Sighthound Proportions: Sizing a Whippet, Greyhound or Lurcher for Sleep

Whippets, greyhounds and lurchers don't fit the assumptions most dog bed advice is built around. A sighthound carries its length in a long back rather than in its legs, and it has very little body fat and thin skin over prominent bones. Those two facts change what makes a bed right for them: it needs to be long enough for a dog that likes to stretch out fully, and deep and soft enough that their elbows and hips are properly cushioned.

Why cushioning matters more for a sighthound

Most dogs carry a layer of fat and muscle between their joints and the floor. Sighthounds largely don't. The PDSA notes that whippets have prominent bones at the elbows, shoulders and hips and prefer thick, soft, snug bedding to avoid sores, and the same lean build runs through greyhounds and lurchers. A thin pad that suits a sturdier breed can leave a sighthound lying with little between its bones and the floor.

That makes the filling the first thing to look at. The MiaCara Mondo has a mattress of viscoelastic recycled foam that moulds to your dog's shape, inside structured foam side panels. The MiaCara Barca uses a memory foam mattress that conforms to your dog's weight and posture, held in a moulded foam frame. Both give a sighthound something to sink into rather than lie on.

Length: measure the dog, not the breed

Because so much of a sighthound's length is in the back, sizing a bed from a weight bracket can leave a surprisingly long dog with nowhere to stretch out. The reliable method is to measure your own dog lying flat, nose to the base of the tail, add a little clearance, and check that figure against the length column on the size table for the bed you're considering. Our dog bed size guide walks through that measurement step by step.

Three of our size tables name the Whippet directly, all at size M: the MiaCara Senso at 90 x 70cm, the Mondo at 91 x 71cm and the Mare Cushion at 100 x 75cm. Greyhounds and lurchers usually run longer again and aren't named on any of our tables, so measure and compare: our largest box beds run up to 120 x 93cm, which is the figure worth checking your dog against before you choose.

Sprawler, curler or roacher?

Sighthounds sleep in more than one way, and it's worth watching yours for a few nights before choosing a shape. Many stretch out to their full length. Plenty of greyhounds sleep flat on their backs with all four legs in the air, a habit owners call roaching. And on a cold evening, the same dog may curl up tight.

For a dog that sprawls or roaches, a low cushion rather than a walled bed means there is no high side to fold up against. The MiaCara Mare Cushion has a pre-formed hollow shaped into its recycled high-resilience foam and a raised outer edge to rest a head on, in sizes up to 120 x 90cm. For a dog that curls, or a bed in a draughtier spot, a bordered box bed such as the Senso or the Mondo gives the snug, enclosed feel that lean dogs often look for.

Warmth for a dog with little body fat

The same lean build that makes sighthounds so quick means they feel the cold more than most breeds, which is why so many of them wear a coat outdoors in winter. Indoors, a blanket helps. The MiaCara Senso Dog Blanket is a dense bouclé weave that gives insulating warmth without excessive weight, and its three sizes, 80 x 60cm, 100 x 75cm and 120 x 90cm, match our cushion sizes, so it can sit on top of a bed or give a dog who likes to burrow something to tuck into.

New to sighthounds?

If you've recently adopted a retired greyhound or a rescue lurcher, our guide to settling and styling an adopted sighthound covers the first weeks at home. And if you're here for collar sizing rather than beds, that's a different question: see why greyhounds and other sighthounds need a different style of collar.

Every bed mentioned here is in our full dog beds collection, where each product's size table is listed alongside its materials and care details.

Frequently asked questions

What size bed does a whippet need?

Our size tables name the Whippet at size M: 90 x 70cm on the MiaCara Senso, 91 x 71cm on the Mondo and 100 x 75cm on the Mare Cushion. Individual whippets vary, so it's still worth measuring your own dog lying flat before ordering.

How do I measure my sighthound for a bed?

Measure your dog lying flat, nose to the base of the tail, and add a little clearance. Compare that figure to the length column on the size table for the bed you're considering, rather than sizing from their weight or breed alone.

Why do sighthounds need a thicker bed?

Whippets, greyhounds and lurchers have very little body fat and prominent bones at the elbows, shoulders and hips, so a thin bed leaves those points with little cushioning. A deep foam mattress, such as the memory foam in the Barca or the viscoelastic foam in the Mondo, gives them something to sink into.

Is a sighthound bed different from a standard dog bed?

We don't sell a bed marketed specifically as a "sighthound bed". What changes is the size, depth and shape that suit a long-backed, lean dog best, which is a question of proportion and cushioning rather than a different product.