to a type of dog) was in 1610. Whippets were commonly known as "snap dogs" for their tendency to readily "snap up" nearby prey, due to their naturally high prey drive. In a painting by Jean Baptiste Oudry (1686–1755) of two dogs named ‘Misse’ and ‘Turlu’, presented to Louis XV of France, the dogs painted were either whippets or another small, smooth coated sighthound, but likely were an early form of the whippet. The breed was held in high regard in the northern parts of England, as well as in Wales, but was generally disregarded in the rest of the country. The age of the modern whippet seemingly dawned in 1891 when The Kennel Club granted the breed its official recognition, thus making whippets eligible for competition and judging in dog shows, as well as commencing the recording of their pedigrees. In the United States, the whippet was recognised three years prior, in 1888, by the American Kennel Club (AKC). In 1964, Ch. Courtenay Fleetfoot of Pennyworth won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. In 1992, Pencloe Dutch Gold won best in show at Crufts; a whippet known as Cobyco Call the Tune won in 2004 and, in 2018, the award was achieved by Ch. Collooney Tartan Tease. In 2011, GCh. Starline's Chanel, a female whippet, was chosen as the Hound group Show Dog of the Year by the Westminster Kennel Club.

Dog racing was originally an extension of hare coursing. Whippets began to be bred to race in the mid nineteenth century. The standards of the American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club allow for larger animals, with an upper limit of for bitches and for dogs. Because colour is considered immaterial in judging Whippets, they come in a wide variety of colours and marking patterns, everything from solid black to solid white, with red, fawn, brindle, blue, or cream. The coat is short, smooth and close. They are the fastest dog of their weight, capable of achieving speeds of up to , This gait results in four of the dog's legs being off the ground twice in each stride, once when the legs are completely extended and again when they are tucked under the body. The whippet will form a strong bond and devotion to their owner and as such can often suffer from separation anxiety like many other breeds when left alone. They do not bark often but do occasionally in the presence of intruders, making the whippet a passable watch dog similar to other small medium dogs. However a whippet would likely never attack or guard against anyone due to their gentle and often shy demeanour.

Whippets course, work, and race; they have been bred for these jobs for years. This has kept them a structurally sound breed which is predominantly free from the physical exaggerations that can lead to certain health problems. Whippets are, like other sighthounds, intolerant of barbiturate anaesthetics. This is in part due to their low concentration of body fat and their liver's inability to metabolise the anaesthetics. Given proper nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care, most Whippets live for 12 to 15 years. A UK breed survey puts the median lifespan at 12 years 10 months. They are generally healthy, and are not prone to the frequent ear infections, skin allergies, or digestive problems that can afflict other breeds. Genetic eye defects, though quite rare, have been noted in the breed. Because of this, the American Whippet Club recommends that breeders test for this defect in their breeding stock. Hip dysplasia is rare in Whippets, with only 1.2% of 161 evaluations performed by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals being determined as dysplasic. The heart of a Whippet is large and slow beating, often being arrhythmic or even intermittent when the animal is at rest. This sometimes causes concern to the owner, or to the vet not experienced with the breed. Whippets will, however, demonstrate a regular heartbeat during exercise. In a health survey conducted by The Kennel Club, cardiac problems were shown to be the second leading cause of mortality in Whippets. A 2007 study identified a myostatin mutation particular to Whippets that is significantly associated with their athletic performance. Whippets with a single copy of this mutation are generally unaffected; those with two copies have disproportionately large musculature and are known as "bully whippets". These bully whippets experience no significant health problems beyond those experienced by a normal whippet, but may be more prone to muscle cramping. The mutation has not been seen in Greyhounds or other sighthound breeds, or in heavily muscled dogs such as Bullmastiffs, Bulldogs, Rottweilers or American Staffordshire Terriers.