Whippet Puppies: Adopt or Buy in Australia?

Should you adopt or buy a Whippet?

It depends on whether it has to be a puppy. Purebred Whippet puppies almost never reach rescue, so if you want an eight-week-old Whippet with known parents, a registered breeder is the realistic route, and you will probably wait. If what you want is the dog (the gentle nature, the speed, the couch habit), an adult Whippet, a Whippet cross or a retired Greyhound costs less, arrives desexed and microchipped, and comes with a personality you can already see.

The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase suggests the RSPCA or a reputable rescue first, and if you go to a breeder, making sure they are registered, visiting where the puppies were born and meeting the parents.

Reference figures read on 9 November 2026, not quotes. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them.

How much is a Whippet puppy from a registered breeder?

No Australian Whippet club publishes a price. We read the puppy pages of the Whippet Club NSW and the Whippet Association of Victoria in November 2026, and neither quotes one.

Some breeders do publish a price. In November 2026 we read the websites of Whippet breeders that show membership of Dogs Australia through their state body, and four listed a price for a puppy: three in Victoria and one in South Australia. The range was $3,000 to $4,500 and the median $3,250. One of the four said its price is the same whatever the colour or sex, or whether the puppy goes to a pet or show home. Pet puppies go on the Limited Register, which means not for breeding. Most club-listed breeders publish no price at all, so treat this as a small sample. These are reference figures, not quotes.

Reference figures only, not quotes. Breeder prices were read on the breeders' own websites, not on listing sites. Rescue fees usually include desexing, microchipping, vaccinations and a vet check. The dog cost calculator covers the first year after the price tag.

What the price should buy you, going by the two clubs' pages:

• A visit before a deposit. The Whippet Association of Victoria says all breeders should let you visit at around six weeks and see the mother, and that its ethical breeders will not ask for a deposit before your visit.
• A puppy at eight weeks or older, microchipped, with a diet sheet and registration certificate. The Whippet Club NSW says the registered breeders' Code of Ethics requires these.
• A breeder you can check. Both clubs ask buyers to confirm registration, and the Victorian club offers to check a breeder's name for you before you commit.

Which health tests should a Whippet breeder show you?

Heart, eyes and hearing are the three to ask about. We found no Australian Whippet club page that sets a testing requirement, so this is a question you have to ask. The most detailed published guide is overseas: the American Whippet Club's health statement, based on advice from the Whippet Health Foundation, recommends three screening tests for every breeding dog.

Sources: American Whippet Club health statement and Whippet Health Foundation pre-breeding screening (United States), read 9 November 2026. Australian breeders use Australian specialists and schemes. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

Two Australian points sit alongside that. Dogs Victoria's guide to health testing says eye and heart screening for breeding decisions should be done by a specialist veterinarian, not a general practice vet, so a puppy's vet check is not the same thing. And the breed itself is generally healthy: information from the Whippet Club NSW on the Dogs Australia breed page calls the Whippet a very healthy, hardy breed that can live up to 14 to 17 years, with autoimmune disease linked to the breed but not common. A WSAVA breed note adds that genetic diversity may be a problem in the breed, which is one more reason to ask about the parents.

For what these conditions mean once you own a Whippet, including why your vet should know it is a sighthound before any anaesthetic, read our Whippet health guide.

What do Whippets in rescue look like?

Few, and mostly adults or crosses. Across the rescues, shelters and council pounds we aggregate, Whippets are among the rarer breeds, and Greyhounds are listed many times more often. A purebred Whippet puppy in rescue is unusual; a young Whippet cross is less so. They tend to be adopted quickly, so an alert on the Whippet breed page matters more than checking once.

The breed clubs are the other route. The Whippet Club NSW says it is happy to list details and a photo of any Whippet needing a new forever home, and it has a rescue officer you can email through its page. Some buyers seek out an older Whippet on purpose, to skip the puppy stage or to keep another dog company. The Whippet Association of Victoria says that in its view almost all Whippets in pounds and shelters come from backyard breeders and puppy farms, not from club breeders, which is why a rescue Whippet's background is often unknown.

None of that makes a rescue Whippet a poor choice. An adult Whippet in foster care comes with notes on how it handles cats, children, time alone and the lead, which is exactly what a puppy cannot tell you.

Is a retired Greyhound an alternative to a Whippet?

For some homes, yes, as long as you know it is a different dog. Most mainland states have a greyhound adoption program that rehomes retired racing Greyhounds: Greyhounds As Pets NSW, the Greyhound Adoption Program in Victoria, the Greyhound Adoption Program Queensland, Greyhounds As Pets SA and Greyhounds As Pets WA. We found no sign that any of them rehomes Whippets, so do not expect to find one there.

From the Dogs Australia Whippet and Greyhound standards, read 9 November 2026.

The temperament words are almost the same; the size is not. A Greyhound needs a bigger car, a bigger bed and more room on the couch. If that is fine, a retired racer is far easier to find than a Whippet. See the Greyhounds listed by rescues, or the Italian Greyhound if you want a smaller sighthound still. Each state's muzzle and lead rules for Greyhounds differ; our greyhound adoption guide covers the programs and the rules state by state.

How do Whippet puppy scams work?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings offering popular breeds or puppies that do not exist. Its advice: view the puppy in person, ask for a video call if you cannot visit, check that the breeder is legitimate, and compare prices, because a very cheap pet is likely a scam.

Whippet-specific versions of the pattern:

• “Registered” with nobody in particular. The Whippet Association of Victoria warns that some puppy farmers have websites saying their puppies are registered. Ask who with, get the membership number, and check it yourself.
• A deposit before a visit. The same club says its ethical breeders will not ask for one. A seller pushing for money to “hold” a puppy you have never seen is a warning sign.
• Plenty of puppies, no wait. Both clubs say registered Whippet litters are few. Several litters available at once, with no questions asked about your home, does not fit the breed.
• A merle Whippet. The Dogs Australia standard allows any colour except merle, so a merle puppy sold as a purebred Whippet is not one a registered breeder can register.
• No breeder number. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT each require an identifying number in puppy ads. Look it up on the official register, not through a link the seller sends.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the full state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder makes sense if you need a puppy with known parents (for lure coursing, showing or another dog sport), if you have a cat or small pets and want a Whippet raised alongside them from a young age, or if you have owned Whippets before and want the same lines. It also makes sense if you have waited months and no rescue Whippet has come up near you.

If you go that way, check the breeder properly:

1. Registration. Check the membership number with Dogs Australia or your state body. Dogs Australia says it makes no representation about any breeder's reputation or the soundness of any puppy.
2. A club check. The Whippet clubs list member breeders and, in Victoria, offer to tell you whether a breeder is reputable.
3. Heart, eye and hearing results for both parents, from specialists, with names that match the litter.
4. The mother, in person, and where the puppies are raised, before any deposit.
5. A written contract covering register type, desexing, health problems and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is a Whippet the right dog for you?

The Dogs Australia breed standard calls the Whippet “an ideal companion” and “highly adaptable in domestic and sporting surroundings,” with a gentle, affectionate, even temperament. The Dogs Australia breed page says Whippets suit singles, couples and families, and houses, townhouses and apartments alike. Before you apply, be honest about three things.

• The chase. A Whippet is a sighthound. The breed page says one will run after something interesting, and that off lead most run in a wide circle before coming back. A recall needs training, and a fenced area is the safe place to let one run.
• The cold. Whippets are thin-skinned with little body fat, and the breed page says they feel the cold more than most breeds and need a coat in cooler months.
• Small pets. Many Whippets live happily with cats they met young. An unknown cat or a rabbit is a different matter, so a foster-tested adult is the safer bet for a home with small pets.

Not sure it fits? The what dog breed am I quiz and the adoption readiness check each take a few minutes. Our guide to the best apartment dogs in Australia puts the Whippet beside other options, and our Whippet exercise and prey drive guide covers daily running and recall.

Find a Whippet near you

Whippets and Whippet crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Whippets for adoption in Sydney
• Whippets for adoption in Melbourne
• Whippets for adoption in Brisbane
• Whippets for adoption in Perth
• Whippets for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting a Whippet, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Newcastle.

Short on space but keen on a small, quiet dog? The apartment-friendly dogs in Sydney and in Melbourne are worth a look too.