Bedlington x Whippet

[ACavalierDream]

In my quest for our next sighthound, I am interested in bedlington whippets. I was originally attracted to whippets a while ago due to them not being popular and being a good sturdy, native breed. And a dog that could run with the husband and sleep on our beds. The growth in popularity is making it hard but not impossible to find a good one. I am still searching and not ruling another whippet out. We loved ours, she was the best dog ever for us. It got me thinking about bedlington whippets. If you have one, could you please share your personal experience of them? I would be particularly interested to hear how they compare to whippets? And how much terrier behaviour is in them?

I have a 7-year-old bedlington whippet. I think they generally have a bit more stamina and are hardier than whippets, who have very thin skin and are more prone to cut themselves. Mine can run fast, but not as fast as a pure whippet, though he can turn very quickly. He likes to sleep all day and all night, which is probably more the whippet side. He's also a bit nervy. In terrier behaviour, he likes to pounce and kill soft toys, but we had to stop letting him have them as he would also swallow bits.

For going running with your DH, a bedlington whippet might be better suited as it can probably build up to longer distances than a whippet. I do take mine but only off road where he can be off lead, as I'm not fast enough and he prefers to do more of a zoom past and then sniff around waiting for me to catch up.

Mine is very motivated by food and therefore was quite easy to train, but I have heard that they can be quite fussy.

My dog is a first cross - I'd be wary of subsequent crosses because you don't really know what you're getting, and bedlington terriers can carry the gene for copper toxicosis, so you would want to be especially careful if there is bedlington on both sides.

Thank you for taking the time to reply and for going to some length. Your dog sounds delightful!

The sleeping all day is definitely a whippet trait (well a sighthound one). Mine was particularly powerful and would go on 7 miles run with my husband but her happy place was 4 or 5 miles. She never did it in one go though, she did that in spurts and would stop, sniff and go again, usually to wait for my much slower husband.

Would you take your dog off the lead in commons or parks such as the ones in London? We could take our whippet off the lead. She had a perimeter and she would not stray beyond a certain point and she would run in circles. Mercifully squirrels go up trees so we never had her chase one over a distance. She was very pack oriented and would stay around us. But she did scare some owners when she went full speed by the sheer sight of it. We moved to an area mostly populated by labs and cockers so that was much easier that the Kensington fluffies. She never chased any but the speed was phenomenal.

Funny what you say about food. She could not care less and we could not train her with food. When the children came along, she became even more attached to us and she was part of the pack. She was very close to the children.

Can I please ask a couple of questions: how good is yours with children (mine was fine with her own but not the warmest towards any stranger, she was quite aloof)? Do they need any grooming? Finally, how does one go about finding a puppy from a decent place?

I have two whippets and my DM has a beddy whippet. I am biased and I really love our whippets. I love her beddy whippet too though.

the main difference is he does territorial barking like a terrier might. He’s very vigilant. He is beautifully scruffy and exactly like Hairy McLairy from the book. He has a lovely little beard :-)

the whippets are pretty resilient, don’t smell, don’t bark, don’t need their feet cleaning as they don’t gather so much mud.

the beddy whippet is a bit more reserved but that might be particular to him.

both gorgeous.

if you want a whippet look on Champdogs for breeders - there are loads.

Also Both ours are good with kids and cats and chickens 🐓 . You really have to introduce all of the above before three months though - and you need to already have a cat for a puppy to realise the cat is in charge 🙄

If you want a puppy, I'm not actually sure how you would go about finding one except by word of mouth really. I got mine from a family who bred working lurchers occasionally so they could keep one back - we preferred to get a pup that had been bred to work (i.e. hunt rabbits) as we wanted the stamina and enough intelligence to be able to train him so he could come running with me. We also did agility for a bit.

We can and do walk him off lead, but we did a lot of training on recall in the first year due to high prey drive - he has been known to recall from chasing a deer, so it is possible. However, I keep him on lead anywhere near roads and also in certain areas where I know he wants to go in particular gardens or jump over a wall. He is a greedy little bastard, and there is one walk where he will definitely jump over a stream into someone's garden and eat all the fat balls they've put out for the birds, for example.

Mine doesn't really need grooming beyond giving him a brush once a week or so, and occasionally (this is a bit grim, sorry) trimming the hair on his willy which can get matted. He actually doesn't really shed either and doesn't smell (at least, not as much as some other dogs). We had him before we had children and he is very good with them but we mostly kept them separate for the first few years so we're really aiming for amicably sharing their space, which they do now. The four year old now thinks the dog is his friend and they mainly hang out together by lying down in the same sunbeam for ages. I don't think you can generalise, but my dog also loves people in general. He's happy to be stroked by polite, calm children who ask nicely, and will make friends with any visitors to the house. He is not friendly to cats, though, and also hates all poodle crosses with an inexplicable and passionate hatred.

I have experience of both whippet and beddy.

The main difference, ime is the barking. Whippets are generally quite silent.

As a pp said, the beddy is prone to territorial barking. This is a particularly irritating type of noise as it can be unpredictable and not as easy to shush as say, an excited 'here's a visitor at the door' bark.

Also, you really should groom a beddy because their fur can get matted. (Not a problem in a whippet!)

Any dog can take against anything, so early conditioning is important (eg exposure to kids as a puppy).

I’ve not seen this cross breed before but after a google search I’m a fan. What a fabulous mix. Go for it OP.

I have a beddy whippet, and previously had a whippet. My main comment would be that with any cross breed you’re rolling the dice- you can’t guarantee which aspects of looks or personality you will get- so you need to be open to all possibilities. My boy is quite whippet-looking and much less hairy than some you see (which has pros and cons). But they are lovely dogs and can be absolutely wonderful- my heart will always belong to whippets but lurchers are certainly tougher and less inclined to injury (which to me is the only negative about a whippet).

Obv with any sight hound you need to work on recall from day 1.

In terms of finding a puppy, I’d recommend getting involved in the lurcher community. There are face book groups for lurchers and beddy whippets specifically. Spend some time getting to know people. Then put out feelers. Lurcher lovers will often know other lurcher lovers and take it from there. IME it’s one of the cross breeds that’s less likely to be farmed as it’s not a trendy cross but you still need to do your research. You can also just approach people in the park and get chatting.

A friend has just got one of these, although it was described as a lurcher to her. Lovely dog.

Also for finding a beddy whippet, ask about at rural vets and farm suppliers. They sometimes have ads up for various litters/ pullets/ horses so worth a look.

Edited because autocarrot.

I walk with one on a regular basis. He’s got a lovely face, he’s whippet size, doesn’t bark too badly, more robust than a whippet, but he definitely behaves like a sighthound: always looking for something to chase and he has killed rabbits etc, when he’s in hunting mode his recall is poor/non existent, he just completely ignores his owner, he runs around madly for 15 mins then flops down. He doesn’t eat his food in 10 seconds flat (unlike my dog) so isn’t very food oriented. He is very good in the house curls up and sleeps.
We have a lot round here all seem to be related.

Our family dog was a bedlington whippet and she was a terror!

She spent every walk absolutely fixated on the squirrels in the park and because of her speed she was able to catch them (she was catching at least one EVERY walk) her recall was non-existent despite puppy classes, professional trainer etc.
We would often spend hours and hours in the park waiting for her to come back from her squirrelling. If we tried to approach she would run away. Had to end up with lead only walks. Also terrible chewer, destroyed every object in sight…took several years to grow out of this.

She was a terrible scavenger and food thief too, absolutely obsessed with finding people’s left over food in the gutter or worse…..Trigger TMI warning she would go into the ladies loo’s in the park and raid the sanitary bin, she’d bring out sanitary towels and tampons and shred/ try to eat them. Once she went into a bush a homeless man had just gone into and ate his poo. She was absolutely shameless.

PROS:
-Kind nature
-You could leave her with anybody and she couldn’t care less (no separation anxiety traits)
-From 5pm onwards she would be completely in sleep mode and no bother til the next day
-Very easy to toilet train (she got it in 1 day)
-Endless compliments on how she looked!

Just thought I’d add one more PRO - she was very good with other dogs!

Never had a whippet but our Bedlington was a cracking dog - excellent with children / dogs to the point of submissive. Adored his walks and was fast as the wind but chilled and easy in the house. Barked to warn us but not at all yappy! Not bothered by cats etc. didn’t shed/smell!
The only downside was his recall. He wanted to be with us so wouldn’t completely disappear, but very hard to draw him away from other dogs on walks - he just loved play time and wasn’t food motivated so we never managed to train him out of that.

Thank you all for your replies. Whilst they sound like such lovely dogs they do sound much better suited for the country than London.

@StiffAsAVicar i am in awe yours managed to catch a squirrel. My whippet was quite a powerhouse and never managed it. This tells me that I risk a terrier temperament and I am not a big fan of terriers. And the sanitary bins, this is just disgusting 😁

I thought they were hairy whippets but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

so back to the sighthound drawing board for me.

This is where I am at:

• Irish wolfhound: too big
• afghan: too big and I don’t fancy the grooming
• borzoi: too big
• rescue greyhound: too big and can’t be off the lead
• silken windhound: needs more research

so in reality I am left with:

• whippet: love them so might just do it again but struggling to find a show breeder that is not inbred - more research. it was easier to find a good one 15 years ago.
• italian greyhound: I need to access the show ring. It’s proving quite a task. I already have one.

If anyone here breeds show level whippets and or Italian greyhounds, please let me know. Realistically they seem the only sighthounds able to be happy off the lead in London.

Others might @ me, but I'm going to strongly caution against an Italian greyhound.

If you are erring towards a whippet in another form (going by your comment on the hairy whippet) IGs are definitely NOT mini whippets. They can be really hard work. Barky, difficult to toilet train and really impossibly delicate.

If you specifically want an iggy, that's OK, but they are definitely a particular small breed in their own right. The IG rescue charity is v insightful https://italiangreyhoundrescuecharity.org.uk/about-italian-greyhounds/

Do you follow any whippet accounts on insta? Whippetfamily account have just had a litter for eg (likely all spoken for) but you could follow who they follow for links etc.

Also follow silken windhound accounts (if I were to ever have another dog*, this would absolutely be my choice, but very rare in this country).

*edited to add, I am hiding this comment from my whippet because I want to reassure her that she is the goodest girl and will not be replaced!

I think it is wise to recognise that you can't necessarily predict how much of each breed will show itself in the crossbreed, but @StiffAsAVicar's dog sounds pretty extreme, and I suspect not a typical example of a bedlington whippet! I wouldn't necessarily rule them out, as I suspect many whippets would also take a lot of recall training and you can't guarantee that your next one would be as reliable as your first. My beddy whippet is pretty good, and I'd happily let him off lead in a city park with nothing too exciting nearby.

Admittedly we don't have squirrels where I live, but when we've been in areas that do, he's never caught one as he can't climb trees. He could probably catch a rabbit but he never gets the chance because I always see them first. In fact, he's probably lucky he didn't go to a working home as he'd be rubbish at it.

I wanted a first cross for various reasons, but if you can find one you might prefer a beddy whippet x whippet. They tend to be a bit less hairy and more whippety, but retain some of the hardiness of the bedlington.

@BarnacleBeasley and @StiffAsAVicar thank you for your replies. Our 15 years old whippet died a few months ago. We also have an Italian Greyhound who is 4 years and I agree with you, they are two different breeds (with some common sighthound traits). We call our Iggy 'the terrorist'. She is largely house trained but when her nose is out of joint (wind blowing the wrong way, dinner she did not like...) she will drop a poo, usually by my husband's bedside. It does amuse us and is not often. She is a diva and has perfected the art of shaking to make you feel sorry for her (to be fair the whippet was quite good at that too). She only barks when the door bell rings but it is very high pitch.

I would say that iggies should not be that delicate. Some are now due to a recent proliferation in breeding where they try to make them smaller and a lot of imports from Easter Europe. Mine is a hardy little witch. She can jump on the kitchen table and back down again no problem (shameless thief). She would go on the same walks as the whippet no problem (as long as it did not rain).

I won't write an essay comparing both but those are the points that apply to me:

• the whippet was indeed hard work to train on recall (never interested in food). Our mercy was that she would always stay within a perimeter but within that perimeter recall was never 100%. It was not a problem as she was not interested in other dogs but if a squirrel came, she was off, never far as there are trees everywhere. It just made for more alert walks because her speed did scare people.
• the iggy allows me a more peaceful walk off the lead. She is so food obsessed I don't even call her back by her name, I call her 'Treats' now. I can make her stop mid flight trying to catch a squirrel by rattling the tin.
• the whippet was more of a family dog. She was attached equally to all of us (a bit more to my husband due to running with him). But her happy place was sleeping in my children's beds. She was very good at sharing the love. The iggy has become my dog. She will go on walks with other people than me and has no separation anxiety but if we are on the sofa, she is on my lap, in bed she will be with me. I love it but I realise that the children miss the whippet love.

So to cut a long story short, I would happily go again for either breed but what matters to me the most is finding the best example of that breed I can get. I am getting somewhere with the iggies and going to a club show in November. I am a bit more behind on research with the whippets. What I discovered so far is some show breeders have an inbreeding coefficient far higher comparative to iggies, which surprised me. My absolute ideal pup is one from a top show/club breeder.

I can't go back to the whippet breeder because she has stopped. I also can't go back to the iggy breeder because she is just not good enough (too commercial and I did not see it back then, to be fair she has changed for the worse since I went to her).

Sorry forgot to quote @champagnetrial

Please get a silken windhound and name it Balonz.

Or something obnoxious like Scarlett O'Hara or Harper. Or wait Laura (the little house on the prairie). Full wanky mode 😂

@ACavalierDream what did you end up getting, I’m going through the same dilemma at the moment.

I've alway had whippets and greyhounds growing up but for the last five years I had a fourth cross Bedlington whippet but we sadly lost him to his high prey drive. But he was a fantastic dog. Smarter, more playful, robust, high prey drive which I really loved even tho it was annoying at times.
Would steal anything if in reach, ripped tissue to bits, raiding the bin, kill every toy or get stuck in the bathroom at 3.00 am!! 😂

iv currently got a whippet who’s great but really low maintenance just sits on the sofa as long as she gets her walks she’s happy.

I'm leaning towards a first cross. I think.