EncyclopediaPet Training

How fast can a dog run?

Good at chasing prey, in addition to small animals that escape quickly, passing motor vehicles are often chased by it roaring and screaming.


There are many breeds of dogs. Due to the different breeds and different uses, after a long-term evolution process, the dog’s athletic ability is very different, but its body structure is basically the same. Generally, a dog is an agile, active animal with a habit of running fast and hard. Dogs have strong bones and well-developed muscles, which are the basis for their fast running. Dogs can not only run fast, but also maneuverable, which is due to its long lumbosacral bone.


Many breeds of dogs have strong jumping ability, and after training, they can flexibly jump over high or wide obstacles. In the competition, the jumping ability of the dog should be assessed. Generally, the height of jumping is not less than 1.5 times of the dog’s body distance, and the width of jumping over obstacles is not less than 2 or 5 times of the body height. A racing dog can jump 548 cm while running, a German shepherd can jump 609 cm, and well-trained military, police and guard dogs must be able to jump over a height of 243 cm, and some even climb a board 356 cm high wall. Although the dog does not have freely retractable toenails, and the paws cannot be grasped, however, the dog also has its outstanding ability in climbing.

Some hounds can climb trees on all fours, or jump from the ground with their excellent bouncing power to capture prey, and some breeds of dogs (such as the Basenji) have been trained to use all fours to perform climbing or maneuvering skills. All dogs have a natural ability to swim, and certain breeds (such as the Newfoundland and some other water rescue dogs) are particularly strong swimmers and are resistant to cold and humidity.

The mobility of different dogs varies greatly. Domestic companion dogs can walk no more than 16 kilometers per day. On the contrary, shepherd dogs can walk almost 160 kilometers per day and can exercise continuously for 6 weeks. A pack dog can carry nearly half its weight, and a sled dog can haul twice its weight and walk at speeds of 3-5 km/h.

The dog’s 100-meter record was 5.925 seconds set by a Dutch greyhound in 1971, almost twice as fast as a human’s 100-meter speed. It is the average domestic medium-sized dog, and its speed of 100 meters does not exceed 10 seconds. Dogs can run up to 69 kilometers per hour.

Dogs are famous for their endurance and can run for tens of kilometers in a row. For example, a messenger dog during the First World War ran a distance of 21.7 kilometers in only 50 minutes. The most famous is the sled rally held near the North Pole, where a dozen dogs pull hundreds of grams and gallop on snow with freezing winds below -40 degrees, with only a few hours of rest every day. According to records, a dog can pull 100 kilograms of objects on the snow.

The hind limbs of the dog are strong and muscular, so the dog is also a high jumper and can jump over obstacles up to 5 meters high.

The farthest jump was in 1849, when a British dog named “Ban” jumped over a canyon with a width of 9.14 meters when chasing a mountain rabbit.

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