We have Labradors but have looked after a family member’s whippet a few times. We recently got a new lab puppy and for a little while we did consider a different breed (the shedding with labs means despite hoovering every day, the house looks like it’s not been done in weeks!) inc whippets, but decided we loved the ‘woohoo this is the best thing ever!!!’ attitude of our labs, so got another.
i only have a sample of 4 labs vs one whippet but as your husband is leaning towards lab I thought maybe comparisons might interest you.
The whippet is so clean… no shedding, no interest in mud/gross smells/general filth that Labradors bask in. The family have pale grey carpets which are still pristine! When we have visited previously with our well behaved adult female lab it gave us the heebeejeebees that she was leaving a trail of hair everytime she lay down and got up. Also they have a lot of low level coffee tables- food/drinks/stuff completely untouched by whippet… taken out with one absent minded Labrador tail wag.
Not too titchy but not a large dog either- makes travelling easy. Cheaper than labs in terms of food/meds etc at the vet that’s done on weight.
He loves his people- not so fussed about anyone else. We looked after him and their toddler a few times. We worried that she might be upset to be left. She didn’t give a hoot. Poor whippet was distraught! Cried at the door for ages when they left him. Anytime the door went he was desperate for it to be them… and so sad when it wasn’t.
He’s completely disinterested in anyone but his people. That might suit you, but we love the fact that our lab loves everyone and anyone- she’s convinced strangers are new best friends you haven’t met yet. He has a great belief in stranger danger. I wouldn’t say he’s nervous or worried by them- just doesn’t want anything to do with them. As an example, when we visited when their baby was new we offered to take him out on a quick walk so one less job for them. We got outside the front door and he just said, ‘no thank you. I don’t know you that well. I’m not going anywhere with you’, and refused to move.
He is very cuddly with his people- gets under the blanket and snuggles. In the evening would curl up on their knee like a cat. Very cute!!
He’s not food orientated, which made training a bit harder, and he’s super fussy with food. He has a bowl down all day, and just picks.
His skin is very delicate and they’ve had several injuries where he’s cut himself on walks.
High prey drive. We live fairly rurally (they’re city based). We have chickens. Labradors have never cared and pretty much ignore them. Whippet definitely not safe around small animals.
I think (from my sample of one!!) he’s probably an easier dog to live with- very very calm at home, very clean, doesn’t want to go out when it’s wet. Almost like a friendly cat? But for us we like the boundless enthusiasm and joy of Labradors. But they are not for the faint hearted!