Hi everyone!
Who is the most athletic pet you’ve ever met or looked after? Was it speed, stamina, jumping, or something else that impressed you?
Share your experiences in the replies… bonus points for photos or funny stories!
Jenny 
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Hi @Jenny
We once looked after five show whippets at the same time. Each had to be walked separately in carefully timed 20‑minute bursts, and their meals were served one by one in a strict order, while the others patiently waited in their crates. Outdoors they had individual enclosures for safety, but inside… well, “family time” meant all five running amok, leaping over each other, the furniture, and occasionally us.
It was all fine until the very last night when two decided to leap at the same time and sent a full glass of red wine flying across the cream carpet 
. Let’s just say that was our “oops” moment of the week. Athletic? Absolutely. Graceful? Not so much! 
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Oh I love whippets @WeRPAWsome that sounds like absolute chaos though! 
Did the carpet survive?
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Unfortunately no @Jenny it did not and unsurprisingly the HO was less than impressed
Oh well; you win some, you lose some 
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Zorro SUPER DOG Extraordinaire
Cross country jumping
Frisby catcher
Sea and River swimming
Whole day hill trekking
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We’ve looked after some high energy dogs. But most athletic - in terms of raw energy - is without question, working cocker spaniel. Over the last three years, we’ve looked after four working cocker spaniels. First time was substantially eye-opening - as we’d never before walked a dog via whistle commands. Each time take a deep breath and have an open conversation. During 2025, our housesit included this young working cocker spaniel (photo). Pet Parent lived close to fields and dog was well trained to whistle. But every time, dog ran fast and immediately off-leash (as with owner). Takes a certain confidence to walk a dog where 90% of the time it is not in sight (as with owner). Rather it pops out over now and again, from adjacent field or trees. And responds to whistle command to return (phew). We can’t even conceive the distance travelled but dog seemed to sprint for over an hour. Every day. And still be keen.
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I would have to say my recent pet, Minnie. Minnie came fetching at 10 weeks. She was 10 months when we first got to the beach her first summer, and went from awkward dog paddle to being the fastest swimmer on dog beach within a week. She started with frisbee. She was such a natural, I was asked by competitors if they could take her to competitions. She could leap 4 feet in the air to catch the thing. And she could jump in and out of the dog run in NYC. She was a cattle dog mix. Of course, all that activity cost me thousands in back surgery and stem cell injections in her shoulder when she got older, but she had a great, active life.
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I try to avoid athletic dogs, but have sat a couple of year-old ones separately who had me laid out energy wise. Never again.
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I never sat this Border Collie but we did a famous route called High Street in the Lake District, Cumbria, UK. The dog not only did the 25 mile route it ran continuallyfrom the front to the back of the group of walkers, herding us up, no doubt, now I come to think of it. Well we all finished so job done! The dog still had some go left! What a star! In a group of his own!
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My Little Spoon who weighs all of 2kg or so soaking wet loves to jump out of my bedroom window when we wake in the mornings. Jumping down is no big deal as…….she’s an agile and young cat. But jumping back UP 2.5m impresses me every day.
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Really gorgeous!
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Hi, we did 2 back to back weekends with 2 Australian sheep dogs, I’m almost 6ft tall & when I open the front door they jumped as high as me! They were too strong for us to walk with our daughter which was a shame because they needed burning out! They did love playing with the ball & having fusses but it did put us off that breed unfortunately.
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The athleticism of many cats is underrated. I recently cared for a Siamese kitten (under one year) who would toss a large and heavy stuffed cat in the air and leap up to grab it in her mouth. The thing was half her size.
Similarly, I had a cat who could jump several feet in the air to catch a toy.
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It’s been so great to hear about everyone’s athletic pet friends!
I’ve recently discovered that my elderly cat Walter can jump from a low table, up into the top half of my wardrobe! He used to be very nimble, but is a bit more laid back now, so I was impressed to see him reach such a height on his own.
Have any of you had any surprises like that?
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If I leave a Shepherd’s Pie “ out of reach”on a kitchen window ledge, on a sit , I’m often in store for a surprise lol! I lost half of one to a very long tongue! He enjoyed it before it was cool enough to put in the fridge! Now I leave it cool in the oven!
On another occasion I trusted my Alsatian Lab cross with a high up Christmas Cake! On my return the invited guests had to make do with small slices of what remained out of reach.. Luckily the athletic dog survived his feast too.
My placid Great Dane once joined a field of sheep after a skip and a jump! Luckily they had good fleeces but I suddenly became quite agile and vocal myself! After that never off lead near sheep! No harm was done but when all is said and done a hunting dog is a born hunter!
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This saluki in Zandvoort
was an ex racing dog who’d been rescued from Qatar & ran like a bullet!
#bimbathebullet
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We looked after a Saluki in Suffolk. He had an enclosed paddock to run in and we couldn’t let him off the lead or we would never have seen him again! He was a bit of a handful, he could open the thumb latch lock on the kitchen door.
The biggest worry was when we took him out in the car, he wouldn’t sit down until we got to the end of their very long drive. Once we turned on to the road he promptly laid down. We were worried he would break a leg, so had to proceed very carefully.
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Bimba pulled me over so I landed in the main road and nearly dislocated Mus’ shoulder. She was bonkers but fun! And then complete turnaround and like a sleeping cat at home. #salukilove
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