Photo by Dawnsafon Photography
When you breed a litter, homing your puppies can be one of the most difficult parts.
Finding suitable homes should take a lot of time and effort. It’s not something that should be rushed or taken lightly.
Even breeders who put in maximum effort can still get it wrong. But a puppy should only leave when you know you have done absolutely everything possible to ensure that it has a good home for life – or when you trust that the home will come back to you for help if anything ever changes.
Many breeders do an excellent job of homing their puppies. However, with the current rescue situation, it’s time to share our advice and experience with anyone who will listen in an effort to lessen the load on our fantastic rescue.
We all need to be ambassadors for responsible homing and actively promote it.
Top reasons Whippets end up in rescue – and how to prevent this
Separation anxiety and reactivity, along with other behavioural challenges such as sleep startle and resource guarding.
How to prevent this: Start building independence from an early age. Encourage new owners to avoid constantly carrying or cuddling the puppy and instead introduce short, positive separations. Include detailed advice in your puppy notes and highlight the importance of calm, confident handling.
Littermate syndrome, which can occur when owners take on two puppies from the same litter or of a similar age.
How to prevent this: Never home two siblings together. This applies to any two puppies of similar age, not just littermates. Strongly recommend at least a one-year age gap between dogs to allow one to mature before introducing another. Explain clearly why it’s a problem, no matter how confident the owner feels.
Lack of basic training and socialisation, leading to a fearful or unmanageable dog.
How to prevent this: Choose homes where the owners are ready to commit to early training and structured socialisation. Give guidance on what healthy socialisation looks like and help them avoid overstimulation. Include a socialisation list if possible.
Owners being unprepared for normal puppy behaviour, or taking on a Whippet impulsively without researching the breed.
How to prevent this: Be honest in your advert and conversations. Let people know what Whippet puppies are really like – fast, noisy, sharp-toothed, and full of mischief. Share videos that show both the sweet and the wild moments if possible.
Major life changes, such as relationship breakdowns, a new baby, or children not being taught how to behave around dogs.
How to prevent this: Ask about the stability of their current circumstances and plans for the future. Include advice about dogs and children in your notes, and make sure they’ve thought about the realities of a long-term commitment.
Elderly owners taking on young, energetic dogs they can’t manage.
How to prevent this: Talk openly and kindly about energy levels, physical ability, and future support. Suggest older dogs or partnerships with family members if appropriate.
Incompatibility with other pets, especially when proper introductions haven’t taken place.
How to prevent this: Ask detailed questions about other animals in the home. Talk through how to manage new introductions.
Changes in work circumstances, leading to the dog being left alone for long periods.
How to prevent this: Ask clearly about daily routines and any backup plans. People sometimes exaggerate their availability – listen carefully and follow up on vague answers.
Unsuitable living arrangements, such as homes without gardens, pet restrictions, or unsafe outdoor areas.
How to prevent this: Always ask for a video or photos of the property. If renting, request written permission from the landlord. Be clear that puppies need secure, enclosed outdoor space and the freedom to run safely.
Owner illness or death.
How to prevent this: This can’t always be foreseen, but you can ask if they’ve thought about who would care for the dog in an emergency. You can include a clause in your contract encouraging them to notify you if something changes.
Financial hardship, such as being unable to afford vet bills.
How to prevent this: Talk openly about costs. Ask what they think puppy ownership will involve financially. Stress the importance of insurance, and recommend policies that cover lifelong care and breed-specific issues.
Lack of support from breeders, or breeders refusing to take dogs back.
How to prevent this: Follow through on your offer of support. Check in regularly, and make sure owners feel comfortable coming to you with questions.
Unclaimed strays from the pound.
How to prevent this: Always register the microchip in your name first, and only transfer it to the new owner when you’re confident the home is right. Keep a record of microchip numbers and stay in touch. Emphasise the important of keeping microchip details up to date. Recommended trackers.
We need to do everything we can to avoid these situations with the right advice, thorough vetting of potential owners, and ongoing support throughout the dog’s life.
It can be very daunting once you’re ready to start finding homes for the precious puppies you’ve brought into the world.
Breeders all have different methods of finding homes for their puppies, often shaped and adapted by the experiences they’ve had. There is never a perfect method, and it should always be evolving.
A well-written and informative advert is a good way of attracting suitable potential owners.
You may wish to include:
- A brief introduction to the dam and sire – their personalities, achievements, and health testing
- A short introduction about yourself and your experience
- How the puppies will be raised
- That you will be thoroughly checking out potential owners
- Details about the care the puppies will receive (worming, socialisation, dewclaws, etc.)
- What is included in the puppy pack
- That you will offer ongoing support to the owners (and you must mean it – not just say it as an advertising tool)
- You might also consider creating a puppy group on Facebook or WhatsApp to keep in touch with new owners, and mention this in your advert.
- When a potential owner gets in touch, you should be ready to assess them – whether that’s through a questionnaire or a phone call – by asking questions and taking notes.
- You need to gather the following information:
- Ages of everyone in the household
- Are all family members committed to getting a puppy?
- Any allergies (some people mistakenly believe whippets don’t shed)
- Types and ages of any pets in the household
- Is the home suitable, with a secure garden (minimum 6ft fencing)?
- Do they own their home? If not, request written confirmation from their landlord giving permission to have a dog
- Work arrangements and how the puppy will be cared for during working hours
- A description of local places where they plan to exercise the puppy
- What expenses they expect to come with owning a puppy
- What research they’ve done on the breed
- What level of training they believe a puppy will need
- How long they expect it will take for a puppy to settle
- What activities they hope to do with their puppy
- Any preferences for dog or bitch, and for colour
It’s really important to ask these questions in an open-ended way, encouraging detailed answers. Pay close attention to what they’re actually saying. I’ve seen people mention they don’t have a garden, get turned away by a good breeder, and then tweak their answers to make it sound like they do have one when speaking to the next breeder.
Any sketchy answers or complicated explanations of things like working arrangements should be a red flag.
You may need to clarify a few things, and I’ve found that potential owners usually don’t mind this – they appreciate thoroughness. They may also have some questions for you.
At this stage, it’s a good idea to share more information about yourself, your dogs, your experience, and why you chose to breed this litter.
It’s also a great time to offer some advice. Emphasise how mischievous whippet puppies can be, and reaffirm the importance of being fully committed to raising and caring for the puppy properly.
This is also the right moment to talk about breed-specific traits and considerations.
Once a family has completed the questionnaire and initial information stage, there may be a waiting period before the puppies are ready for visitors. During this time, you and the potential owners should keep in touch. It’s a great opportunity to share your detailed puppy notes and your puppy agreement/contract. These notes should include everything you’ve learned through your experience as a whippet breeder, and you should continue to update them with new insights as you raise each litter. They should offer advice on what new owners might experience.
Your puppy notes should include:
Feeding: Guidance on feeding when the puppy first comes home, and how their diet should change as they grow into adulthood
- Crate training
- House training
- Vaccinations
- Worming
- Microchipping
- Neutering
- Nail care
- Dental care
- Flea treatment
- Insurance
- Advice on checking the home and garden for anything poisonous to dogs
- Advice on anaesthetic use in sighthounds
- How to treat cuts, scrapes, dog and cat bites, hot weather issues, dogs in cars, sunburn, and runny tummies
- Breed-specific concerns: Floating ribs, stud tail, and any other common traits or quirks
- Exercise: How much is appropriate during puppyhood and how it should change as they mature
- Socialisation: Emphasise that not all trainers, training classes, dog walkers, or doggy daycares are sighthound-savvy. It’s important for new owners to check this
- Positive reinforcement: The importance of consistent training methods across the entire family to avoid confusing the dog
- Essential puppy supplies: ID tag, the correct type of collar, crate, and other necessities
- Travel and car familiarisation
- Children and dogs: Advice on managing the relationship safely and positively
- Separation anxiety: Tips on prevention and handling
- Firework desensitisation and support
- What’s included in the puppy pack
- Emphasise your ongoing support
- Never assume a home is experienced or knows everything you do. Puppy notes should be detailed and provided to all owners – whether they’ve never had a dog before or have owned whippets for 40 years. Sharing information and experience is key to helping reduce rescue and rehoming situations.
Visits
When potential owners come to visit, it’s important that it’s clear they’ve fully engaged with the information you’ve shared. They may want to clarify certain points from the puppy notes, and this is a great opportunity for open conversation.
You should make them feel welcome to stay as long as they like, ask as many questions as they need, and take their time getting to know your dogs and the entire litter.
It’s also a good time to talk about some of the most common mistakes people make when owning whippets, such as:
Neglecting separation anxiety training: Emphasise the importance of continuing the training you’ve already started.
Holding back on socialisation: Many people wait until the vaccination course is finished, but there’s still a lot that can (and should) be done early on.
Avoiding nail clipping: Most are surprised to learn that nail clipping should begin from week one.
Undoing early training: Reinforce the importance of continuing the positive car, crate, and toilet training you’ve already begun.
And importantly – if they’re visiting adorable five-week-old puppies, remind them that these pups won’t be quite so sweet and sleepy by eight weeks! While you don’t want to put anyone off having a whippet puppy, it’s essential they fully understand the dedication involved. Give them the tools and information they need to raise a confident, happy whippet.
Whippets may look angelic as adults, but like all puppies, they can be a handful. Many people are caught off guard by how different they are in those early months.
Finally, use your judgement during the visit. Observe how they interact with the puppies and your adult dogs. This will help you assess their suitability. If they have children, make sure they are sensible, respectful, and old enough to handle the challenges of living with a puppy.
Once both you and the potential owner are confident in moving forward – and they’ve had time to carefully consider if they’re truly ready for a whippet puppy – it’s time to begin planning the next important step: the home check.
Homechecking
Ideally, a home check should be carried out. One effective approach is to request photos and videos of the house and garden before the potential owners visit. Then, once suitability is confirmed, you can conduct the home check in person and deliver the puppy at the same time. This not only provides peace of mind but allows the puppy to settle into their new environment with your support. It also creates a lovely, memorable experience for everyone involved.
You can also make use of the strong network of whippet owners and breeders across the country. It’s likely there’s someone local to the potential owners who can assist with a visit, advice, or support.
At the very least, you should obtain:
- Proof of address
- A video showing the outside of the home, including the street and address
- A complete walkthrough of the house and garden
We’ve spoken in breed council meetings about how easily we assume someone is a good home – or a good breeder – just because they show their dogs or are well-known in the community. But unless you’ve met every dog they own, seen them in good condition, and visited the environment they’re actually kept in, you can’t confidently recommend or assess them. A staged photo on a sofa with rosettes doesn’t guarantee that the dog regularly lives in that part of the house – or even that the home is suitable day-to-day.
Your puppy notes should include:
Your puppy pack should include:
Kennel Club paperwork
Pedigree (a Whippet Archives link is a great modern way to share this)
Receipt (clearly stating what happens if they wish to return the dog)
Puppy agreement/contract
Puppy notes
Insurance, activated and ready
Microchip information (registered first to you as the breeder, then transferred by you to the new owner)
Food and treats the puppy is used to, with guidance on amounts and feeding schedule
Toys and a blanket with familiar home scents
A helpful tip is to record a video walkthrough of the puppy pack contents and what each part is for – this helps the owner take in the information before the puppy comes home and refer back to it as needed.
Ongoing Support
And finally, it’s essential to emphasise and reiterate that you will be there to support the owner throughout the dog’s life. They need to feel confident that they can stay in touch and that you want to hear from them. Let them know you’re always at the end of the phone or a message – for advice, reassurance, and support, without judgement.
If you’ve homed a dog 100 miles away and an issue arises, reassure the owner that even if you can’t be there in person, there will be someone nearby in the whippet community who can help. As breeders, we need to support each other and use the strong network we’ve built to make sure no owner or dog ever feels isolated. We all have a part to play in making responsible breeding work and preventing rescue situations.
I’ve owned Whippets since I was five years old and became involved with breeding when I was eight. Over the years, I’ve also owned Afghans, Greyhounds, Dachshunds, Hungarian Vizslas and Chinese Cresteds. I’ve been showing since I was five and have tried many different disciplines with my Whippets. I’ve also been involved with show organisations from an early age and have attended nearly every meeting of the UK Whippet Breed Council since 2005. As Chairperson of the Whippet Breed Council, as well as promoting dog showing, I believe health, welfare and ethical breeding are extremely important. The choice to adopt or to buy a dog has great meaning to me – I believe people should feel free to choose what’s right for them, whether that’s going to a responsible breeder or using a reputable rescue.
Alayna Morland (Zoraden) – UK Whippet Breed Council Chairperson