As is the case with almost all the other breeds of dog, there is much speculation on the origins and the science of the breeding of the Whippet.  The questions outnumber the answers, and all we can do is to present the possibilities and perhaps even give a sophisticated guess. Our research shows two theories; one theory supports a breed of dog that dates to ancient Rome and Egypt.  There is evidence found in paintings, statues, pottery, tapestries and artifacts that support the existence of a small type of Greyhound, with the Whippet's particularly shaped rose ear. The British Museum possesses paintings that date from 1350, that show a dog that is remarkably like that of a Whippet.  So for those people who believe that the Whippet is an ancient breed of dog, there is quite a lot of evidence that supports their theory.
     The second theory is that the Whippet evolved during the 18th and 19th centuries in Northern England.  This period of time in English history and in that region of the country, to make a living, the average citizen was either a coal miner, a tenant farmer, or worked in the mills.  The wealthy owned vast estates, and it is known that these estates possessed kennels.  Among the dogs kept in these kennels were Greyhounds.  Greyhounds were not available to the average person, being a large dog and rather expensive to keep and take care of. It is thought that the Whippet resulted from some English coal miners getting a small Greyhound, perhaps a cull(s)from a litter(s), and crossed the small Greyhound with terriers. The resulting get from these crosses were tough, rugged, agile little sighthounds. At that time a dog had to earn its keep by helping to put food on the table for their human family, and providing entertainment as well.
     There was a reason why some coal miner thought that crossing a Greyhound with terriers was a good idea.  There was a need to fill, and that was for a coursing (hunting) and racing dog for the working class people.  The Whippet hunted small game, mostly rabbit, for the table; and was used for racing later in its history.  A popular pasttime for the working class male was what was known as "Snap-dog Coursing".  This wagering event took place within an enclosure where rabbits (sometimes rats were used as well) were turned  loose.  Then a number of Whippets were placed in the same enclosure.  Which ever dog snapped up the most number of rabbits (or rats) was the winner, and the owner collected on the bets. Humane societies worked very hard to get this contests outlawed and eventually were successful.
    Racing these dogs developed later in the history of the breed.  The Whippet became known as "the poor man's race horse."  The American Kennel Club recognized the Whippet in the year 1888, while England's Kennel Club did not give recognition to this breed until almost three years later.  The reason for this was that most of the enthusiasts of the breed in England were not interested in the conformation of the dog, they were primarily interested in racing it.  The American Whippet Club was started in 1930.

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