Whippet Standard
Group: Group 4 (Hounds)
General Appearance: Balanced combination of muscular power and strength with elegance and grace of outline. Built for speed and work. All forms of exaggeration should be avoided.
Characteristics: An ideal companion. Highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings.
Temperament: Gentle, affectionate, even disposition.
Head And Skull: Long and lean, flat on top, tapering to muzzle with slight stop, rather wide between the eyes, jaws powerful and clean cut. Nose black, in blues a bluish colour is permitted, liver nose in creams and other dilute colours, in whites or parti-colour a butterfly nose is permissible.
Eyes: Oval, bright, expression very alert.
Ears: Rose shaped, small, fine in texture.
Mouth: Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and Set Square to the jaws
.
Neck: Long, muscular, elegantly arched.
Forequarters: Shoulders well laid back with flat muscles. Moderate space between the shoulder blades at the withers. The upper arm is approximately of equal length to the shoulder, placed so that the elbow falls directly under the withers when viewed in profile. Forearms straight and upright with moderate bladed bone. Front not too wide. Pasterns strong with slight spring.
Body: Chest very deep with plenty of heart room. Well filled in front. Brisket deep. Broad, well muscled back, firm, somewhat long, showing graceful arch over the loin but not humped. Ribs well sprung. Loin giving the impression of strength and power. Definite tuck up.
Hindquarters: Strong, broad across the thighs, with well developed second thighs. Stifles well bent without exaggeration with hocks well let down. Able to stand naturally over a lot of ground.
Feet: Oval, well split between the toes, knuckles well arched, pads thick, nails strong.
Tail: No feathering. Long, tapering, reaching at least to the hock. When in action carried in a delicate curve not higher then the back.
Gait/Movement: Should possess great freedom of action. In profile should move with a long, easy stride whilst holding the topline. The forelegs should be thrown forward and low over the ground. Hind legs should come well under the body giving great propelling power. General movement not to look stilted, high stepping, short mincing.
Coat: Fine, short, close in texture.
Colour: Any colour or mixture of colours
Sizes:
Desirable height - Dogs 47-51 cms (18 ½ - 20 ins) - Bitches 44-47 cms (17 ½ - 18 ½ ins)
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Notes: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum