Hounds run in packs of three and must wear a light, soft blanket in pink, yellow or blue to help differentiate each dog. Lure Coursing trials are competitive where their ability to follow the lure over a course is scored according to a structured point system. They are judged on categories such as follow, speed, agility and endurance.
A mechanical lure which consists of a white plastic bag attached to a movable line positioned slightly above the ground is controlled by a lure operator who moves the white bag in quick manner across a field according to the course layout, simulating the unpredictability of a real chase. Most all Sighthound breeds love lure coursing events.
It provides them a great outlet to use their natural ability to run fast and visually focus on something in motion. Females in season, injured, or blind dogs cannot participate. All dogs regardless of height run the same distance, but shorter dogs will receive a handicap when calculating their total points.
The run is timed and your dog is given a certain number of points at the end of each run to account for how fast they run mph. The first title you can receive in this event is called a BCAT, which requires points. For context, Kokoro received 33 points during her first run and completed the yards in just under 10 seconds. Most dogs can achieve the BCAT title in just 4 to 5 runs! This is the one Kokoro ran yesterday.
Taller dogs run the full yards and must complete the course under 2 minutes to qualify. Once you complete 3 qualifying runs, you receive the first title: CA Coursing Ability. Sighthound owners and breeders often still use Lure Coursing as a test of function for their specific breed.
Lure Coursing is a great way to keep your dog physically and mentally fit. As a result, a dog should be fit when starting to lure course, so regular exercise needs become a part of your routine if you think this is something for you and your dog.
All dogs must be at least one year of age to compete and any breed can compete within the two streams available.
The lure should give enough notice to dogs that the turn is coming by being far enough out in front of them they see it and can make the turn physically. If they blow past it and have to make a sharp turn to get back on track, that is super risky for torn muscles and ligaments.
Also watch out that the terrain allows the string to stay close to the ground. A string that comes too high will slice the dog with a "line burn" at best. At worst, they can catch a paw on it and get tangled, severing a ligament as the string wraps around a leg. I've seen it happen on a whippet. The huntmaster should not be any random volunteer, but a person who knows how to check that the collar and leash are on properly so the dog doesn't have anything dangling that can catch on the line.
They should have a knife handy to cut the line if the dog gets tangled in it. They are the last line of defense against injury. The huntmaster should be paying attention to each dog that runs, not preoccupied with getting the next person running or, worse, chatting with the other volunteers. If a dog gets tangled, the huntmaster should be ready to cut the line within seconds to prevent serious injury.
Finally, pulleys are bone breakers. A dog that runs right on the line can not only slice a toe on the string, but step on a pulley. MANY whippets I know have broken toes stepping on pulleys. Look at where the pulleys are on the course. Are they set in places the dogs are likely to run? A tie down pulley to keep the string down on a straight away can be a MAJOR hazard and should only be placed by someone that really knows what they are doing. I know a whippet who had a terrible break of her front leg when the bag caught on the tie down pulley and she smashed into the pulley to make the "take" of the bag.
Pulleys in corners are appropriate -- dogs don't turn on a dime, so they don't typically hit those pulleys. A pulley in a straight away, however, should have a cone near it to signal to the dog to run around it.
The lure operator should also keep the bags far enough in front of the dog that if a bag catches on a pulley, the dog sees it and slows enough before pouncing on the bag and the pulley that they don't break their teeth or their neck coming in to make the grab.
Similarly, at the finish the lure op should stop the bags far enough from the pulleys at the finish line that there is no risk they will grab the bag and slide into the pulleys. One of my dog's littermates died when a bag caught on a pulley in a turn and she made a dive to make the "take" of the bag with the metal pulley behind it. She broke her neck.
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