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Dazey our Whipador

by Kevin
(Orange County, California)

I have been a dog owner all my life but about 7 years had passed since my Samantha (Rough coat Collie) passed away at 15.

We adopted a 12 yr old cat (American Gray short hair - Rebecca)from a friend who was forced to leave the country about 4 years ago.

Having a cat was a very different experience, she went from a very distant aloof type of cat to a lap cat in about one years time. She actually sleeps on me every single night.

We love Rebecca very much but I am a dog guy so it was time for my next fur baby. I really wanted a family type medium sized dog, she had to be a rescue and of course she had to get along with Rebecca.

We looked for a long time (6-8 months) and then we went to what felt like our 60th adoption fair for a scheduled meeting. While greeting another dog, this lanky blonde pup caught my eye.

Her foster parents called her Blondie, she was in the back corner of a pen with 3 other lab mix puppy's but she was so not interested in all the commotion, she looked like a Lazy Daisy so we called her Dazey.

This quirky 4 month old baby stole my heart in a moment. I knew instantly that she was the one! The rescue did not know for sure what breed she was except that she looked like a Lab mix.

She was blonde, had long legs and a very lean racing type build. One ear stood straight up and the other ear flopped over, she had a crooked curved tail (we thought it had been broken previously but now we know the curved tail was the Whippet)and pretty thick claws for a 4 month old.

She was very nervous but seemed to know that she had been adopted because she clung to us as if we were old pals during the adoption process.

Dazey fell asleep in my partner's lap on the way home from the adoption fair.

She was covered in fleas so we had to give her a flea bath before going in the house. It was obvious that she was not fond of the water (still isn't) but she was very well behaved during the bath.

Once dry, we went in the house and she quickly investigated her new home, she completely disregarded the cat and the cat was not impressed by her either.

I went to get her bed set up and when I returned to the bedroom with the bed, she was fast asleep in my bed, on her back with all 4 legs in the air. Once awake Dazey claimed her bed quickly, she seemed to prefer having her own space and she was a long girl.

We discovered that Dazey had no interest in food but she was 100% play driven. Dazey is oddly very skittish around new people and she really is not a fan of children. She is also very protective of her new family.

I can honestly say that I have never had a more loyal, pleasant and easily trained dog before which if you knew my previous pets, you would agree that's saying something.

Dazey is great with other dogs as long as she is off her leash (like at doggie daycare, she has no problem with how big other dogs are but she prefers to play in the small dog room).

We really had no idea what her mix was, so many people offered suggestions including our vet. We knew that she must have a hunting breed mix because her nose rarely leaves the ground and she can see small birds, rabbits and the like from a long distance.

We took her to the park (her most favorite word now - next to Frisbee) to see if that type of play interested her and we were blown away by her instant ability to track, chase down and catch a Frisbee mid air. I mean she literally knows exactly where its coming down regardless of the winds, she almost never misses.

One day an elderly lady came up to us in the park all excited, she said that it had been a long time since she had seen a Whipador! We were like a... what? She said if you don't know her breed, you need to do the blood test at the vets but I would bet $500 that she is a Whippet & Labrador mix.

She even opened up her phone and pulled a few pictures of Whipadors' up and to our surprise, there was Dazey (well at least a look alike). The DNA test confirmed that she was correct!

Dazey has a shiny golden blonde coat, chestnut brown eyes and has all the characteristics of the Whippet but look's like a mix between the breeds and she sheds like a lab.

She is the sweetest, funniest little girl with two speeds, full throttle and sleep, lol. Dazey also loves to howl along with us once we get her going, she has a deep hound dog chest howl and a very big bark.

OH, I am sure you are wondering about how Rebecca and Dazey get along... At first Rebecca was annoyed with her, Dazey has no sense of personal space as she frequently will sniff Rebecca from behind, often lifting Rebbeca's back legs off the ground.

Rebecca responds with a hiss and a soft swat but no malice intended. We do have to watch Dazey because sometimes her instinct to chase gets the best of her and the two go flying through the house but Rebecca many times will instigate the play time.

They also frequently share a bed or a pillow, depending on who got there first.

Sorry this was so long but I just found this page and I wanted to share! Thanks for reading!

Ester May the Whipador

by Angie Pogue
(West Virginia)

We adopted Ester from the humane society because she was SO sweet, our Bassador Fred said she was ok & gave her kisses when we went to meet her...so...she was loaded up in the car & brought home.

She's been with us for 6months & we see more Whippet traits in her than Labrador, she's extremely silly. She runs & hops around the yard & has recently decided to play with toys, she piles them up in "her" corner by the couch & doesn't like you to move them.

Essie plays very well with Fred & our cat but is very protective of us on walks when she sees another dog. She's a great watch dog except of course when she's burrowed herself in a blanket on the couch.

I DO NOT THINK IT POSSIBLE TO KEEP HER OFF THE COUCH. She also loves to sleep in bed like a person, covered up on her back with her head on our pillows.

She is sassy, chops her mouth when she wants something or is talking back, she LOVES all veggies, she's always fun & sweet and gives SO MANY kisses. She's fabulous.

Tink - My Lab Whippet Mix

by Katie
(Indiana )

Tink - Whippet/Lab mix

I adopted Tink approx 2 yrs ago from a non kill shelter.

She is like another one of my children. She is the most precious dog I have ever owned. She is so smart and such a loving dog.

She and my son have a very special bond.

Tink loves to run, she would run forever if she could.

She loves to speak for treats and loves to play.

I hope you enjoy her cute little picture...

Good ole Jake

by Tony Cardoza
(Fort Campbell, Ky, USA)

Jake came to us from a rescue in Southern California called half-way to home.

He was amazing from day one! So calm inside and full of energy outside. He is definitely a lab/whippet mix.

Since we are a military family, we needed a dog that can travel well.

We rescued Jake about 5 years ago.

Jake is incredibly affectionate. He is a leaner.

He will lean against you any chance he gets. He loves being surrounded by people and is great with our 6yr old son and new born.

We couldn't ask for a better dog!

We fell in love immediately! Jake is the fastest thing on 4-legs chasing down jack rabbits.

He is also calm, cool and collective inside turning into a lap dog!

I recently returned from Afghanistan. While I was gone my wife expressed concern because Jake looked and acted depressed.

The moment I walked in the door his mood changed! He was the same Jake I remember and his mood has definitely improved.

I love my dog.

Dexter...my best friend :-)

by Steven
(UK)

Around 18 months ago we adopted a "Labrador Cross" from the local rescue centre.

They said there were unsure as to what he was crossed with, but after researching and reading other people experiences I can only come to the conclusion that is his a Whippador! :-)

He has the best temperment of any dog I have met, and is happy to "wrestle" with daddy until the cows come home.

He never ever tires of play, but when I run out of energy he loves nothing more than cuddling up on the sofa with me.

Many is the time I have woken in the morning to find he has sneaked in and is asleep next to me.

Blues in the Night

by Tori London
(Rockville, MD)

For 13 years we were the proud parents of a Lab/Malamute rescue, named Jazzy.

She was a wonderful dog who alas crossed the rainbow bridge last February at 14 years old.

By April we felt we needed paw patter back in our lives and rescued two pups, a one year old pit/lab mix (Max), and a 7 month old whipador (Blues).

We were fortunate that they bonded almost immediately and are best of friends, and partners in crime!

Blues is smart and sneaky, and loves to destroy things made of fabric.

To date she has rendered useless several throw rugs (actually they did that together playing tug with them), a couple of afghans, one section of a couch, an Eeyore stuffed animal, pulled out the eye of a stuffed golden retriever among others of that ilk.

She loves sticks and brings them in to chew up into mulch right there in the den.

But what a love! When we were looking my husband wanted again to find a dog that wanted him.

When we saw Blues she was hiding behind the handler at the adoption show.

We were told she is skittish but sweet. My husband knelt down and she immediately came out, put her head on his leg and cuddled into him.

She baits Max, cuddles with him, and with us. The two of them have truly filled our house!

What a delightful "breed".

Whippet Mix: Skye at 18 Months

by Jacqueline Clark
(Ireland)

Skye is a whippet /lab. She came to me 18 months ago and completely changed my life.

She is such an adorable puppy and very loving. She is very affectionate, loves people and always has a warm welcome for any visitors.

Her favourite spot is on the sofa looking out of the window.

We both enjoy long walks and spend the evening cuddling up on the sofa.

I can't imagine life without my four legged friend.

Whippet Mix: The Whipador!

by Nikki
(Houston, Texas)

Beautiful Puppy!

Echo is our Black Whippet/Labrador mix (hence Whipador).

She loves to run, jump,play fetch, and lick. She gets VERY excited to meet new people. But when she's all tired out, all she wants to do is cuddle up next beside you on the couch and get loved on.

She is EXTREMELY smart. It takes her about 4 times to learn a trick, then about 2 weeks to master it. She is a Good Canine Citizen, but with one on one contact with other people, you can't control her energy.

She is 1 year old with her birth month estimated at November so she's still a pup. She is completely black except for a noble white arrow in the middle of her chest and a small white spot on her left back toes.

We found her in January 2010 as a stray running around in the freezing cold rain. We picked her up and brought her inside. We decided that we would try for a week to find this cute little puppy's owner then we would take her to a shelter to find a new home.

Well, during that week my husband fell in love with that little black ball of energy and at the end of the week, instead of taking her to a shelter, we decided to keep her.

Now shes is an essential part of our family, one of our 4 legged children!

Aztek (Blonde Whippet/Lab Mix)

by Nicole
(Plymouth, MN)

Aztek is an amazing dog. He has the best of the lab with the silliness of the whippet. The way he runs is like Bambi, at least I thought until I saw the whippets run. He is for the most part a pretty relaxed dog, but around 9:30pm every night he does what I call "hot laps" around my house. This is the running around the house in circles jumping on the furniture, run around tables, etc and it cracks me and my guests up every time.

He sure knows how to bring a smile to my face and give unconditional love.

Whippet Mix: whip ra dor

by jdog1
(Romeoville, IL,US)

I rescued a dog last week and we know he is half lab for sure, but the rescue shelter did not know what the other half was.

I think he's half lab, half whippet, thus you have Whip ra dor.

His ears move forward when he perks them up, and he has a long body, but lab features especially in the face.

He runs like a gazelle, and I noticed his hind legs have the exact shape of a Whippet's. He doesn't have the lab webbed feet and his fur is much less dense, so he doesn't like cold weather like a lab would and he's shorter than a standard lab by about 5 inches, and more slender.

I was also thinking he may be mixed with a standard Jack Russell as well.

Whippet Mix: Are they Twins?

by Laine
(Australia)

I lost my Greyhound rescue dog when she was 14yrs old and seven months later lost my wolfhound X at almost 13yrs, also a rescue dog.

I set out to find another pal and was able to rescue a whippet X labrador (so I'm told, she sure eats like one!!) from one of our shelters.

She is 10 years old, such a friendly, gentle girl it took a little while for her to stop looking in every large tray-truck or car with V8 motor which I assume her previous owners had, but at last she settled in.

All the time I was trying to find a pal for her as I think it is good for a dog to have one of it's own kind as well as a human pal.

After a few months I came across another whippet X greyhound, this time with at another shelter here and was able to adopt her.

She is 12yrs old and the most gentle girl. They get on well together, and walk side by side when we go for our morning outings.

Meghan, the 10yr old, loves her food, but Mia the 12 yr old took a little longer to get used to her food, although she is good now, she is still very choosy about what she eats but will now eat cooked veggies with her food.

They love to come in the bedroom in the mornings and have a race to see which one can get closest to my face!!! If I appear to be asleep, they just curl up and sleep too.

They never come in until daylight although they have access all the time. They have a basket each in the living room and like to see who can take whose basket first.

They also have a chair each in my computer room so they can spend time with me in comfort.

When we are out many people ask me if they are twins because they look so alike!

I am so glad I was able to give these older girls a quiet peaceful home where they can enjoy the rest of their lives and at the same time, give me untold joy to have them here.

Whippet - Yellow Lab Mix

by Laura
(California)

We have a whippet/yellow lab mix with great traits of both breeds and a permanent smile. She is a rescued nearly two year old who has adjusted to us and her cat in short order.

She weighs under forty pounds, heels, stays down under our dining room table during meals, barks rarely, sleeps in her open door crate and provides excellent companionship.

She also sheds very little. She uses both sight and nose and fetches faster and better than any dog I have ever seen, jumping and twisting in her retrievals of the launched toy tirelessly. She loves the car and dog park.

She scratches her leg in what almost seems a tic, perhaps the result of her month caged. Our previous dog, a Lab, had much less concern about her personal grooming.

She is almost cat like in her concern. We were ready for a new dog after losing ours six months ago but expected to get a puppy. We stopped to see the rescued dogs just in case. She was the first dog we saw. My husband, a geneticist, wanted a mixed breed.

Sometimes the first dog you see can be the best dog ever.

Whippet Mix: Princess

I have a 14 year old whippet mix named Princess. Attached are 2 photos of her.

I got her from a little old lady when she was about 1 year old, her breed is unknown.

I am certain she has whippet in her, maybe a whippet/black lab mix of some sort. She weighs about 35 pounds. She has been the BEST dog I have ever owned. Such a sweet, loving and loyal companion. After she is gone I would love to get a whippet, preferably by adoption.

Would love some feedback on where to find Whippets locally. I live in Simi Valley, Ca (Ventura County).

Thank You,

Mindy & Princess

Whippet Mix: Our Minnie

by Candice G.
(Milwaukee, WI)

We think Minnie is a whippet mix. We adopted her from a local shelter about 4 months ago when she was 7 months old. This girl has been my pride and joy ever since.

We were told at the shelter that she is a labrador mix and have been trying to figure out the other part ever since. The only thing I can think of is whippet!

She has an amazing temperament. She is easy going, very rarely barks, loves to play chase the cat and fetch her tennis balls. She is great with kids, extremely smart, loving, and attached to me at all times when I am home.

My parents have a lab and although I see a few physical similarities, their personalities are nothing alike. Her curly tail doesn't seem to fit in with any breed and people always remark about it when we are out. (The pictures don't show it well, but her tail goes into a full curl over her back when she is excited.)

Most of all, our Minnie LOVES to run and would be an excellent hunter. She's not all that interested in other dogs unless they look like her or are smaller than her. She recently took a liking to a pharaoh hound mix we met at the dog park. Do you think she could be a whippet mix?

Almost Whippets

by Bob
(Katy Texs)

We adopted Chile (the red head) and Pepper (er, pepper is black) - two litter mates - when they were 5 months old.

We were told that they were lab mixes. Ha, ha! Not true! At least not very much Lab. They don't retrieve, they don't swim, they don't look like labs.

They look like whippets. But! At 55 lbs they are mighty big for whippets. Even though to me they look like pure breed.

I am prepared to believe mom was playing around. Please tell me what you think. Are these Whippet mixes? I guess that would make them Lurchers.

Whippet Mix: Bandit

by Keith
(Nevada)

We adopted Bandit at the age of 4. We were told that for sure she has Whippet and Black Lab in her, although I don't see any Lab.

She runs very fast, and her gait at full speed resembles a Greyhound. We haven't come across another dog at the dog park that can come close to catching her.

She never gets tired of playing fetch. Sometimes before I throw the ball, she will slink and stare at the ball just like a Border Collie.

She is very strong willed and will often communicate her desires by shoving her muzzle into my leg. She loves people and gets very excited when she meets someone she knows.

She will follow me around the house all day long. She often stretches out flat on the floor on her belly with her back legs out behind her and sometimes sleeps on her back with her legs in the air like a dead bug. She also likes to sleep under covers.

Aside from what's obvious in the picture, she is about 40 pounds and has a well defined crease that runs along the top of her head and between her eyes.

Whatever breeds are in her, they have worked together to make a strong, fast, healthy, energetic and people-oriented dog. She's a sweet family dog and we love her very much. I'd be interested in seeing what others think she might be made up of.

Whippet Mix: Whipador

by Larry Robinson
(Florida. USA)

I'm trying to find a breeder of Whipadors in the USA.

ANSWER:

It is easy to fall in love with those gorgeous whippet mix dogs but the "whippador" (at least so far) is not a breed, just a lucky combination, I suppose.

I don't think you'll be able to find a serious breeder that is mixing these two dog breeds on purpose.

The characteristics and job descriptions for the labrador and the whippet are so different that it is difficult to imagine what a "whippador" job would be apart being a great companion (not an easy job, I must admit).

But if your mind is set on this whippet mix, keep looking in dog shelters and whippet rescue centers.

I am sure there is a "whippador" somewhere just waiting for you!

Karma an Amazing Whippet Lab Mix

by sheadi
(north carolina)

Karma and Cupcake

Karma is a black lab mix whippet.
When I first got Karma as a cute little puppy, she was so calm and when I would giver her a kiss she would give me one back but not just a lick, it was like a human kiss, it was so adorable.

Karma got a new sister in October 2009 and I got karma January 2009. When Karma first met her sister Cupcake they were the best pals ever. Where ever karma went Cupcake had to go with her,it was so cute.

One time Karma jumped our fence and Cupcake started flipping out like she wouldn't stop barking. It was so cute how she cared bout Karma so much. When Cupcake saw that Karma was ok she covered her in kisses!

And that is my story about my dogs Karma and Cupcake.

Devo

by Susan Bates

Devo was a whippet-labrador mix and lived to be 16 years and eight months.
He helped me train for many a marathons yet he also had his favorite couch spot too.
When he was growing up, off broadway in Seattle he loved to hang out the window of my apartment and view the people that would go by...
He had a sister, an Abysianian cat named Sunday Kitty. They enjoyed each other very much.
This can be rare and they both need to be raised together from an early age. Devo had other names: deviant because he loved meeting pit bulls and could not understand why they did not find him worth meeting.
He loved riding head out the window and smelling the pine tree in my little orange honda.
He loved running the aurora bridge or mercer island. He was like the energizer bunny and just loved to be.
Devo was well loved and as he aged he took on more of the polar bear persona, he was magical and noble.
He loved babies in strollers. His absolute favorite dogs were standard poodles
either sex.
He loved frosty paws a dog ice cream made from soy, he especially loved strawberry ice cream in a cone or cup from.
I remember once feeding part of my peanut butter power bar as we were crossing the aurora bridge one Sunday morning and as we got to Dick's drive-in on 45th.

Princess in Practice Black Whippador

by Ryan
(Maryland)

I got my puppy around 5-6 years ago from a rescue service that takes dogs from high-kill shelters; I believe she came from Georgia.

She was described as a black lab/German shepherd mix, but even from her actual puppy pictures there was a distinct absence of shepherd qualities.

When we picked her up it was readily apparent that she wasn't like her two brothers that came up with her (and went to other families), which definitely had shepherd in them. We concluded that her mother must've gotten around with more than just a shepherd, but she was so adorable I didn't care. I named her Pip.

As she started to grow she got some brindling on her lower legs and paws that led us to think that maybe she was part shepherd, but as she grew we noticed that 1) the brindling wasn't cropping up anywhere else and 2) that she was growing to be a medium-small dog. Even now at 5 or 6, she only stands about 18 or 19" at the shoulder, but her build is more like that of a lab, so she's around 60 lbs (with only a modest amount of fat).

We think she was separated from her mom a bit too early, because she was very anxious and whiny for the first several weeks we had her. As a result, she didn't get a whole lot of interaction with other dogs, but she loves people. She may be shy at first, but as soon as she knows you she thinks you're her best friend and only there to see her. Her behavior around other dogs is timid unless there's a lot of distance between them. Then she shows her black lab prevalence by standing and barking and howling instead of running around to meet them. She likes to think she's a big girl when she doesn't have to back it up with anything; she'll bark at anything that moves when she's off lead in the back yard, although she behaves well on walks.

She will play occasionally, but she's usually not the most energetic of dogs. She likes laying on beds & couches with us. She is very talkative, though, and will frequently make non-threatening grunts and growls if she isn't getting what she wants, hence my mom deciding that Pip stands for 'Princess in Practice'.

But she's so cute that even when she isn't behaving as well as we'd like her to we still love her lots. She is a very loved (6 year old) puppy, and we wouldn't part with her for anything...

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