dog and rabbit

Can Rabbits Run Faster Than Dogs?

Contemplating how fast rabbits are compared to other animals is a timeless thought. Stories like The Tortoise and the Hare […]

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dog and rabbit

Contemplating how fast rabbits are compared to other animals is a timeless thought. Stories like The Tortoise and the Hare are so popular worldwide that it’s easy to question a potential race between animals, with dogs no exception.

In most cases, dogs are much faster than rabbits, primarily because their body structures allow them to gain more speed. However, one of the most significant factors in these races is the specific breeds of rabbits and dogs being examined.

One of the best examples of this would be the significant differences between a breed like a chihuahua, which can top out at around 10 miles per hour, and something like the average German Shepherd, which easily reaches a speed of 30 miles per hour.

This article discusses how fast rabbits and dogs can run and what affects the speed. This might be useful later, so we encourage you to continue reading for more information.

 

Who Is Faster, A Rabbit Or A Dog?

 

On average, most normal breeds of dogs are significantly faster than rabbits, but this is considering that the goal is to outpace the rabbit, not actually to capture it for any reason. Rabbits can maintain their speeds while making certain unique turns and pivots, while dogs will take time to adjust while moving at top speeds and then achieving those speeds again.

If the goal were for the dog to capture the rabbit, other factors would come into play. Some examples are the distance between the two animals when the initial chase began, how far away a hiding hole, or similar escape method was, and finally the breeds of both animals would allow you to reach the ultimate answer in the hypothetical circumstance.

Assuming the surroundings of the racing arena were favorable to the rabbit, like a thick forest with a lot of bush growth and other miscellaneous foliage that would help mask its escape and hinder the dog’s innate mobility advantage, were considered. The rabbit would be the clear-cut winner in most scenarios. This is why species and location play an essential role in the question.

rabbit

How Fast Can A Rabbit Run?

 

A healthy, wild rabbit can reach a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour, with domesticated rabbits being slightly slower and capping out at about 35 miles per hour. The biggest reason between these two speeds boils down to a life of luxury, as opposed to a life based on survival of the fittest.

A domesticated rabbit never truly needs to utilize the maximum capabilities of its body, push those limits to fully activate every muscle it has, or learn how to utilize its maximum potential. In contrast, a wild rabbit’s only choice is to indulge in what nature has blessed it to see another day potentially.

The top speed that a rabbit can achieve is heavily influenced by four major factors: the rabbit’s breed, how old and healthy the animal is when tested for top speed, what is pushing it to run, and whether or not that stimuli is enough to make it reach top speeds, and finally, its overall size.

 

What Affects A Rabbit’s Speed?

 

Briefly glazing over these factors above, we can see that they play a major role in how fast the rabbits themselves will be as opposed to whatever is capturing them. The domestication factor also should be noted when attempting to ask the question of a rabbit’s top speed, as it will play into the “motivation” behind the run in the first place.

 

1. Age And Health

 

A rabbit in the peak of its physical health and free of the cumbersome wear and tear of time will perform far better than a rabbit riddled with medical issues in old age. So, you can expect a steep difference in the maximum speeds between an old and fully mature rabbit.

One of the most notable differences between a rabbit in its prime and a rabbit that is getting on in years is the muscle elasticity and overall stamina needed to achieve the highest speeds it is capable of. Older rabbits are also much more likely to suffer from health conditions, muscle deterioration, and other issues that will limit their ability to perform as far as speed is concerned.

 

2. Motivation

 

Even Olympic athletes usually need some kind of motivation behind why they run. Whether it’s a promise made to their parents, wanting to prove to themselves they can achieve more than what they think they are capable of, or simply a drive to be the best, motivation is as much of a key factor in a rabbit’s speed as it is in a human runner’s needs.

Unfortunately, in order for a rabbit to truly reach its top speed, it needs to be convinced that its life is in peril. This will persuade it to give everything it has to escape, with the price for failure being its life. While this may sound morbid, it is simply a fact of life in the animal kingdom. It remains one of the biggest reasons wild animals are so much stronger and faster than domesticated ones.

As a side note, this does not mean that if you attempt to “scare” your domesticated rabbit into thinking it is in danger, it will achieve similar speeds. It may run faster than normal, but this interaction would obviously traumatize your rabbit and potentially injure it because it is unaccustomed to this fight-or-flight scenario.

 

3. Breed

 

A rabbit’s breed determines a myriad of different factors, ranging from size, length, diet, and predators it would need to outrun or outmaneuver. All of these ultimately define its genetic makeup and determine its potential top speed from a physical capability standpoint.

One good example of this would be to compare a breed of rabbit known for its speed and athleticism, like the English Spot. At a passing glance from someone who knows very little about rabbits, this could assume that it would be much faster than a cumbersome English Lop, which has a larger body and very long ears that can inhibit its speed by either snagging on things or tripping over them.

 

4. Size

 

Unless you are considering some kind of muscle-bound giant, no one would exactly think a larger animal would be capable of higher speeds. This is true regarding rabbits, but there are two different trains of thought when thinking about size.

A discernible difference in size between breeds could easily translate into a higher maximum speed, assuming the breed itself is capable of performing when needed. The other side of the coin is to consider a difference in size when comparing rabbits of the same breed but observing stages in maturity, mainly whether the rabbit is fully mature or not.

A mature rabbit of a respectable breed will dwarf that of a younger rabbit that hasn’t had as much experience with its body and becomes acclimated to what it is capable of when it needs to run.

dog

How Fast Can A Dog Run?

 

Truthfully, the same variables and factors that apply to a rabbit would also apply to a dog or any animal. The simplest answer would be that the average breed of dog can reach about 30 miles per hour, whilst racing breeds can achieve speeds of 45 miles per hour.

When directly thinking of the breed that can hit 45 miles per hour, we are referencing a Greyhound, which has been bred for speed and runs in courses specifically designed to capitalize on the dog’s physiology in order to allow it to achieve its maximum potential. If the courses it ran had zig-zags or other changes, it more than likely wouldn’t be capable of replicating these speeds.

 

Can A Dog Catch A Rabbit?

 

Yes, hypothetically, most larger breeds of dog are capable of catching a rabbit, but the exact location where the chase began, the breed of rabbit, and other factors would need to be explored to get a better idea of how likely it is to play out.

If the rabbit was a considerable distance from the dog when it was originally spotted and lived in the area, it would likely be used to animals attempting to capture it and thus have a place in mind it would escape to that would cause it to be out of reach for the dog or any other predator.

Alternatively, if the dog were to more or less get the jump on the rabbit with very little distance between them, the dog could reach its mid-stride faster than the rabbit could at its top speed, meaning it would be captured.

 

Can Pet Rabbits Run Away?

 

Yes, pet rabbits escape every day, with the only discernible differences in how they got away being how attentive the owner was to the factors that inevitably led to their pet’s escape.

Carefully examining your rabbit’s cage for exploitable damage or even putting it in a situation where it can escape its enclosure is all it takes to disappear into the local forest.

If you are intending on taking your rabbit outside, or even out of its cage, you should be mindful of factors that could allow it to either get hurt, or be in a position to outpace you, as these two choices are all it truly takes for your rabbit to escape.

 

How Does A Rabbit’s Speed Compare To Other Animals?

 

Rabbits are actually quite swift in comparison to other land-based animals. Wild ones can reach 45 miles per hour, which is pretty phenomenal. Still, a cheetah, for example, can hit a maximum of 70 miles per hour. Now, this difference in speed makes the cheetah dwarf the rabbit, but when you consider that to be the greatest a land animal is capable of, being half as fast is quite respectable in comparison.

If we are to allow all animals, however, you would find that birds can easily outpace a cheetah. The Peregrine Falcon can reach a whopping 242 miles per hour while diving towards prey it has spotted, which makes it a literal blur compared to the cheetah.

 

Should You Be Concerned With Having Dogs And Rabbits?

 

While you shouldn’t necessarily be concerned with your dog going out of its way to hunt your rabbit down and hurt it, you should be aware that they are both animals and that real life is not a Disney fairy tale. Occasionally, animal instincts take over their otherwise well-trained behaviors, and they will go slightly feral in an attempt to hurt the rabbit.

One of the best choices you can make to attempt to stop this from happening would be to remove the possibility or the temptation from happening, and keep these two animals (or two different kinds of animals if you have multiples of both), separated and limit the contact they can possibly have with one another.

Training your dog to view your rabbit as part of the family and ensuring it won’t target it or attempt to “play” with it isn’t impossible. Still, that process isn’t something everyone is capable of doing. There isn’t a way to test that training without putting the rabbit at direct risk, so speaking with an experienced trainer or learning directly from a video might be your best bet if you truly need them to be constantly within the same area.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Whilst there are several scenarios in which a rabbit can be undeniably faster than a dog and vice versa, if you are viewing the two of them as pets and want to ensure they both live long and meaningful lives, keeping them at arm’s length might be one of the safest bets you have at giving them and yourself a pleasant life.

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