The Whippet dog breed is a well-recognized sighthound breed with a high prey drive that is known to be close cousins with the Greyhound.
Along with being a man’s best friend, it is also known for being a great family pet, watchdog, and amazing at Whippet racing and lure coursing small game.
But in the midst of searching for the best Whippet breeders, you have probably realized that Whippets come in many different colors, and you are wondering what color Whippet you would like to get.
What are the many different colors that Whippets can come in? Are they like all other Greyhound colors, or does the Whippet have its own flavor when it comes to different markings and colors?
The Whippet‘s smooth coat comes in so many different colors that it can be hard to keep up. This might include different intensities of color as well as a variety of markings and patches, which is the beautiful thing about this dog breed.
So, what are all of the Whippet colors you can find out in the market?
Stick around to find out everything you need to know about Whippet colors out there!
What To Know About Whippet Colors
The amazing thing about Whippet colors is that according to the AKC Whippet Breed Standard, the Whippet is basically “color immaterial.” There are just so many different colors out there for this breed that will knock you off of your feet!
According to all Whippet standards, including the FCI (which is basically the standard by which the rest of the world apart from the USA, Canada, and the UK abide by), the Whippet can be found in almost any color.
Even the American Kennel Club (the AKC) recognizes many different Whippet breed colors.
The Whippet breed standard has it that the Whippet can come in all sorts of colors apart from merle, which is not officially recognized as one of the acceptable colors.
This means that unlike the Samoyed’s colors, which are basically different shades of white and cream, a Whippet’s coloring is quite flexible.
The beautiful thing about the purebred Whippet is that they come in many colors, much like their cousins, the Italian Greyhound, and this should be greatly appreciated.
How Many Colors Are There In A Whippet?
The Whippet usually has a base color, such as white, cream brindle, orange, tan, black, blue, brown, silver, gray, fawn, and dun—all of which can mix with different other colors that make up your unique Whippet’s markings.
Here is a list of all of the different colors that we know a Whippet can come in, including the parti colors, which is the blend of different colors your Whippet can have:
Different Shades Of White
The Whippet can come in different shades of white, very much like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s colors. They can be completely white, which is quite rare.
However, they can also come in the parti colors of fawn and blue brindle, which is a gorgeous combination!
Different Shades Of Cream
The Dachshund comes in colors of cream, but so can the Whippet!
The color cream may be the Whippet’s base color, but you can also find Whippets that have white markings on their cream-colored coats.
Different Shades of Brindle
The Akita, a breed known for its beautiful colors, could compete with the Whippet when it comes to variety—especially when it comes to the shade brindle!
Whippets can come in a solid shade of brindle or the beautiful combination of brindle and white!
Different Shades Of Orange
The Whippet can come in the solid shade of orange, much like the Chow Chow with its color variety.
However, the Whippet often comes with markings like orange brindle and white, orange and white, orange and white with a black mask, and orange with a black mask.
Orange-you happy we shared these varieties with you?
Different Shades Of Tan
The Whippet also comes in many different shades of tan, or just tan, very much like the Cavapoo with its color palette.
Usually when it comes to markings of tan, the Whippet will have a black mask, be tan and white, tan brindle and white, or tan and white with a black mask.
Different Shades Of Black
The Whippet can also come in different shades of black, which is similar to the Labrador’s colors.
Markings may include black brindle, black and white, and black brindle and white—all beautiful variants!
Different Shades Of Blue
The shade of blue generally is rare in many dog breeds, including the Whippet.
Whippets may come in the shade of solid blue or have varieties such as: blue brindle, blue fawn, blue and white, and blue brindle and white.
Be on the lookout, because this is one of the rarer shades of Whippets out there!
Different Shades Of Brown
Much like the Pitbull’s colors, Whippet colors can come in different shades of brown as well!
Variants of this sort include brown brindle, brown and white, brown and white with a black mask, and brown with a black mask.
If you want your Whippet to remind you of your favorite chocolate, look no further than the beautiful brown!
Different Shades Of Silver
The Great Dane’s colors of silver are gorgeous, but so is the Whippet’s.
Whippets might come in the base silver color, but also the parti colors of silver brindle, silver and white, and silver brindle and white.
Different Shades Of Gray
Some Whippets have a gray solid base with no other markings.
However, there are many different markings on top of a gray base that you can find a Whippet having, which includes gray brindle, gray and white with a black mask, and gray with a black bask.
You might also find a Whippet that has a Husky’s colors—a beautiful blend of gray and white!
Different Shades Of Fawn
The Belgian Malinois’ colors come in different shades of fawn, but they are not the only dog breed with such a beautiful coat color!
The Whippet may come in the solid shade of fawn, but also might have the markings of fawn brindle, fawn and white, fawn and white with a black and blue mask, or fawn with a black or blue mask!
Different Shades Of Dun
This is the rarest shade of Whippet you will find out there!
Whippets can come in dun solid or dun and white, but open your eyes wide, because this color is nearly impossible to find!
As you can see, there is an almost endless amount of colors that your Whippet puppy can come in when you go off to purchase it from your breeder or adopt from a Whippet rescue.
Let your breeder know if you have a specific color that you really love when it comes to finding your perfect Whippet pup, but just know that some colors are much rarer than others. Try to stick to the more common ones as a rule of thumb!
Is The Color Of My Whippet Important?
It depends.
The color that your Whippet has does not play any role when it comes to the type of personality or behavior your dog will have.
Whippet colors have absolutely nothing to do with behavioral traits, since that is already regulated by the kind of genetics your dog has, which in turn has more to do with the breeding line and parents than anything else.
You can almost always count on Mom and Dad Whippet when it comes to determining the behavior of your Whippet puppy, and Whippet breeders will endlessly work on developing the best personalities in the next generation of Whippets.
They know that Whippet color has nothing to do with the natural disposition of the pups, so they won’t pay much attention to that aspect of the dog when breeding.
It is not common for Whippets to be bred depending on their color when it comes to personality traits.
But…?
It has been noted, however, that two Whippets of the same color might have a fantastic personality or other great aspects that are desirable in terms of breeding, so they might be bred for those characteristics.
It has also been noted that certain health issues might or might not rise up depending on the Whippet’s coat color.
In this case, it might be important to be mindful of these associations found between coat color and health problems, especially considering that the average life expectancy of this pup is twelve to fifteen years, which means you will be taking care of it for a while!
You want to find a high-quality Whippet pup out there!
We will discuss certain issues that we have discovered with certain Whippets when it comes to color, but it is also important to note that association does not necessarily mean causation!
Shades Of Blue And Fawn
Whippets that come in shades of blue or fawn in any shape or form have been noted to be prone to developing a disease known as color dilution alopecia.
What is important to note about this disease is that it causes the drying out (and eventually the thinning out) of the fur in these Whippet mixes (or bases). Later on, these dogs might develop patchy fur or lose their fur entirely.
White Whippets
This might be a strange one, but white Whippets (those that are almost or entirely white) may be born completely deaf. There are also cases in which the white Whippet pup is born with healthy ears, but begins gradually losing its hearing over time.
For some reason, this has been especially the case with white Whippets that have a large amount of white on their ears or heads, so you might want to keep that in mind when purchasing your puppy.
Are Some Colors More Unique Than Others?
This popular breed comes usually in the colors fawn, tan, cream, black, and gray—more often than not accompanied by a black mask or white marks.
You might come to observe that brindle Whippets are not as common, and neither are Whippets with a white, silver, or orange coat.
The most unique and uncommon Whippet colors tend to be dun, blue, and white (considering what we have mentioned about the latter colors in the previous section, maybe it is for the best!).
We don’t see completely white Whippets very often, and those that are white are usually accompanied by different markings and patches of different colors, such as fawn, blue brindle, or cream.
When it comes to blue, it is usually caused by two copies of a specific gene. It is a very difficult color to breed, especially the unique blue brindle color.
The rarest Whippet color is dun, however. It is so rare that only one in every 1500 to 2000 Whippets will be born with this color, so good luck trying to find one out there!
The dun Whippet has a specifical reddish or chocolate brown hue, which can be lighter or darker, depending on the Whippet. All dun Whippets have a brown, pink, or liver red nose. You will never find a dun Whippet having a darker-colored one.
More About Blue Merle
As we have discussed previously, your Whippet pup can come in a range of many different colors and markings, but some are not officially accepted by the American Kennel Club.
Blue merle is one of these colors that are not accepted as the standard Whippet color.
If you recognize that your Whippet has a blue merle coat, you have to know that this shows that your dog actually is not a purebred Whippet, and has genes of another breed entirely. Sorry about that!
More About The Whippet Coat
You might wonder if color has anything to do with the length of the coat, and the answer is no!
Your purebred Whippet will have a shorter coat. They do not shed much, so they might be the perfect pup for you if you are one of those people that have allergies due to heavy shedding dog breeds.
Even though they are not completely hypoallergenic, their coats are very easy to maintain.
Additionally, their short coat allows you to see the markings on their fur better. Some people believe that the Silken Windhound are actually long-haired purebred Whippets, but that isn’t the case at all.
While the Silken Windhound might have some Whippet genes, it is a mistake to think they are Whippets in their own right. It is more likely that not that they have a variety of genetic markers in their DNA that make them look the way that they do.
Other Things To Consider
We have made a general statement that some Whippet colors are rarer than others, but where you get your dog can also factor into the rarity of your Whippet’s color.
For instance, your Whippet’s color might be rare in the US but not in the UK.
We don’t really know why this is the case, but it is quite known that the brindle Whippets are much more common in the US than in the UK, whereas the blue combinations can be more often seen in the UK.
Blue combination Whippets in the US are usually used for racing rather than in a show ring.
You also won’t see the dun color very often; maybe people will ooh and ah at a dun color variety Whippet from time to time in the show ring, but even that is infrequent.
You might also see many brindle Whippets have similar characteristics if they are bred for the show ring. For instance, they oftentimes have white trimming, blotches, or patches, whereas the regular kind will not be noted for such markings.
Conclusion: Whippet Colors
We have learned that colors don’t really matter when it comes to the personality of your pup unless your breeder uses them to produce better offspring with a certain temperament of their choice.
Additionally, Whippets that have a blue, fawn, or white color like those who have the same copies of a certain gene might be likelier to develop specific health conditions like color dilution alopecia, deafness, or hearing loss.
Most Whippets, however, belong to a very healthy breed group with great life spans.
Most of the colors found in Whippets are cream, tan, black, gray, or brown, but your Whippet can come in all sorts of colors.
Some of the colors are found more frequently depending on location. Generally, colors that are rarer include white (especially entirely white), silver, blue, blue brindle, dun, and orange.
Your Whippet also might have different markings on their coat as well. This might involve a cute black mask on its face or a white trim.
We hope you have learned everything you need to know about Whippet colors!
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