Swifter than a running deer...

[bunn]

This morning we found a deer when out walking. My immediate reaction was to grab Az and get him on-lead, and fortunately I managed to do that before he worked out what was going on.

Mollydog saw the deer first and took off after it like a speeding bullet, but there was no help for that, I was busy with Az. Az safely on lead, I turned to look for Mollydog, only to see her *overtake* the deer, do a big victory circuit round the field and come racing back to tell me how she WON THE RACE. Who said racing greyhounds only run because they want to catch things...?

I had to give her a round of applause when she arrived back in front of me (she loves applause) she looked so pleased with herself.

Comments

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

Well a google search suggested http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0004737.html
which gives slightly under 40 MPH for a greyhound and in the low 30s for various species of deer.

Interestinly humans are recorded at 27.5 MPH.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

ISTR the Guinness book of records saying that a red deer had registered at 45mph on a police radar, but I'm not sure - I'll check this evening.

Wikipedia gives the record for the 4 x 100 metres in 37.4 seconds, which equates to 24.1 mph - I don't think human beings have been timed faster as part of a race, but maybe they have over very limited distances.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

This was a roe deer, so not quite so speedy. I doubt that Mollydog at the age of 8 with a dodgy leg can do 40mph, but she is quick enough to run rings round a roe deer.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I wonder what a hare can do.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Hares are fast, but not straight-line fast. They can evade a single greyhound because they jink faster than a hound can turn. It's why, if you were coursing to actually kill hares for the pot (or hound food) and not as a test, you'd use two sighthounds.

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

Rabbits use a similar avoidance technique, but the dalmation cross (mentioned in my comment below) could catch them sometimes.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Mollydog and Az have never caught a rabbit. Well, I don't think Mollydog really tries that hard, but for Az they are actually too small and slow, he shoots past them and can't turn in time.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Greyhound 41.7 mph
Red deer 42 mph

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

For rabbits and hares, one meta-source is here:
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/RobertCohen.shtml