🐕 African wild dog vs Cheetah 🐆
The cheetah is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. The cheetah is about twice as fast as the African wild dog. The cheetah weighs about twice as much as the African wild dog.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🐆 Cheetah |
|---|---|---|
| Size The cheetah is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 5.8 to 7.4 ft1.8 to 2.3 m2 |
| Top speed The cheetah is about twice as fast as the African wild dog. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | 60 to 70 mph96 to 112 km/h2 |
| Weight The cheetah weighs about twice as much as the African wild dog. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 75 to 141 lb34 to 64 kg2 |
| Lives The African wild dog lives a bit longer than the cheetah. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 8 to 10 years8 to 10 years2 |
| Eats Both eat meat. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran |
Which one? African wild dog or cheetah
🏁 Who would win the race?
The cheetah gets to the tree first. Over a short dash it is about twice as fast as the African wild dog. But a cheetah can only keep up its top speed for a short dash.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
11 things to know about African wild dog vs Cheetah
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The cheetah: The fastest runner on land, built light and long like a greyhound.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The cheetah is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
- The cheetah weighs about twice as much as the African wild dog. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cheetah.
- The cheetah is about twice as fast as the African wild dog. Top speeds: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cheetah.
- The African wild dog lives a bit longer than the cheetah. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cheetah.
- Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The African wild dog: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The cheetah: needs help (Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐕 African wild dog
- An African wild dog can run fast in a chase.
- Its coat is a patchwork of colors.
- It lives on the savanna and in open woodland.
🐆 Cheetah
- A cheetah can't roar. It purrs, and it makes a chirp like a bird.
- The black lines from its eyes to its mouth may help cut the glare of the sun.
- Its claws stay out a little, like the spikes on a runner's shoes.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Cheetah
Which is bigger, African wild dog or cheetah?
The cheetah is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or cheetah?
The cheetah weighs about twice as much as the African wild dog. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cheetah.
Which is faster, African wild dog or cheetah?
The cheetah is about twice as fast as the African wild dog. Top speeds: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cheetah.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or cheetah?
The African wild dog lives a bit longer than the cheetah. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the cheetah.
What do African wild dog and cheetah eat?
Both eat meat. The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra; the cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares.
Where do African wild dog and cheetah live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The cheetah lives in the grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, and a few in Iran. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do African wild dogs eat cheetahs?
The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra. Cheetahs are not in that list, which comes from its page. And the cheetah is about one and a half times as long as the African wild dog.
Do cheetahs eat African wild dogs?
The cheetah eats antelopes such as gazelles and impalas, and hares. African wild dogs are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, African wild dog or cheetah?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/african-wild-dog-vs-cheetah
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Cheetah, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.