In 2004, UC Davis conducted an MDR1-1 study in which Longhaired Whippets from the ILWC and only one Whippet from the LWA were involved, amongst several other breeds. From this study, much was published in the North American press, who made their own interpretations about the heredity of the breeds involved... perhaps not surprisingly. In fact, the research report had its own musings; "It is interesting to speculate that mdr1-1 accompanied an allele for long hair during focused introgression, through either linkage or drift."

Regardless of what the public gleaned from the press, the actual study concludes the “recent introduction” of the mdr1-1 mutation of the allele, in referring to the breeds “developed in North America in the 1900’s, they were most likely derived from nondescript farm collies imported from Great Britain and Australia in the 1800s and early 1900s. Several lines of evidence suggest that the mdr1-1 mutation event predated the formal establishment of British herding breeds, beginning in 1873.” It goes on to say that "mdr1-1 was widely dispersed by the time breeds were being registered."

Let’s talk about the background of the modern Whippet - The actual breeds that went into making up the officially recognized smooth Whippet of today are still up for discussion. The universally accepted theory is that smaller Greyhounds were mixed with other dogs to create what were originally nick-named "rag dogs" - small, easily kept racing dogs owned by the farmers and mill-workers of England in the 1800s. They were bred from Greyhounds and potentially with Italian Greyhounds and whatever the mill-workers owned (Terriers for ratting) and whatever the farmers owned (working Collies for herding). There may have been other breeds too. Early dictionary references state the "Whippet is a dog bred betwixt a Greyhound and a Spaniel."

Recent genome research has proven regular smooth Whippets to have
a multiple breed heritage quite similar in genome structure
to many other sighthounds and several herding dogs.

See the Smooth Whippet Genome Chart Here.

The LWA has always supported the idea that that there were undoubtedly working collie types behind all Whippets and therefore Longhaired Whippets too; back when the Whippet was being formed in the late 1800s. Lurchers by definition are sighthound/collie crosses and still extremely popular in Europe even today.

Walter Wheeler Jr. who revived the coat in Whippets did not breed “instant Longhaired Whippets”. He sourced and bred purebred Whippets that had slightly longer coats and kept breeding them as coats increased in his stock throughout the generations. Anyone who understands genetics will know about genetic linking. If you inbreed on one trait, other traits founded in the base genetics of the animals that carry the desired trait will also be compounded.

The research being brought to light on this web site is not intended to muddy the waters of today’s Whippet standard. It is simply intended to bring to light the scientific fact that some of what went into forming the Whippet in the first place is, of course, still there in the dna.

To learn more about the genetics behind the long haired coats of the Longhaired Whippet, click the link below:

Longhaired Gene Proven in Greyhounds: The Foundation Breed for Whippets