978 491-5922 Book now
  1. Home
  2. Board and train
  3. Whippet board and train in Gloucester, MA

Whippets

Whippet board and train in Gloucester, MA

The AKC calls the Whippet lightning quick, amiable and gentle, and adds that once it has something to chase, nothing gets in the way. It is also, in the AKC's words, a sensitive dog that does best with encouragement and patient guidance. A training stay has to respect both halves of that description.

Enquire about training See pricing
Trainer and dog practising recall on the beach

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · reviewed by Gabriella Pope, Director of Training & Canine Behaviorist

Small sighthound

A Whippet brings explosive speed, a gentle temperament and an independent streak

The AKC's breed page describes a dog that is calm in the house and saves its energy for explosive bursts of running, ideally in a large, securely fenced area. It calls the Whippet the fastest breed of its size, reaching speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. The trait scores show a sociable, quiet companion: five for affection with family, young children and other dogs, one for barking and three for trainability. Young Whippets, the page adds, are smart, agile and mischievous, and can jump and climb.

The AKC's guide to living with the breed calls Whippets sensitive dogs that respond best to encouragement, rewards and patient guidance rather than punishment, and mentions an independent streak. It also notes that some Whippets respond enthusiastically to toys while others work harder for treats or praise. The breed has a New England thread as well: the AKC says Lancashire textile workers brought their Whippets with them when they emigrated to New England around the turn of the 20th century.

  • Up to 35 miles per hour, the fastest breed of its size
  • Barking: one, the lowest AKC score
  • Sensitive: encouragement and rewards, never punishment
  • Young dogs jump and climb, so confinement matters

Foundation or Advanced

Foundation finds what motivates your Whippet and starts the recall; Advanced keeps it working when something runs

A week of Foundation gives a Whippet the basics of obedience, leash skills, place, stay, recall, impulse control and crate manners, with daycare and enrichment folded in and a go-home lesson to finish. The first job is finding the reward that works, since the AKC says motivation varies so much within the breed. A toy-driven dog learns recall as a chase toward the trainer; a food-driven one earns a jackpot. Crate and pen manners matter for a young dog that can climb its way into trouble.

The two Advanced weeks build on that with distraction proofing, real-world outings, neutrality, confidence building and two coaching lessons for the family. For a Whippet that means practicing calm around the things that trigger a sprint: a squirrel, a cyclist, a small dog running. The trainer keeps the distance generous and the sessions short, because a sensitive dog pushed too close learns to worry rather than cope. See the board and train overview for the complete program lists; each stay is quoted after we assess the dog.

Recall and the chase

A Whippet's recall is practiced as a game and kept for fenced places, because the chase wins in the open

The AKC's advice is simple: always keep a Whippet on lead when not in a fenced area. Its overview of the sighthound breeds puts it more bluntly, saying that once a Whippet has something to chase, nothing gets in the way. So the recall taught during a stay has two jobs. It makes coming back the best game in a fenced field, and it gives you a cue that might turn the dog at an open door or when a leash slips. Neither job includes an unfenced beach.

That matters on Cape Ann, where the off-season beaches are wide open sand with birds on the move. At the time of writing, Wingaersheek in Gloucester takes dogs on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30, and Good Harbor closes to dogs from April 1 for nesting plovers. For a Whippet, a long line on a quiet day is the way to enjoy either. Lure coursing, which the AKC calls an excellent outlet for the breed's need for speed, gives the chase a safe home.

  1. 01

    Find your Whippet's best reward: a flirt-pole lure, a squeaky toy or soft food

  2. 02

    In a fenced space, call once and jog away so the dog chases you

  3. 03

    Pay the arrival with the reward and a short game, then send the dog back to play

  4. 04

    Add one distraction at a time, at a distance, still inside the fence

  5. 05

    Use a long line anywhere there is no fence

Mistakes to skip

Whippet owners trip up by testing the recall in the open, pushing a worried dog and underestimating a climbing puppy

The recall mistake is the obvious one: a few good weeks inside the fence and the line comes off on a beach or a trail. The quieter mistake is pressure. A Whippet hesitating at a slick floor or a new person is asking for time, and dragging or coaxing hard tends to make the next hesitation longer. Let the dog look, reward any step forward, and leave before the worry grows. That is what the AKC's call for patient guidance looks like in practice.

The third mistake is the clever puppy. The AKC says young Whippets can jump and climb and must be safely confined when nobody is supervising, so a gate that held another puppy may not hold this one. Use a crate or a pen it cannot scale, and give the dog daily sprints so it is not inventing its own. Finally, calm indoors does not mean low needs: the AKC's guide suggests one to two hours of physical activity a day, followed by plenty of downtime.

  • A long line on beaches and trails, every time
  • Let a worried dog look and choose, then reward the step
  • A crate or pen it cannot climb out of
  • One to two hours of activity a day, then real rest

Home stretch

After pick-up, keep recall games fenced, confidence steps small and a plan ready for loud nights

The handover happens at Dogtown, where the closing lessons show you which reward, distance and cue worked for your Whippet. Play the recall game in a fenced space two or three times a week and stop while your Whippet is still keen. The Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park is fenced and has a separate agility arena, and the AKC lists agility among the breed's healthy outlets.

Plan for noise before it arrives. The Gloucester fireworks are on July 3, and a sensitive dog does better that night with a quiet room, a chew, closed windows and some steady background sound. Dogtown Academy days, $89 full or $69 half, keep training in use with a trainer. If worry spreads beyond noise, Gabriella Pope may suggest Brave & Balanced for a young dog of four months or older, or Focus & Flow, six weeks and 12 sessions, for an adult.

At Dogtown

Built around a Whippet's stay

The training itself, Academy days for steady practice, an overnight suite, and enrichment add-ons for a quick, curious mind.

Australian shepherd sitting attentively during training Dog TrainingFrom $94 per session · Explore Dogtown trainer playing with a small doodle on the outdoor turf Dogtown AcademyNewFrom $69 · Explore Golden retriever resting on a cozy bed in a Dogtown boarding suite Overnight StaysFrom $78 · Explore Black lab enjoying a lick mat Enrichment Add-OnsNewFrom $5 · Explore

Every price on one page

Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Can a Whippet learn a reliable recall?
A Whippet can learn a recall it enjoys and answers in a fenced space, and that cue can help in an emergency. The AKC still advises keeping the breed on lead outside fences, because a running Whippet that has spotted something to chase is hard to turn at up to 35 miles per hour. Train the recall and keep the leash.
Do Whippets get along with small dogs and cats?
Many do. The AKC's guide says the breed's prey drive is often moderate enough that many Whippets live successfully alongside cats and small dogs, and the breed scores five for getting along with other dogs. Individuals vary, though, and a dog that stares at or stalks a small animal needs management and a plan. The free evaluation shows how your Whippet plays in a matched group.
What reward works best for a Whippet?
The one your Whippet chooses. The AKC notes that some Whippets respond enthusiastically to toys while others prefer treats or praise. During the stay the trainer tries lures, squeaky toys and different foods, and the go-home lesson tells you which one won. A sighthound that works hard for a flirt pole may ignore a biscuit, and that is useful to know.
My Whippet puppy climbs out of everything. Can a stay help?
It can teach crate and pen manners and a settle, and it gives a young dog's brain useful work. The AKC says young Whippets are agile and mischievous and can jump and climb, so management at home has to match: a crate or pen the dog cannot scale, and supervision until the habits hold. Foundation's week fits this stage.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

Keep reading

Board and train at DogtownGreyhound board and trainBoard and train for fearful dogsPractice at Wingaersheek in the off-season Board and train All guides

Next step

Speed, sensitivity and a recall worth coming back for.

Tell us on the training form your Whippet's age, what it chases and what worries it. We reply within an hour on business days.

Book online Customer inquiry Call 978 491-5922
  1. 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
  2. 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
  3. 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
New customers FIRST15 15% off your first daycare visit · use at checkout

Follow along

Daily photos and report cards.

@dogtowndogdaycare on Instagram

Call Book now