Why Don't Dogs Pop Wheelies?

Greyhounds don't have to slow down when taking a corner. Nor do they pop wheelies when they accelerate. Now scientists know why. Credit: © Nature

It never occurred to us to ask this question, but some scientists did. Then they created a mathematical model that predicted how fast a four-legged could accelerate without tipping over backward.

The longer a dog's back, the faster it can accelerate without "pawping" a wheelie, the model predicted.

So, off to the race track. Video of greyhounds bursting out of the gate showed they approached but didn't exceed the predicted limit.

Seems greyhounds are the dog of choice when studying stuff like this. A study in 2006 posed the question: Why don't greyhounds have to slow down in the corners? Answer: Their locomotion muscles are not needed for weight support, so their racing muscles don't feel as much of the extra force from the turn as we do.