Whippet Smarts

[jazad]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

How intelligent are whippets - in comparison to other breeds? Am just curious on your opinions.

We have two 14 week old boys - they are the first dogs I have ever had so I have no basis on which to judge.

It makes no difference - I just wondered as a lot of dogs are described as intelligent.

Your thoughts please!

zahra

 

[hely]

my Gypsy is a dippy old mare :wub:

your two are beautiful :thumbsup:

 

[jazad]

Thanks!

Their mum looked just like your Gypsy (and was called Gypsy too!)

 

[meddling]

Hely you are mean!!!

Jazad your two are gorgeous!

My Whippet is very bright, she's great at problem solving, getting her own way, keeping herself safe, generally quite a thinker and I think a bright girl :wub: as well as stunningly gorgeous of course :lol:

 

[rls22]

I would say they are of average intelligence - we have a couple who are far cleverer than others - poor old Ruby and Logan were at the back of the queue when it came to brains, but Diego and his Mum Holly are very bright and Frankie and Rocco fall somewhere inbetween.

I think whippets can be quite difficult to do obedience training with compared to some breeds as they tend to be rather wilful, although a couple of ours have completed some of the KC good citizen certificates. :thumbsup:

Your pups look lovely, best of luck with them.

 

[Julie D]

we think Ella is a bit of a dumb blonde, very beautiful but not the bightest spark, don't know whether it's just because she's so laid back in some areas and submissive in others, and then she sometimes surprises us with a clever act !!

 

[hely]

Hely you are mean!!!

Jazad your two are gorgeous!

My Whippet is very bright, she's great at problem solving, getting her own way, keeping herself safe, generally quite a thinker and I think a bright girl :wub: as well as stunningly gorgeous of course :lol:

wonder where she gets it from :teehee:

 

[jazad]

Hely you are mean!!!

Jazad your two are gorgeous!

My Whippet is very bright, she's great at problem solving, getting her own way, keeping herself safe, generally quite a thinker and I think a bright girl :wub: as well as stunningly gorgeous of course :lol:

So how does she compare to your other two?

 

[meddling]

Hely you are mean!!!

Jazad your two are gorgeous!

My Whippet is very bright, she's great at problem solving, getting her own way, keeping herself safe, generally quite a thinker and I think a bright girl :wub: as well as stunningly gorgeous of course :lol:

So how does she compare to your other two?

All incredibly different as my Collie has senile dementia quite badly now, but was a very bright boy in his time and the Tibetan Spaniel is bright enough to get herself out of doing anything she doesn't want to do!!

 

[jazad]

Hely you are mean!!!

Jazad your two are gorgeous!

My Whippet is very bright, she's great at problem solving, getting her own way, keeping herself safe, generally quite a thinker and I think a bright girl :wub: as well as stunningly gorgeous of course :lol:

So how does she compare to your other two?

All incredibly different as my Collie has senile dementia quite badly now, but was a very bright boy in his time and the Tibetan Spaniel is bright enough to get herself out of doing anything she doesn't want to do!!

Am loving the Clanger!!!

 

[tinabow]

they can be very clever when they want something

rory as been known to open the oven and pinch whatever is cooking in there(oven opens side ways)

jay brings the post to me but not the free papers he shreads those

beau lets himself back in from outside gives paw say left he gives left

gus will talk till he gets what he wants (nornally cornflakes and milk)

harleys to old to do anything

and kitt carries cups around full or empty hes not fussed

oh and breaking my collection of teapots

pinching anything he can takes it in the garden and makes a pile

all mine now there not allowed out front door unless im there(live on main road)

 

[clairej810]

My teo greyhounds are complete oppposites in the brain department. Max is really clever and Tiny is as thick as .... well you know! We had to wait for Tiny to fall asleep to pass his bronze Good Citizen - otherwise he couldn't do the one minute stay! :teehee:

Your puppies are gorgeous! :wub:

 

[Nicola]

I didn't think Fred was terribly bright; that is until quite recently, when I found out he was barking at the door, not to get me off the settee to let him out for a wee (which I duly got up to do), but for him to steal my place on the settee instead (it's a small two seater with no room for him normally).

 

[Noise]

I don't think you can compare whippet's (or any other sighthounds) intelligence to that say of a Border collie, german shepard or labrador. now how is that being clever - retrieving sticks all day long or doing the same command over and over again whilst looking adoringly at the person who makes them do it... sighthounds are equals who want to be treated as companions and friends not bossed around, and then they'll give you their heart :wub:

 

[whippet wonder]

My Ruby is very clever........but bailey is ever so slightly dim......occasionally he surprises me with his ingenuity but not very often.........ruby knows the way to a mans heart......try to hump something and he becomes mega interested...so ruby gets the chew hes got as he dives off the sofa for her, she is as quick as lightening jumps on and snatches the chew....baileys left looking rather sorry for himself.......compared with other breeds i've/my family had i would say they are fairly intelligent....but not top of the tree :-

 

[jazad]

I didn't think Fred was terribly bright; that is until quite recently, when I found out he was barking at the door, not to get me off the settee to let him out for a wee (which I duly got up to do), but for him to steal my place on the settee instead (it's a small two seater with no room for him normally).

Now that is intelligent!

 

[mousehole]

Maisie is quite intelligent in a cunning sort of way - when we are feeding Peggy - the puppy - Maisie gets a squeaky toy, runs into the kitchen, squeaks it - dashes into the other room as though she's going to play, Peggy follows, distracted from her food, and Maisie drops the toy, whips back into the kitchen and steals her food!! Cheeky madam!

 

[Esty]

So far mine are pretty on the ball, better than I expected given what I'd read about whippets! They know basic commands and recall within large enclosed areas BUT it's the selective deafness that is more of a problem. They KNOW what you want them to do, they are just deciding whether or not they feel like doing it - which arguably could show greater intelligence than just responding robotically every time?

 

[jazad]

I know what you mean Esty. My two are a couple of weeks younger than yours - and I find that they seem to know more than they do!!!

I'm not so interested in training for training's sake, I was just curious on people's perception of the smarts of this breed. Because of the history of the breed, there never seems to be much mention of intelligence - so I just wondered what the K9ers thought (particularly those with experience of other breeds).

I'm not exactly sure what I mean by intelligence - for some reason I keep thinking of those shows back in the day that featured squirrels doing obstacle courses to get to a bird feeder!

I'm not suggesting that this or anything similar would be classed as intelligence - but when I read the various breed standards before deciding that a whippet (or two) was the breed for me several of them call this breed or that intelligent...so I guess I was trying to work out what constitutes canine intelligence and where our wonderful whippys fit into the picture.

Still as I mentioned up top in this - my two are a similar age to yours so it's always interesting to read what you are going through with Grover and Roscoe - we also went for one and came home with two!!!

Thanks for all of your input K9ers any more is eagerly anticipated.

z

 

[Esty]

I find that they are quite different in their approaches to things. Grover learns things quickly but often waits til Ros responds, so he can be sure he's got it right eg if I call them over to me, Grover looks up and starts to run, then waits for Ros to be sure. If they are on the extending lead and go the other way around a lampost, Grover immediately undoes his mistake whereas Ros stands there and makes me go around. Like I said, this could show that Ros has the better smarts cos he makes me do stuff instead of him. :thumbsup: