Having a pack of fast whippets can be very challenging for every caring dog parent. Is there a way to ensue their safety? Here's Jennifer Hime, certified dog trainer & Whippet kennel owner, sharing her story - and how the Tractive GPS has been a lifesaver.
Ever wondered what it’s like raising a family of Whippets? With their streamlined bodies, long faces, and tight, cat-like paws, these smaller cousins of the Greyhound family are just built for the chase!
Here’s Jennifer Hime, certified dog trainer and the owner of Horsetooth Whippets Kennels, sharing her story – and how the Tractive GPS has proved to be a lifesaver when you’re dealing with a “lost Whippet” situation.
I’ve owned, shown, raced, and bred Whippets since 2007. My pack ranges from 10 to 15 dogs at any time, and they love nothing more than turn-out time on our property in the foothills.
Usually, they run their familiar route – a loop or two around the property, covering many acres in just a few minutes – and return with tongues lolling and happy smiles on their faces.
But if you’re dealing with Whippets, here’s lesson number one: any movement can catch and hold their attention.
My fastest Whippet has been clocked at just over 32 miles (51 km) per hour.
In a split second, they’re off at a full gallop – and can cover vast stretches of territory before they even recognize they’ve left their humans far behind.
Watching my Whippets run is pure poetry in motion. They live for the opportunity to sprint.
Not only are my dogs my hobby, they’re my passion. I’m a professional dog trainer, and my husband is a veterinarian.
This means the dogs travel to and from work with us, run on our property and travel with us to the many events we attend. My Whippets usually travel around 30,000 miles per year!
And I’ve unfortunately experienced that gut-wrenching feeling twice.
That time my Whippet, Polliwog, got lost
The first time was with our littlest Whippet, Polliwog. Only 10 months old, she got spooked at a hobby racing event and slipped through a fence.
She was lost on the Eastern plains of Colorado in the heat of summer, 150 miles from home.
Somehow, she survived hailstorms, coyotes, rattlesnakes, and other perils of the plains – and made her way back to our car. (Which we had parked and left open in the field she’d run from.)
Polli has since gone on to many more (safe!) adventures – from earning Rally-Obedience titles and being ranked USA’s #2 Rally Novice whippet in 2010. She’s also gone on to produce several wonderful litters of pups.
Our second close call came when…
3 of our young males lit out after a squirrel or cat in town, during rush hour traffic.
They quickly split up and disappeared. Being extremely social, they quickly realized they were out of their element, and went up to strangers for help.
All three were back with us within an hour or two, but one of the boys, Fermi, had traveled 4 miles in just 15 minutes!
After that second close call, I decided we needed a GPS tracking solution for my pack.
After using a different, popular (but unreliable) GPS system for almost 2 years and being disappointed with quality, I finally found Tractive’s GPS dog trackers early in 2015.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Why the Tractive GPS means max security for my dogs
Tractive GPS units are lightweight and small enough for even my smallest Whippet, little blue Polliwog. And they’re reliable – even in my remote location, where I usually can’t even get my mobile phone to work!
My favorite feature is being able to check the Tractive map at any time and make sure all of the dogs are exactly where they’re supposed to be – whether that is at a show, at the races, at home, or with me or my husband at work.
The peace of mind I have with my Whippets wearing their GPS trackers can’t be described.
There is no guarantee someone won’t go off on a joy run at some time or another, but knowing we can easily track and recover any lost Whippets is wonderful.
Always know where your dog is
Follow every step in real-time with unlimited range. Get alerts if they wander too far. Keep them happy & healthy with Wellness Monitoring. And let others – like walkers or sitters – keep an eye on your dog too.
Jennifer Hime is the owner and lead trainer of Front Range K9 Academy in Denver, Colorado. She’s also the owner of Horsetooth Whippets Kennels. The Front Range Academy alone has been voted #1 Dog Trainer in Wheat Ridge by over 8700 happy dogs & owners!
Her team of Whippets have been happy Tractive users since 2015 – and look forward to many more years of peace of mind to come.
