The Whippet 207 



dog has for a long time been used as synonymous with 

 that given at the heading of this chapter, implying 

 quickness in snapping at its game. Terriers were 

 formerly used for rabbit- coursing, wild rabbits being 

 caught and turned down in an open space in front 

 of the dogs; and as this constituted a cruel form of 

 sport the Terrier was abandoned for such purposes and 

 experiments turned towards the production of a dog 

 that was capable of coursing rabbits in their own, 

 but natural, enclosures, thus resulting in the pro- 

 duction of the Whippet. Like the Greyhound these 

 race- dogs require constant training in order to keep 

 them fit — hard muscles, together with a sound heart 

 and lungs, being indispensable requisitions. The 

 best weight for a Whippet is about 16 or 18 lbs., but 

 the Whippet Club fix the weight at 20 lbs. ; but such 

 weight must not be taken too seriously because the 

 show Whippet and the racing Whippet are often 

 totally dissimilar in this respect. Again, colour is of 

 very little importance, as a good Whippet can be any 

 colour, but such colours as fawn, blue, brindle, black, 

 red, white and combinations of these are the princi- 

 pal ones. Fawn predominates, but, as previously 

 stated, no importance need be attached to this 

 matter. The coat may be either rough or smooth, 

 but broken-haired Whippets have never been in 

 much demand. For show purposes the head must 

 be long and lean, fiat on the dome of the skull, and 



