Every dog breed has its own reputation. Some are known for their brilliance or athleticism, others are known for their looks and personalities.

When it comes to speed than the lean and agile greyhound earns the honors. The greyhound is a part-time speedster, only going full throttle for short bursts. The rest of the time, this graceful dog is quite happy to lounge around.

It is a gentle and intelligent breed whose combination of long, powerful legs, deep chest, flexible spine, and slim build allows it to reach average race speeds exceeding 64 km per hour (40 mph). Males are usually 71 to 76 cm tall at the withers and weigh on average 27 to 40 kg. Females tend to be smaller, with shoulder heights ranging from 68 to 71 cm and weights from less than 27 to 34 kg.

The maximum acceleration of the greyhound can reach 45 mph (72 km/hr) within its first six strides from a standing start. The cheetah is the only other land animal with that degree of acceleration.

Greyhounds are the fastest member of a group of hunting dogs called sight hounds, since their job is to spot prey by sight and then run it down. Sight hounds include whippets, salukis and Afghan hounds, and they all have the huge chest, over-sized heart and narrow waist that lets them bend their body so that each stride carries them more than a full body length.

They are also known for sprinting, if they feel like going the distance, they can settle into a nice 35-mph pace and keep at it for as long as seven miles.