Help with 12 week whippet puppy

[NaphTor]

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Hey guys

This is my first post on the forum here - seems a great place to chat to people who know about whippets specifically!

My wife and I have recently got our first whippet puppy (in fact our first puppy - my wife had a collie previously), we got her from a breeder at 9 weeks, and now our Nessa is 12 weeks today. She is a thing of absolute beauty, and such a lovely temperament too.

It's worth saying at this stage that we live in a block of flats in London, and although there is a communal garden only about ten stairs away from our front door, we don't have direct access to the green - it's not an insurmountable problem, but does make things a little trickier. Generally I think we're doing ok with our first pup, and are very dedicated, but are struggling/looking for some help with a few things:

Training - her recall is rubbish. We've been practising this in the house but even then it depends on how interested she is or distracted by other things (even though we only train when focussed solely on that). Outside sometimes she responds, other times it's as if I'm not there at all, and she simply runs where she wants. From a toilet point of view, we've put in loads of work. She now generally goes outside 9/10, and can hold it when needed. However this is because we take her out so regularly rather than her asking to go out - she's only done that twice, and even then it was just looking at me and then at the door, when I happened to be in the hall...

Exercise - we were told to stick to a maximum of 20 mins exercise at a time. She seems to enjoy walking on a lead with us (as long as it's not raining - she hates being outside then) and after her vaccinations ysterday we took her for a 15 min walk around the block this morning, and then out to a local park (15 mins walk there, 15 min break, 20 mins walk/running on lead). However is this too much? She seems to enjoy it and seems a good way for her to expend energy?

Playing - just wondering from your experiences what your puppies' favourite games are (especially things that will tire her out)? Nessa loves a squeaky squirrel we got her and a chewing bone, but sometimes they just dont cut it with her and it seems she has loads of energy but isn't interested in anything we have!

Chewing outside - one of the most frustrating things, when we're outside she chews and eats EVERYTHING! Sticks, paint flaked from windowsills, flowers, wrappers, cigarette butts... this afternoon I found her chewing on small bits of brick. Worst part is she doesn't listen to us when we try and stop her.

Separation - Nessa currently sleeps in a crate in our bedroom, but we're trying to move her further out. Currently she hates being left alone, she cries even if we're just in another room for 5 minutes or so. I know we need to leave her and not reward it, but it's hard to do anything with constant crying....

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but any help would be great!

Thanks so much, Naph

PS. here's Nessa relaxing on the sofa

 

[JenShea]

hellooo!! she seems really sweet!!

i dont know if this will help when i was training my collie for recall i used a ball a would throw it gentle to the other side of the room and then when she got it id call her back but if she didnt come back with it when i asked her to and would go and do something eles and she would wonder like play time was over and this really helped with recall and the ball helped keep her interested because i had turned it into a game.

as for the exercise i dont know 100% how true it is or if it is a myth they say not too much exercise for a puppy because it doesn't allow the back legs to strengthen up but wouldn't say that was too much at all puppies have lots of energy

chewing with mine was a nightmare they will grow out of it but those rubber toys [kongs] that you can stick treats in are great! i rub a bit of butter in the rim so its something tasty as well

playing... our girls love a rubber frisbee! i say rubber because its far more durable than plastic i think the ones we get are about 7pounds but worth every penny!

i hope you find some of this a little useful!! J x

 

[Hula]

Wow she is seriously cute !

She sounds like every other whippet puppy I have ever had . I currently have 3 whippets and have had whippets now for over 20 years .

Training - I would expect any puppy to have variable recall and be easily distracted . If you give her a treat that she really likes and doesn't get at any other time that might help eg cheese

Apart from that it's just a case of practise makes perfect .

Housetraining , my dogs go out at set times and apart from that they would never tell me they needed out unless it was an emergency such as they had diarrhoea .

Exercise - the main thing is not too much lead walking on hard surface like a pavement . Playing about on grass is ok in moderation as long as you don't tire her out too much . Little and often is better than one huge play session .

Playing - they are all different and it's just a case of finding what she likes , maybe a ball ?

Chewing outside - all my whippets have done or currently still do this .When you can get her to listen when you tell her to stop it let me know what you did and maybe my 3 will listen to me !!!!!!!!

Separation - If I put my 3 in another room when I was in the house they would cry too . I think it's different when you go out . They know you are out and will settle down . Get a kong or something else that she really likes and just give her it when you leave her .

Good luck .

 

[compo]

Bribery is the best with recall... My whippet pup is 16 weeks old (so about the same age) I bought some meaty dog treats, these I carry in a plastic bag in my pocket and are a reward for coming back, also make such a fuss and be hyper excited when she gets it right, it will re-inforce the recall, don't give a treat every time she comes back perhaps 90% of the time and as her recall improves reduce the treats...... It will work

 

[Biker John]

Agree with the bribery, Whippets do need positive training methods and do not do well at all with dominant type training. Use treats to train it with plenty of praise.

 

[Roperwhippet]

Hi! I read your post and thought your little puppy sounds like the female version of our male whippet puppy!

We walk him and let him run for around 40 minutes every day twice a day and this generally tires him out! He loves to play with his squeaky fish and his football! (We are lucky enough to have a garden) he loves to chew marrow bones or pigs ears! This occupies him for a good while, just be prepared for squidgy poo! The separation problem I think is typically whippet! If we are leaving him for a good few hours we give him a walk/run before hand and then give him a bone to chew whilst we are out or fill his Kong with peanut butter. Brinley whines if you are in the next room, but it's purely because he doesn't understand why your home and don't want to be with him. So we have stair gated the stairs and let him have free run of the bottom of the house!

His recall is intermittent depending on his mood! Treats work well 80% of the time but if he is more interested in the poo he is rolling in or the runner who just ran past you have no chance! I find walking in the opposite direction to him prompts him to run like Usain bolt to me as he doesn't like to be too far away!

Having said all that he is the sweetest natured puppy and we wouldn't be without him!

 

[Ozone7]

Hi all.

Very helpful input from everyone. Thanks.

We have a 14 week boy called Bigsby, who we're both very in love with.

He seems very similar to how everyone is describing theirs.

He's quite nervous outside, but we'd expect that.

Naph, did you get your girl from Lincolnshire?

She could be Bigsby's twin from the photo.

 

[Grack]

We too are dealing with whippet puppies but we have two! They are now 12 weeks old and really want to please but of course having two makes everything more challenging. We do spend good training/play periods with them one on one. We are not sure where we’re going yet because 4 wks we’ve never been so sleep deprived even though they have always slept through the night. It’s just that being retired we were so used to the luxury of getting up when we wanted. We’ve never owned whippets before but we have always had a dog or more in the house until we lost our last one August 2021. Presently we are just about to cut their nails for he first time! Fingers crossed.