A typical Finnish Lapphund tops out around 21.3 mph in Fast CAT. The fastest one on record ran 28.53 mph. 1.4 mph slower than the typical dog (22.7 mph). The fastest Finnish Lapphunds outrun Usain Bolt's top speed by 0.7 mph.
Based on the best Fast CAT run of 161 Finnish Lapphunds, a typical Finnish Lapphund tops out at 21.3 mph, and half of them run faster than 22.1 mph. That makes the Finnish Lapphund the 128th fastest of the 226 breeds that have run Fast CAT.
19 Finnish Lapphunds have topped 25 mph, but none has reached 30 yet.
Among the most popular Herding breeds, the typical Finnish Lapphund is faster than 3 of 8. The Belgian Malinois is the quickest of the bunch at 26.9 mph, and the Collie (20.4 mph) runs closest to the Finnish Lapphund. Over Fast CAT's 100 yards, the 5.6 mph gap to the Belgian Malinois is about 1.99 seconds.
Allegro's Harbor The Raine Kai holds the fastest consistent run by any Finnish Lapphund: 28.53 mph at the St. Petersburg Dog Fanciers Association in Florida on June 19, 2021. That's 100 yards in 7.17 seconds.
On Dash-Hound, the fastest Finnish Lapphund is Mabel, with a best of 25.01 mph over 6 logged runs.
Finnish Lapphunds come in more than one Fast CAT height group. 79 measured over 18 inches and averaged 22.2 mph; 80 measured 12 to 18 inches and averaged 20.5 mph. Smaller dogs earn extra points per mph toward their titles, so the shorter ones rack up titles faster.
Not really, but more are running. In 2023, 51 Finnish Lapphunds ran Fast CAT, typically at 21.7 mph. In 2025 it was 61 dogs at 21.7 mph.
North Carolina has the most Finnish Lapphund runs, 274 of them, followed by South Carolina, Colorado, Georgia. The fastest Finnish Lapphund run in North Carolina is 26.81 mph.
Any AKC-registered Finnish Lapphund over 12 months old can enter, and your dog runs alone down a straight 100 yards. Most dogs figure out the lure fast. Have someone your dog will run to waiting past the finish line, because a dog that stops to check on you can lose a second or two.
Fast CAT rankings ยท How fast is a dog?
Speeds from AKC Fast CAT results. Photographers: spotted your work? Tell us at [email protected] and we'll credit it or take it down.