I sculpt my whippets by hand to match the photos of dogs sent to me.  I am currently sculpting them from Super Sculpey brand polymer clay (I hope to soon try out some Cernit clay -- it may be even stronger than the Super Sculpey), and I often use metal armatures for greater support.  Also, before baking I insert glass beads for the eyes (the hole in the bead resembles the pupil of a real eye).

     After baking the sculpture, I paint it with several layers of thin semi-transparent acrylic washes, building up the colors of the dog's coat.  This allows me to keep the paint thin where the dog's coat is thin(like the belly), letting the pink clay show through the coat just like the dog's skin does.

     The final details are applied with fine-haired brushes, and several coats of clear acrylic gloss are applied to the eyes (to imitate the clear watery layer in real eyes).