What Makes Sighthounds So Fast?

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108 – June, 2023

By Caroline Coile

I’m not sure “sighthound” is the best term for the group of dogs we call sighthounds. Mostly because any dog will chase by sight as long as their quarry is within view. So to say that a sighthound is any dog that hunts by sight is akin to saying that a sighthound is any dog with eyes.

The thing that really sets a sighthound apart is its speed. If a dog sees an armadillo, or a turtle, and runs it down, that doesn’t make it a sighthound. Just because a dog chases a lure for a CAT or FastCAT title it doesn’t make it a sighthound, any more than passing a nosework trial, or sniffing at something on the ground, makes it a scenthound. Again, it’s the speed at which sighthounds run that sets them apart. Sighthounds are fast. But what makes them fast?

Sighthounds run with a double-suspension gallop. Unlike heavy dogs and horses, which have only one period during their galloping stride in which all four legs are off the ground at once (the period when they are all contracted beneath the body), sighthounds and several other breeds have two periods of suspension during their fastest gallop: the contracted phase, like the horse, plus the extended phase, like the picture of the Greyhound on the side of the bus. A double-suspension gallop is necessary but not sufficient for great speed. Note that Dachshunds regularly use a double-suspension gallop.

Sighthounds have flexible spines. To have a double-suspension gallop, a dog ideally has a flexible spine (which is often but not always slightly arched at rest), and a comparatively long and slender loin. Most dog people are raised to think short loins equal good loins. That’s true in horses and many breeds. But the sighthound loin is part of its running gear, and essentially is an extension of the rear legs. It must be long enough to bend to the point the hind legs pass in front of the front legs, and then straighten to allow a full push-off.

Click here to read the complete article
108 – June, 2023

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