The Joys of Boys!

Gibson and Jack chowing down

We usually receive four or five inquiries a week from people looking for whippets. For the past two months we've noticed that all -- and I mean all with one exception --of the inquiries specify females, whether adults or puppies. I can only figure that somewhere on the internet must be a misguided bit of advice suggesting that girl dogs make better pets.

It's time someone put in a word for the boys. I cannot speak for all breeds, but in whippets it is generally accepted that males are more affectionate, less moody, more loyal, and just sweeter in general. In my personal opinion, the girls are smarter, but smarter does not necessarily mean a more obedient pet. Sometimes smart = conniving.

While it's not true of all females, I swear that several of ours have actually flipped me off when I've asked them to do something. And not something difficult -- something more like,  "Come here, Ju-ju Bean!" (Admittedly the flip off could be a response to the nicknames I use for them, but whatever the reason, they still won't come unless they happen to feel like it and have nothing else to do.)

When one of our girls is naughty and gets a "No!" or "Cut that out!", she is likely to respond with a stink-eye that clearly says, "You godda problem wit' me?" On the other hand, fuss at any one of our boys and he'll do anything to get back into your good graces.

Jack: It's really and truly empty, huh?

When boys fight, and they seldom do, it's settled then and there and life goes on. When the girls fight, it is never over. Think of the girl in high school who told you your shoes were ugly. If you're a woman, I'll bet you still remember her name and you might well hate her until the day you die. That's a whippet girl when she believes she has been wronged, slighted, or insulted. She never forgets. There's a reason we call them bitches.

Now these are generalizations and you might well find a female who never has a bad day and will snuggle with you as long as you'll let her. We've had some. And I suppose there are moody boy dogs out there too though I've never met one.

Jack

Gibson

 But as a rule, if you want a whippet who will tell you daily that you are the smartest, funniest, and most beautiful person in the world, your odds are better with a boy. Most whippets are snugglers regardless of gender, but if someone is in a snit on the other side of the room, it's going to be the female.

We've asked a few people their reasons for preferring females. The two most common responses are that male dogs lift their legs on furniture and some of them "hump" inappropriately.  These are not common problems with whippets, and especially not neutered ones.

Males "mark" in the house to claim property rights (and actually, many females do the same!) but unless another dog has previously laid claim to Dad's recliner, it's unlikely your boy will feel the need to add his signature.  Most marking can be attributed to more than one intact male in the house and/or a female in season. The average pet whippet is just not going to feel the need to establish dominance this way.

Humping inappropriately? We have only one whippet who does this routinely, and she's a female. Really. Kara has a complicated relationship with her favorite teddy bear.

Gibson: A boy with a healthy appetite

As for humping legs or whatever, that is easily corrected the same way you would correct any unwanted behavior -- with a firm "NO" and redirecting the dog's interest elsewhere. I have never owned a male whippet who rode people's legs like some of the toy breeds do, though I'm sure if I say they never do, someone will tell me about the one he had who loved to hump Grandma's knee. But it is definitely not a common problem in whippets.

Humping other dogs, by the way, is seen at least as often in females as males. It's  a dominance thing, not a sex  thing, and again, a firm correction is called for, as well as redirecting the attention of both dogs so they can stop worrying about who's da boss.

Don't get me wrong. I adore my girls. But if I want pure, uncomplicated love, I'll take a male whippet any day.

If after reading this you think a little whippet boy might fit into your home, give us a call at 540-464-8046. We know of a number of boys just looking for someone to adore. Our lovely Moka (Ch Timbreblue Abraxis Mocha Martini) was bred and has two really nice brindle boys available in Ohio.  She belongs to Beca Zaun and you can reach Beca at roebeck@buckeye-express.com. Their photos are shown throughout this post.

If you want to skip the baby puppy phase, ask us  about Trick and Winchester. They are also brindle, around six months old, crate and leash-trained and very well started on housetraining. They are energetic, fun little guys who need to get settled in their "real" homes. And we know of a litter in Charlotte, North Carolina, with some boys available.

The boys and Mama Moka (and sister Brandi)