"They are not," she said. "They are very quiet around the house. They like to sleep a lot. People think they also need a lot of exercise, but they don't need any more exercise than any other dog."
Adley walks hers for about an hour a day, and they are happy with that, she said.
When she spoke to The Chief, the British Columbia Whippet Racing Club (BCWRC) president had just wrapped up hosting two race days at a field at Brennan Park Recreation Centre.
The annual event took a hiatus last year due to the pandemic.
Typically the club races three times a year, though all of 2020's races were cancelled and then May and June races this year were also kiboshed.
"That brought us to a two-year circle, right back to where we last were, which is Squamish," Adley said.
The pandemic still impacted the two-day event held Aug. 22 and 23.
About half the usual participants were able to attend, Adley said.
Some couldn't make it from Alberta due to wildfires; others from the U.S. didn't want to brave the border protocols, though one fellow came up from California on Sunday, and a woman came from Washington State.
All told, 20 dogs raced on Saturday and 15 on Sunday. A handful of other whippet owners brought their dogs to practice over the weekend.
A former Squamish resident, Adley now lives in Horseshoe Bay and said about a dozen other folks are involved with whippet racing in the Sea to Sky.
"Usually, we would get a lot more [from the U.S.], but having to get the COVID test — and trying to find a rapid test — and all that and it was a bit expensive," Adley said. "That definitely affected our numbers. We are still feeling the effects of it, but the B.C. people came out, so that was good."
It is always heartening to see how many photographers and spectators show up to watch the Squamish races, she added.
The races have been held in Squamish for more than 20 years.
"It is considered one of the best fields in North America," Adley said of the Brennan Park field. "The District takes such good care of it. It is irrigated, it is lush … I think we don't necessarily realize what we have in Squamish in terms of the effort those people put into keeping those grounds. They really are quite special."
Adley said she couldn't know for sure, but it seemed like the dogs were extra happy to be racing after the long pandemic break."They love running, and for some dogs, it had been a long time. So, yes, I would say there was a little more excitement, a little more tugging, a little more barking."
Adley noted that whippets are pets and there is no betting involved with the racing — as there can be with other forms of dog racing, such as with greyhounds.
Whippet racing is done for fun for the dogs and the owners, she said.
"These are all house pets that then go home and sleep on the couch. My dogs slept on the couch all day Monday after such an exciting weekend," she said.
Adley's family has owned whippets since 1971.
"We got one as a pet when I was four years old and our family has had them ever since," she said, noting her mother has been breeding whippets since the early 70s.
According to breeding sites, the dogs aren't overly expensive breeds (between $1,000 to $2,500), but she said it takes time, patience, and research to acquire one.
Find out more about the British Columbia Whippet Racing Club (BCWRC) on its website
Here are the Squamish race results:
Saturday — Straight racing, 200 yards:
1st - Axl - owned by Jenna Eberl from Washington
2nd - Drever - owned by Phillip Urwin from Alberta
3rd - Cutter - also owned by Jenna Eberl
Sunday — Oval racing — 300 yards:1st - Axl - owned by Jenna Eberl from Washington
2nd - Mambo - owned by Frank Moralis of California
3rd - Sween - also owned by Frank Moralis
