How fast can a whippet run

The greyhound's lean body creates an inverted "S" shape, from a deep chest curve and a high, tucked-in waist that's close to their back legs. Their streamlined body makes them perfectly suited to fast, short-distance running.

The American Kennel Club says that greyhounds have a narrow, aerodynamic skull and shock-absorbing footpads, creating a running style and gait built for speed.

Like cheetahs, greyhounds run using a rotatory (or rotary) gallop style, which lends itself to sprinting, explains the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

In this gait, the order of the legs hitting the ground rotates: First the front left leg touches down, then front right, then rear right, and then rear left. In one stage, their bodies and legs are stretched out parallel to the ground, and in the other stage their bodies are compressed with front and rear legs overlapping beneath the animal.

This is when the legs pound the ground to push forward with speed.

Animals that use this gait include carnivores (like cheetah

how fast can a greyhound run

how fast can a greyhound run 100m