Whippet chasing rabbit? Training gear that helps

A Whippet with a rescue rabbit in the house — that's a genuinely high-stakes situation, because sighthound prey drive isn't just excitement, it's a deeply wired reflex that kicks in faster than most dogs can even register a command. Good training tools amplify good technique, they don't replace it, but the right equipment makes a real difference here. To point you toward the most useful gear: what does 'chasing' look like — is the rabbit free-roaming, or does it happen through a barrier? And what have you tried so far in terms of training or management?

That's the core sighthound problem — once visual prey drive is triggered, the thinking brain is basically offline and no treat competes with the chase. What you need isn't better treats in that moment, it's a way to interrupt the arousal cycle before he locks on, and to build a conditioned focus response that fires faster than the prey reflex. A few quick things: how long have they lived together, and has he ever made contact with the rabbit, or is it pure chase without catching her?

That's genuinely useful — a biddable Whippet with good recall in normal conditions is very workable. The fact that he's never made contact and the rabbit has escape routes buys you time, but you're right that the stress alone is a welfare issue for her. The tool I'd point you to is a long line combined with a slip-on house lead — but more specifically, I'd recommend the Clix Multi-Surface Training Lead by Company of Animals. It's a lightweight 5-metre lead designed to be left trailing indoors; it gives you a physical interrupt you can step on or pick up the instant he orients toward the rabbit, before the chase begins. It means you can enforce a redirect without grabbing at him or raising the stakes, and it lets you start rewarding the exact moment he looks at her and then looks back at you — which is the behaviour you need to reinforce. Used consistently over a few weeks alongside 'look at that' desensitisation work, it closes the window between noticing the rabbit and bolting after her.

Supervised only — never leave a trailing lead on a dog unsupervised or when you leave the room, as it can snag on furniture legs. Think of it as an active training tool you put on when both animals are sharing the space, not a passive safety measure. As for ignoring it: the lead itself isn't the thing doing the work. You're using it to enforce a physical pause so you can redirect and reward before the chase loop completes. Over time, with repetition, the pause and the redirect become the habit — the lead is just the scaffold while you build that. Once he's reliably checking in with you when he spots the rabbit, you phase it out. Most owners see a meaningful shift within three to four weeks of consistent sessions.

Good plan. The 'Look at That' game from Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed is exactly the right framework for this — it teaches him that noticing the rabbit earns a reward rather than triggering a chase. Pair it with the trailing lead for physical management and you've got a solid approach. Give it a few weeks of short, calm sessions and you should start seeing him offer that check-in glance to you voluntarily. Good luck — and well done for taking it seriously early.