info on dog breed

[archer]

Hey guys,
I wanted to some help from you guys. The dog breed Whippets, that participate in races, does anyone have any info on them. i need information specifically towards their breeding and their hybrids that are good racing dogs.

I am googling it as well, i wanted to know if anyone has any personal experience.

thanx
regards
Parag

[Zenbon]

Hey buddy,
I ususally search for dog breeds in wikipedia. Then go through all the references and external links provided.
Takes some time but you will have some info in the end.

HTH

[Shamsher]

You see a lot of these greyhounds & whippets in Punjab.

Contact some member from Punjab, he might have information on this

SS

[indian]

is the whippet same as the grey hound???if yes,it is also called as mudhol nhai or hound.i bought a couple of them from karnataka around 5 years back.very nice breed.

[Yaj]

Hey guys,
I wanted to some help from you guys. The dog breed Whippets, that participate in races, does anyone have any info on them. i need information specifically towards their breeding and their hybrids that are good racing dogs.

I am googling it as well, i wanted to know if anyone has any personal experience.

thanx
regards
Parag

If the dog is required for track racing then the greyhounds and the whippets rule the roost.No cross bred dogs can really compete with them. However open field coursing for live game is another matter altogether with many pther factors and breeds coming into the picture.
Is there anything specific you want to know about the breed? Sighthounds are my favourite group among the dog breeds and have read and seen quite a bit of them.
Regards,
Yajnesh.

[archer]

Pls dont laugh at this. I am doing a mini project to study gene mutation in these dogs that enable them to be better race dogs, compromising on their looks. so some of them may have shorter necks or longer legs than normal. We want to study how effective the mutation in the genes is.

Some of us being dog lovers, i thought i may get some first hand information on some different kinds of whippets.

thanx
Regards
Parag

[Yaj]

Pls dont laugh at this. I am doing a mini project to study gene mutation in these dogs that enable them to be better race dogs, compromising on their looks. so some of them may have shorter necks or longer legs than normal. We want to study how effective the mutation in the genes is.

Some of us being dog lovers, i thought i may get some first hand information on some different kinds of whippets.

Not laughing at all! I'm glad you wish to do a study on the breed.
Ideally if you are studying structural adaptations for speed the greyhound is the ultimate adaptation for speed in the dog world.It is the doggy equivalent of the Cheetah.
The neck in sight hounds is elongated to reach out for the prey and also used as a counterbalance along with the tail at different times.
The structural adaptations include an elongated narrow skull, long well muscled neck, strong muscled shoulders, long legs,hare's feet, a deep chest that is flattened on the sides to allow the hind legs to reach forward unencumbered,a n exaggerated abdominal tuck,an elastic spine which flexes like a spring on the gallop, strong loins, hind legs loaded with muscles and a long thin tail used as a counter balance.
All these are a result of centuries of selective breeding for performance.Studying the genetic changes caused by this selective breeding would be very interesting.
Check for studies on greyhounds since it is a much studied dog breed.
All the best on your endeavour! Do keep us posted on your study.
Regards,
Yaj.

[TenX]

Thats very well put Yaj.. any dog lover would like the way you have put in the facts

[jayanta mukherjee]

The Whippet was developed at the end of the 19th century through crossing among the Greyhound, the Italian Greyhound, and the Terrier (including possibly the Bedlington Terrier), to produce a small, swift hound capable of hunting rabbits and other small game. During this era, the whippet belonged mainly to the working class people of England. These were factory and mine workers in Northern towns near Manchester and Liverpool, who worked hard and lived simple lives.Because of this, the whippet became known as the "poor man's greyhound," or the "poor man's race horse." During non-working days, owners raced their whippets in fields and on town roads. These races became known as "rag races," probably because a piece of cloth was used as a lure. The dogs typically ran a straight 200 yard track.

Its name derives from the expression "whip it" meaning to move quickly. The Whippet is an outstanding track racer over short distances reaching speeds of up to 60km. per hour. Coursing these dogs was an entertaining form of gambling for the lower classes in England. Some of the Whippet's talents include: hunting, sighting, watchdogging, racing, agility, and lure coursing.


The Whippet is intelligent, lively, affectionate, sweet, and docile. This very devoted companion is quiet and calm in the home. The Whippet should never be roughly trained, for they are extremely sensitive both physically and mentally. But the must be introduced to plenty of variety when training them. The best results will be achieved by including games and running. They are good with children of all ages as long as the children do not roughhouse or tease the dog. Whippets are clean, virtually odor free, easy to care for and easy to travel with. They are good watchdogs and may be reserved with strangers. They will pursue and kill cats and other small animals if given the opportunity, but are good with other dogs. Household cats that they are raised with and have become accustom to will be left alone. They can be used to hunt. The Whippet's sweet personality makes him a fine companion dog. The Whippet is the ultimate sprinter, unsurpassed by any other breed in its ability to accelerate to top speed and to twist and turn with matchless dexterity. I am presently forgotten the nomadic tribe from the middle east which treasures the Whippet more than any precious stones and these magnificent dogs were even documentasised by the Animal Planet.

However certain care should be taken in order to rear then since they are prone to stomach upset and skin problems. Moreover, this breed is sensitive to the cold. Wearing a coat is advised in the winter. They will do okay in an apartment if they are sufficiently exercised. Whippets are calm indoors and a small yard will do.

The Mudhol (Caravan) Hound is an ancient breed that is native to South India. The Mudhol is best described as an offshoot of the Saluki. It was first introduced to the region by traders and mercenaries that arrived from Asia by way of caravan. These people began calling the Caravan Hound “karwani”, or “of the caravans”. Even after the breed was re-named by the Kennel Club of India, this name continued to be utilized in the villages of this area. Throughout the region of Karnataka, the Caravan Hound is often called “Mudhol Hound”, a name that was given to the breed after the small town in the Bijapur district. Sri Srimanth Raja Molojirao Gorphade, a former ruler of Mudhol, had given a pair of Caravan Hounds to King George V of England. The King loved the dogs and called them “the hounds of Mudhol”. The breed is not only found in Mudhol, so the officially recognized name continues to be “Caravan Hound”. Feathered types of Caravan Hounds may also be called “Pashmi”.
Cheers
Jayanta

[TenX]

Very nice info Jayanta ..
With a parental compulsion to add , of my two GSDs, the male 'Simba' is akin to running and any game that involves chase. I have clocked him at 50 kmph once:)

[archer]

hey guys,

thanx for all your inputs. this is the input that we put together. this is from a science journal that studied mutation in the gene that governs the growth hormone and its effects on the racing capabilities of the whippets. here is a bried summary of the paper. i am unable to upload the paper because of its size. If anyone is interested in reading it, i can email it.
"
Double muscling is a trait previously described in several mammalian species including cattle and sheep and is caused by mutations in the myostatin (MSTN) gene (previously referred to as GDF8). Here we describe a new mutation in MSTN found in the whippet dog breed that results in a double-muscled phenotype known as the ‘‘bully’’ whippet. Individuals with this phenotype carry two copies of a two-base-pair deletion in the third exon of MSTN leading to a premature stop codon at amino acid 313. Individuals carrying only one copy of the mutation are, on average, more muscular than wildtype individuals (p ¼ 7.43 3 106; Kruskal-Wallis Test) and are significantly faster than individuals carrying the wildtype genotype in competitive racing events (Kendall’s nonparametric measure, s¼0.3619; p ’ 0.00028). These results highlight the utility of performance-enhancing polymorphisms, marking the first time a mutation in MSTN has been quantitatively linked to increased athletic performance
"

and a picture from the paper that speaks for itself.

http://picasaweb.google.com/paraggad/Do ... 6845070546

regards,
parag

[Yaj]

hey guys,

thanx for all your inputs. this is the input that we put together. this is from a science journal that studied mutation in the gene that governs the growth hormone and its effects on the racing capabilities of the whippets. here is a bried summary of the paper. i am unable to upload the paper because of its size. If anyone is interested in reading it, i can email it.
"
Double muscling is a trait previously described in several mammalian species including cattle and sheep and is caused by mutations in the myostatin (MSTN) gene (previously referred to as GDF8). Here we describe a new mutation in MSTN found in the whippet dog breed that results in a double-muscled phenotype known as the ‘‘bully’’ whippet. Individuals with this phenotype carry two copies of a two-base-pair deletion in the third exon of MSTN leading to a premature stop codon at amino acid 313. Individuals carrying only one copy of the mutation are, on average, more muscular than wildtype individuals (p ¼ 7.43 3 106; Kruskal-Wallis Test) and are significantly faster than individuals carrying the wildtype genotype in competitive racing events (Kendall’s nonparametric measure, s¼0.3619; p ’ 0.00028). These results highlight the utility of performance-enhancing polymorphisms, marking the first time a mutation in MSTN has been quantitatively linked to increased athletic performance
"

and a picture from the paper that speaks for itself.

http://picasaweb.google.com/paraggad/Do ... 6845070546

regards,
parag

I have read upon this double muscling phenomenon before. It is an aberration and the dogs look grotesque. They do not have any enhanced functionality in fact they are hampered by being over muscled. So how did you go about doing your study? Would love to know the methodology followed.
Regards,
Yaj.

[Rottmeister]

I wonder if there are any Rottweiler owners here.

[TenX]

Archer, I am interested.. will PM you my email id...