Though I’ve written a breed comparison piece about Whippet vs Greyhounds, I’ve only ever touched loosely upon a crossing of the two breeds in my ultimate guide to Whippet mixes. In this post I’m addressing this and focusing on the Greyhound Whippet cross specifically.
The following then is a description of what you can expect of the Greyhound Whippet cross (aka the Grey Whippet) in terms of physique, personality and care requirements.
I’ll be looking at the following areas:
Table of Contents
- A Note on Whippet Crosses
- Greyhound Whippet Cross Appearance
- Temperament
- Health
- Exercise & Care
- Greyhound Whippet Mix Images from Instagram
- Summary
A Note on Whippet Crosses

I always preface my articles about Whippet mixes by advising that we can only ever speak in general terms about any dog, be it purebred or otherwise. Of course all dog breeds do have tendencies to a certain physique or temperament, but individual dogs can deviate from what’s considered the norm.
As a result, any article on Greyhound Whippets can only propose what’s likely from the mix. It’s simply not possible to guarantee that any dog will conform 100% to a breed standard… even in the case of a purebred dog.
The Greyhound Whippet Cross Appearance
The Greyhound Whippet is an interesting cross. Since both are breeds of Sighthound, they can be considered Longdogs. However, like the Whippet Italian Greyhound mix, this particular cross generally results in a dog that looks very similar to both its parents.
The Grey Whippet, as it’s also known, is most often like a smaller version of a Greyhound… or a larger version of a Whippet! That said, it’s possible that an individual Greyhound Whippet Cross may well be the same size as the standard size of either parent.
As a general guide though, you might expect fully grown adult Greyhound Whippets to weigh anywhere between 26lbs and 80lbs and have a Weight of between 20″ to 26″. As with most Dog breeds, males tend to be larger than females.
In terms of physical appearance, Grey Whippets retain the elegant and athletic “S” shaped body of both breeds… a look that lovers of both parent breeds adore. They have long necks, deep chests and slender waists. They’re also short haired and single coated.
They are powerful dogs, built for explosive speed over short distances rather than endurance over many miles. No surprise here since both parent breeds are extremely fast: Greyhounds can reach speeds of up to 43mph (70kph) and Whippets up to 35mph (56 kph)!
Find out more about how fast Whippets run.
Grey Whippet Temperament
Whippets and Greyhounds have very similar personalities and so you might expect a mix of the two to be very similar also.
As a general rule, Greyhounds and Whippets tend to be:
- Affectionate
- Friendly
- Gentle
- Loyal
- Loving
- Playful
Grey Whippets make great family pets able to live in a variety of accommodation. Of course they’d probably enjoy having an enclosed garden to be able to use as they pleased. However, assuming you provided a suitable amount of exercise for them to use up their energy, they’d be equally happy as apartment dogs.
Whilst they’re generally well-balanced and loving dogs, the Greyhound Whippet mix will likely also have some downsides.
Both parent breeds can be:
- Lonely
- Needy
- Reserved
- Stubborn
Furthermore, Grey Whippets have a strong prey drive and will chase anything small that catches their eye. Hence care is needed with other smaller pets at home. They can live with other pets, such as cats, but they shouldn’t ever be left alone at home with them as the instinct to chase is strong.
Additionally, Greyhound Whippet mixes will likely not enjoy being at home alone for long periods. They love the company of their family and can suffer from separation anxiety if deprived of it for too long.
Generally, Whippet Greyhounds make excellent, low-maintenance companions, though they may be a little aloof around strangers (both human and canine) until they get to know them.
Greyhound Whippet Cross Health
Greyhounds and Whippets are both healthy breeds though as with all varieties of dog, each have a higher incidence of certain illnesses and conditions than some others.
Whippets
- Allergies
- Canine von Willebrand’s Disease
- Deafness
- Hemangiosarcoma
- Mitral Valve Degeneration
- Sinus problems
Greyhounds
Whippets have a lifespan of between 12 and 15 years while Greyhounds live between 10 to 14 years.
With a healthy diet, sufficient exercise and a loving home, a Grey Whippet might then live anywhere between 10 to 15 years.
What’s the average lifespan of Whippets?
Exercise & Care
Contrary to popular belief, neither Whippets nor Greyhounds need hours of exercise each day. Though they are extremely rapid athletes, they’re built for bursts of speed over short distances, rather than endurance over many miles.
As a consequence, a Greyhound Whippet mix has the same type of exercise requirements: 45 to 60 minutes a day with opportunities to run off lead in an enclosed area. Of course puppies and more senior dogs will likely require less.
I would never allow any Whippet mix off lead anywhere that isn’t enclosed or in any public urban area. There are simply too many distractions that might trigger their prey mode… and once they’re in the zone it can be very hard to recall them. Hence, walking them off lead in an enclosed area will mean they can’t end up running onto roads.
In terms of feeding, you should take care not to overfeed as both breeds will happily eat to repletion and still take advantage of an opportunity to eat your food if your back’s turned!
As with most dogs, Greyhound Whippet mixes will require fresh water to be available at all times but especially during the summer or after a hard run.
Like most short haired dogs, this particular cross does not enjoy cold weather and will require suitable clothing during winter time or during periods of bad weather. Since they enjoy warmth a Greyhound Whippet will happily snuggle up to you to steal your heat!
Grooming
Greyhounds and Whippets don’t need excessive washing and grooming… though a little more bathing can be required when the weather’s bad or if they roll in something nasty!
Greyhounds and Whippets are often thought of as hypoallergenic dogs, but the truth is that neither is 100% guaranteed not to trigger allergies (no dog is). However, they don’t have undercoats and so they tend to shed less fur than many other breeds, which makes them less likely to trigger allergies.
A light weekly groom with a good brush will help to keep fur from depositing in places you’d rather it didn’t.
Find out more about grooming short haired dog breeds.
Greyhound Whippet Mix Images from Instagram
A selection of gorgeous Greyhound Whippet crosses from Instagram. Each image links to the specific Insta post where you can find out more about these lovely dogs.




Summary
My favourite Sighthound breeds are Whippets, Italian Whippets and Greyhounds. It’s the shape of the breeds that most appeals to me… though in preference Iggies are a little small and Greyhounds a little too large for my lifestyle.
While Whippets are the perfect sized dog breed for me, a Greyhound Whippet cross might certainly appeal, as long as it didn’t veer too closely size-wise to a Greyhound!
Do you own a Greyhound Whippet cross or have you in the past? Please tell me about it or leave a comment in the section at the bottom of this page.
Related Posts
- A Guide to the Whippet Italian Greyhound Mix
- Pit Whips: The Whippet Pit Bull Mix
- A Guide to the Whippet Husky Mix
- Whiphunds: A Guide to the Whippet Dachshund Mix
- The Whippet German Shepherd Mix
- Jackawhips: The Whippet Jack Russell Mix
- A Guide to the Whippet Boxer Mix
- Collie Whips: A Guide to the Whippet Border Collie Mix
- The Bedlington Whippet Cross
- Chi Whips: A Guide to the Whippet Chihuahua Mix

Len Jones says
On our farm we hunted game rabbits, hares and foxes. We had several Whippet cross dogs and also bred into that breed Staghounds for strength both in their coats and also for hunt skills. All in all could recommend the Sighthounds breed.
Dany says
We have an 8 months old cross. Dad is Greyhound and mum is whippet. He is literally like a big baby and uses every opportunity to try and sneak under our covers or snuggle up to watch TV with us.
We’re sure that he will be more like dad as he’s already as tall as mum and weighed 39lbs at 7 1/2 months. He is amazing with our children and loves learning new things (we’re slowly starting him with obedience and agility training). The only thing that he doesn’t like is bad weather, rain will make him run straight back in.
I can fully agree with the comment above. Our pup could easily empty a room with his flatulence 😂
Mike says
My wife and I rescued a Whippet cross from Costa Rica about 18 months ago. I met her on the beach while on a surf trip. She was about a year old at that time. She worked the beach for food a affection. On one occasion she followed me down to the beach. Just before I got in the water I told her to wait for me. About an hour later I got out of the water. I was about 500-1000m North of where I put in. I walked back to where I had put in. There she was waiting for me. That’s when I knew I had to bring her back to Canada. She’s been nothing but a joy since she wiggled he way into our hearts. Even our grumpy old pity cross has accepted her. Now they are inseparable beat pals. We all love the Whippet cross!!
paulf says
That’s a very heartwarming story Mike… thanks for sharing it. I’d love to hear more about the process of adopting her back to Canada… it would make a great blog post in it’s own right. Could I drop you an email with some questions?
andy lowe says
We had fawn coloured whippet with blue muzzle, her dad was a greyhound and her mum a whippet, we adored her she adored us. Her all time favourite treat was John West red salmon, we gave her princess, she sulked for over a half hour before eating it. When it snowed and you opened the door to let her out, she gave you a withering look of accusation. They are sometimes prone to gas, on one accasion, she cleared a room of 3 adults, in fact even she had to leave, giving each one of us such a stare of accusation. She was born 1975 passed away 1988 aged 13. I’m nearly 60 now and still miss her deeply and think of her every day
paulf says
Hi Andy. Such a lovely comment telling us about your adorable-sounding Whippet Greyhound. I try not to reflect on my little nutcase shuffling off this mortal coil (she’s 10 now). Our dogs affect us so deeply and leave a huge mark on our lives.