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All About the Fastest Dog Breeds

By Theresa Miller • December 1, 2023

Theresa is a tenured PuppySpot employee and breed expert. She is currently the manager of our Profile Approval department and interacts with our breeders on a daily basis. Theresa has been involved in the pet industry for over 19 years and has hands on experience with many dog breeds. Theresa is also the proud owner of Marta, a German Shepherd Dog who is a trained service dog, and a 12-year-old Maltese named Colonel!

Fast dogs are a fun addition to families that are active and high energy, especially for runners or joggers. If you’re thinking of getting a fast dog, ensure that you provide them with room to run and stretch their legs as they are bred to run! They’ll need access to a fenced yard or frequent visits to a large dog park (or daily leashed runs) to meet their exercise requirements.

Fast dogs need to be properly trained to respond to calls to return (especially sighthounds) as once these dogs start running, it’s hard to catch them! If they are off-leash in an unfenced area, they can easily take off chasing whatever has their attention.

Sighthounds tend to be some of the fastest breeds, but some non-hounds make the list as well. Some of our favorite fast dogs are:

	Greyhound Weighs 60-70 pounds Member of the sighthound family Very gentle, affectionate, and independent Bred purposefully for high speed, making them the fastest dog breed and can reach up to 45 mph An ancient breed with records that date 5,000 years ago
	Saluki Weighs 40-65 pounds Part of the sighthound family and is known for their extraordinary eyesight Can reach speeds up to 42 mph Highly adaptable and loyal but also independent One of the first breeds of dogs known to become domesticated.
	Afghan Hound Weighs 50-60 pounds This sighthound can reach up to 40 mph Their thick, silky coat requires regular grooming Aloof, dignified, and independent personality High energy and known for having bursts of silliness
	Whippet Weighs 25-40 pounds A fast and elegant sighthound that can reach up to 35 mph A quiet and well-mannered breed that only barks when necessary Sweet, gentle, graceful, and lovable companion
	Borzoi Weighs 60-105 pounds An elegant and graceful sighthound that can run 35-40 mph Will chase after small animals on the run, including squirrels, cats, and smaller dogs Loyal, calm, and affectionate Can be stubborn and training requires consistency.
	Vizsla Weighs 44-60 pounds An athletic sporting dog that can reach up to 40 mph Was developed as a hunting dog that could point and retrieve Is a velcro dog that doesn't like to be separated from their favorite person. High energy, easily trained, and enjoys mental exercises
	Doberman Pinscher Weighs between 70 and 100 pounds One of the fastest of the working dogs. Can reach up to 32 mph Fierce bark Smart Loyal and protective Can be highly trained Browse our available Doberman Pinscher puppies for sale
	Jack Russell Terrier Weighs between 13 and 18 pounds One of the fastest terrier breeds and can run up to 38 mph Come in two varieties: smooth and rough coat Smart and quick learners Devoted and affectionate Browse available Jack Russell Terrier puppies for sale
	Dalmatian Weighs between 35 and 70 pounds Can run for miles and can reach up to speeds up to 37 mph Muscular and energetic with lots of stamina Come in a variety of spotted colors (not just black) Good family dogs, especially with older children Intelligent and easy to train
	Border Collie Weighs between 30 and 45 pounds A swift herding dog that can reach 30 mph Smart dogs Easy to train Driven with a lot of stamina Need mental and physical stimulation