The fastest chihuahua on record is Dancing To A Different BeetBox MX MXJ XF T2B FCAT TKI, who reached a top speed of 23.38 miles per hour during her Fast CAT run. Fast CAT is a timed 100-yard dash where dogs chase a lure one at a time. The record was set in 2021. Although this is the fastest known chihuahua, the average speed of (an inexperienced) running chihuahua is about 10 miles per hour.
Although it is possible that chihuahuas may be able to attain higher speeds, this is the fastest speed a chihuahua has been recorded at.
How Does This Compare to Other Breeds?
Despite being the smallest dog breed in the world, the chihuahua surprisingly isn’t the slowest. Although they are towards the bottom of breed rank, likely owing to their small stature, the Affenpinscher, Pekingese, Dachshund, Yorkshire Terrier, and 20 other breeds are slower than the chihuahua.
According to Pet Calculator, a fantastic website that analyzes pet stats, the average speed of a chihuahua is 16.3 miles per hour for males and 15.9 miles per hour for females. (Despite females being generally slower, the record holding dog is a female.)
There’s a mention various places on the internet of another chihuahua who has broken this record. We can find no evidence so far that this is true, but have reached out to the AKC, and other racing establishments for comment. We have not received a reply at this time.
Can I Train My Chihuahua to Run Fast?
The chihuahuas breaking records at Fast Cat have been given the proper conditioning and training to run fast. If you’d also like your pet to run fast, you can give them the same type of conditioning and training to get there.
Before you begin any new conditioning program however, you should check with your vet first. Chihuahuas are prone to luxating patellas, and running fast may cause them pain. They are also prone to heart problems that may not be visible until you start training.
It’s best to check with your vet to make sure they are healthy before beginning any new training program.
A quick way to help speed your dog’s overall times up is to do recall drills with your dog. This requires good practice at learning to come when called. Recall your pet, and time how fast the dog came to you. At first, reward all recalls, but then select and reward only the fastest.
Your pet will learn that when they come faster, they get a treat.
You can also make running fun for them by making your own lure with a toy on a string, and pulling it for them to chase. Although this is limited to your speed, it adds fun to the game.
Chihuahuas may not be the fastest breed out there, but they can achieve some pretty amazing speeds, especially considering how small they are. If you’ve ever thought of testing them out in a race or Fast Cat, give it a try! Your dog will likely love chasing a lure, and you’ll have fun too.
Similar Posts:
- What is Luring in Dog Training?
- Teaching Your Chihuahua Down, part 1
- The History of the Chihuahua
- It’s the Running of the Chihuahuas at the Wharf!
- How Much Exercise does a Chihuahua need?
[…] helping my husband repair the chicken coop, to see our then 13-year-old dog hurrying towards us at a very Un-Rocco like pace. He kept shaking his head, and then violently reared back. Somehow, he’d angered some sort of […]
With the holiday season approaching, we’re planning a trip with our dog. What tips can you share for preparing a pet for a long car ride? What should we bring along, and how can we minimize stress for our dog?
I should really write an article about this as we took an extended trip with our dogs a couple of years ago. I see you’ve posted this comment quite a few times, so I’ll just be replying here if that’s okay.
1. Microchip/collar with ID
Make sure your dog is microchipped. It’s easy for a dog to get lost while traveling, and a much narrower window of time to find it. Definitely microchip, and make sure the collar with ID is up to date.
2. Vet trip
Bring your dog to a vet. Tell them you are traveling and where you are going. It turns out we were traveling to a heart worm positive state, and we are not in one. They gave us medication for the trip. Our dogs are not generally anxious, but they got VERY anxious for the car ride after a few days of travel. I highly suggest asking for some anti-anxiety meds just in case you need them.
3. Collapsible water/food bowls, food and water your dog is used to
4. A kennel
This ended up being the most useful thing. It contained our dogs in the back, gave them freedom to move about while not risking them during an accident, and let us follow hotel rules.
I do recommend that you call ahead as many hotels aren’t pet friendly. We found air B&B the most reasonable about pets.
Hope that helps. Have fun on your trip!