What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Whippet?

FCI, Male: 47–51 cm; AKC, Male: 48.3–55.9 cm; UKC, Male: 48.3–55.9 cm; KC, Male: 47–51 cm; CKC, Male: 48.3–56 cm; FCI, Female: 44–47 cm; AKC, Female: 45.7–53.3 cm; UKC, Female: 45.7–53.3 cm; KC, Female: 44–47 cm; CKC, Female: 45.8–53.3 cm.

Whippet breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Height at the withers, male	47–51 cm	48.3–55.9 cmunder 47 cmDisqualifyingover 57.2 cmDisqualifying	48.3–55.9 cmunder 47 cmDisqualifyingover 57.2 cmDisqualifying	47–51 cm	48.3–56 cm
Height at the withers, female	44–47 cm	45.7–53.3 cmunder 44.5 cmDisqualifyingover 54.6 cmDisqualifying	45.7–53.3 cmunder 44.5 cmDisqualifyingover 54.6 cmDisqualifying	44–47 cm	45.8–53.3 cm
Height to length	No ruling	under 1	under 1	No ruling	No ruling

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
StopSlight	Standard (“Stop: Slight”)	Standard (“scarcely perceptible stop”)	Standard (“The stop is scarcely perceptible”)	Standard (“tapering to muzzle with slight stop”)	Standard (“scarcely perceptible stop”)
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“perfect scissor bite”)	No ruling	Standard (“meet in a scissors bite”)	Standard (“perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	No ruling
BiteUndershot	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Disqualifications: Undershot bite”)	No ruling	Disqualifying (“An undershot mouth”)
BiteOvershot	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Overshot bite one-quarter inch or more”)	No ruling	No ruling
Eye shapeOval	Standard (“EYES: Oval, bright”)	Standard (“Eyes large, round to oval in shape”)	No ruling	Standard (“Oval, bright, expression very alert”)	No ruling
Eye shapeRound	No ruling	Standard (“Eyes large, round to oval in shape”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Eyes large, intelligent, round in shape”)
Eye shapeAlmond	No ruling	Fault (“almond shaped eyes are undesirable and are to be faulted”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriageRose	Standard (“EARS: Rose shaped, small”)	Standard (“Rose ears, small, fine in texture”)	Standard (“The rose ears are characteristic of the breed”)	Standard (“Rose shaped, small, fine in texture”)	Standard (“Ears small, fine in texture, thrown back and folded”)
Ear carriageErect (prick)	No ruling	Fault (“Erect ears should be severely penalized”)	Fault (“Serious Fault: Erect ears”)	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriageSemi-erect	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Alternate (“Semi-pricked when at attention”)
Neck lengthLong	Standard (“NECK: Long, muscular, elegantly arched”)	Standard (“Neck long, clean and muscular”)	Standard (“The long, clean, muscular neck”)	Standard (“Long, muscular, elegantly arched”)	Standard (“Long and muscular, well arched”)
Neck lengthShort	No ruling	Fault (“A short thick neck ... should be penalized”)	Fault (“Faults: Short, thick neck”)	No ruling	No ruling
DewlapNone (clean throat)	No ruling	Standard (“no suggestion of throatiness”)	Standard (“no suggestion of throatiness”)	No ruling	Standard (“no suggestion of throatiness”)
ToplineSlight arch over the loin	Standard (“Showing a graceful arch over loin”)	Standard (“graceful natural arch ... beginning over the loin”)	Standard (“A graceful, natural, but not too accentuated, arch begins over the loin”)	Standard (“showing graceful arch over the loin but not humped”)	Standard (“a good, natural arch over the loin”)
ToplineLevel	No ruling	Fault (“flat back ... should be penalized”)	Fault (“Faults: ... Flat back”)	No ruling	No ruling
ChestDeep	Standard (“Chest: Very deep with plenty of heart room”)	Standard (“Brisket very deep”)	Standard (“The chest is very deep”)	Standard (“Chest very deep with plenty of heart room”)	Standard (“Brisket very deep and strong”)
ChestBarrel	No ruling	Fault (“no suggestion of barrel shape”)	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“no suggestion of barrel-shape”)
Tail lengthLong	Standard (“Long, tapering”)	Standard (“The tail long and tapering”)	Standard (“The long, tapering tail”)	Standard (“Long, tapering, reaching at least to the hock”)	Standard (“Long and tapering”)
Tail carriageLow (hanging)	No ruling	Standard (“the tail is carried low with only a gentle upward curve”)	Standard (“the tail is carried low, with only a gentle, upward curve”)	No ruling	No ruling
FeetOval	Standard (“Forefeet: Oval, well split up between toes”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Oval, well split up between toes”)	No ruling
FeetHare foot	No ruling	Standard (“Feet more hare than cat, but both are acceptable”)	Standard (“Both hare and cat feet are acceptable, but the former are preferred”)	No ruling	No ruling
FeetCat foot	No ruling	Alternate (“Feet more hare than cat, but both are acceptable”)	Alternate (“Both hare and cat feet are acceptable”)	No ruling	No ruling
FeetSplayed	No ruling	Fault (“Flat, splayed or soft feet ... strictly penalized”)	Fault (“Serious Faults: Splayed feet”)	No ruling	No ruling
HocksWell let down	Standard (“Hock joint: Well let down”)	Standard (“The hocks are well let down and close to the ground”)	Standard (“The hocks are well let down and close to the ground”)	Standard (“hocks well let down”)	Standard (“hocks well let down and close to the ground”)
HocksSickle-hocked	No ruling	Fault (“Sickle or cow hocks should be strictly penalized”)	Fault (“Serious Faults: Sickle hocks. Cowhocks”)	No ruling	No ruling
HocksCow-hocked	No ruling	Fault (“Sickle or cow hocks should be strictly penalized”)	Fault (“Serious Faults: Sickle hocks. Cowhocks”)	No ruling	No ruling

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
Procedure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Dewclaw removal	No ruling	Alternate (“Dewclaws may be removed”)	Alternate (“Dewclaws may be removed”)	No ruling	No ruling

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live. See where each procedure is banned or allowed.

Whippet colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Whippet color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Whippet in Black, White, Blue, Silver, Seal, Red, Cream and Fawn. Standard patterns: Solid, Brindle, Parti-colour, Sable and Reverse brindle.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Black”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Black”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
White	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“White”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“White”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Blue	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Blue”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Blue”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Silver	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Color immaterial”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Silver Brindle”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Seal	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Seal”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Red	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Red”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Red Fawn”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Cream	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Cream”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Cream”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Fawn	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Fawn”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Fawn”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Color immaterial”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Brindle	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Fawn Brindle”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Brindle”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Parti-colour	Standard (“parti-colour”)	Standard (“Color immaterial”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Black & White Particolour”)	Standard (“particolours”)
Sable	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Sable”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Reverse brindle	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)	Standard (“Fawn Brindle”)	Standard (“Color is inconsequential”)	Standard (“Brindle”)	Standard (“Any colour or mixture of colours”)
Merle	Not recognised (“Any colour or mixture of colours, except merle”)	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognised (“Merle unacceptable”)	Not recognised (“Merle unacceptable”)
Double merle	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	AKC	UKC
Dark brown	Standard (“dark brown to nearly black”)	Standard (“dark”)
Light brown	Fault (“Light eyes are undesirable”)	Fault (“Yellow or light eyes”)
Yellow	Fault (“yellow eyes are to be strictly penalized”)	Fault (“Yellow or light eyes”)
Blue	Disqualifying (“Blue eye(s)”)	Disqualifying (“Blue or wall eyes”)
Patterns
Odd-eyed	Disqualifying (“both eyes not being of the same color”)	No ruling
Sectoral	Disqualifying (“any portion of blue in the eye(s)”)	No ruling

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Nose black”)	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“entirely black”)	Standard (“Nose black or blue depending on coat colour”)	Standard (“Nose black or blue depending on coat colour”)
Blue	Standard (“in blues a bluish colour permitted”)	Standard (“dark blue”)	No ruling	Standard (“Nose black or blue depending on coat colour”)	Standard (“Nose black or blue depending on coat colour”)
Liver	Standard (“liver nose in creams and other dilute colours”)	Standard (“dark brown”)	No ruling	Standard (“Nose liver in creams”)	Standard (“Nose liver in creams”)
Patterns
Butterfly nose	Standard (“in white or parti-colour a butterfly nose is permissible”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“In whites or particolours a butterfly nose is permissible”)	Standard (“In whites or particolours a butterfly nose is permissible”)

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Fault: Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalised.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this colour or pattern.
Not recognised: The club does not accept this colour or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Whippet's colors can change over its life.

Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGrey
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Whippet guide Grooming styles for the Whippet