How fast can a dog run?

Some breeds of dog can run much faster than others, and the fastest dog of all is the greyhound. A fully grown greyhound can run at the astonishing speed of about 56 k.p.h., that is, at nearly a kilometer a minute.

Because greyhounds runs so fast, greyhound racing is a poplar sport. At a greyhound racing track, the dogs are put in a series of boxes called traps. Then an electrically-driven imitation hare starts to move round a rail running beside the track. As the hare runs past the traps, the doors are released and in their excitement the dogs rush out in pursuit. As in horse racing, people place bets on which dog will be first past the winning post.