A N K C Now Recognises Lure Coursing

[SkySoaringMagpie]

]Yep, I understand the risks of injury in any dog, but more so, an unfit dog (I successfully raced whippets for years and was a professional greyhound lure driver) but I have wondered about the course design at some events. Whether the person setting it up really knows what they're doing. I couldn't say I'd recognise a good design from a bad one. I'm not criticising the lure coursing being recognised as a sport, in fact I'm pretty thrilled about it. That's unfortunate the ASFA doesn't want to share their course info. You'd think in the interests of dog safety and the promotion of the sport they'd be happy to.

I can say for sure that when we first started doing it privately we had close to NFI! Fortunately no harm was done, but now we've done it a lot more and have done a lot more research I can tell a good one from a bad one and some of the stuff we used to do makes me cringe a bit. All I can say is that people should ask questions, someone who knows what they are doing won't find it difficult to give specific answers about specific concerns. I hope you'll get involved in lure driving, it is a real skill too and if you've already done it for greyhounds you'll be one step ahead :)

[Kirislin]

]Yep, I understand the risks of injury in any dog, but more so, an unfit dog (I successfully raced whippets for years and was a professional greyhound lure driver) but I have wondered about the course design at some events. Whether the person setting it up really knows what they're doing. I couldn't say I'd recognise a good design from a bad one. I'm not criticising the lure coursing being recognised as a sport, in fact I'm pretty thrilled about it. That's unfortunate the ASFA doesn't want to share their course info. You'd think in the interests of dog safety and the promotion of the sport they'd be happy to.

I can say for sure that when we first started doing it privately we had close to NFI! Fortunately no harm was done, but now we've done it a lot more and have done a lot more research I can tell a good one from a bad one and some of the stuff we used to do makes me cringe a bit. All I can say is that people should ask questions, someone who knows what they are doing won't find it difficult to give specific answers about specific concerns. I hope you'll get involved in lure driving, it is a real skill too and if you've already done it for greyhounds you'll be one step ahead :)

thanks for being so honest, this is what I wondered and I'm glad you've learned from it with no harm to the dogs. I suspect there's other courses set up out there that dont have your knowledge. This is one reason why I haven't pushed for coursing in the club I'm involved in. We run a straight line drag and even that carries risk, mainly bumper injuries with the sliding stops. I'd love to get involved, I miss lure driving, I was good at it. I dont know if there's any basic "rules" for coursing lure drivers. With professional greyhound racing the lure is supposed to be between 5 and 8 metres in front of the leading dog. There's quite a skill in doing that, especially where I used to drive on a straight track so was looking at dogs coming out of the boxes almost head on and almost 300 mts away from me. If they need a driver in Vic I'm willing to have a go.

[Rebanne]

Yes I saw this today too, very exciting indeed :) Unfortunately non Sighthounds apart from Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Basenjis can't compete for Lure Coursing Titles, but they can obtain Coursing Ability titles.

I cannot trial my Salukis in a range of ANKC recognised breed specific disciplines (herding, RAFT, earth dog etc). I think this is completely appropriate. My Salukis were not bred for any of those disciplines, and those disciplines would not add anything to my breeding program, especially to my assessments about whether my Salukis were fit for function.

Lure coursing is not just chasing a bag on a string. It was designed by sighthound people for sighthounds, for their physical characteristics and their breed specific aptitudes. In most countries the only breeds who can compete are sighthounds. I think some respect should be shown to the sighthound people who worked hard for recognition, because they were prepared to include an all breeds stream, understanding that other breeds had an interest. They could easily have just put up a proposal that was sighthound only.

[Kirislin]

I wonder if IGs will be recognised as sighthounds in this case. They are in other countries but here they're classed as toys.

[Podengo]

In NZ iggies can earn coursing titles, they are a toy here too :)

NZKC Sighthound Coursing Regulations

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I wonder if IGs will be recognised as sighthounds in this case. They are in other countries but here they're classed as toys.

Yes IGs are recognised as sighthounds for lure coursing. The list is: Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Borzoi, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Pharaoh Hound, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, Whippet, and Italian Greyhound + Basenji and RRs.

[Kirislin]

In NZ iggies can earn coursing titles, they are a toy here too :)

NZKC Sighthound Coursing Regulations

I wonder if IGs will be recognised as sighthounds in this case. They are in other countries but here they're classed as toys.

Yes IGs are recognised as sighthounds for lure coursing. The list is: Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Borzoi, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Pharaoh Hound, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, Whippet, and Italian Greyhound + Basenji and RRs.

[Kirislin]

all you other Iggies better start training 'cause Neko's got a head start on you. :laugh:

Baby can RUN!! by kirislin, on Flickr

[Diva]

Nice form Neko!

Edited December 15, 2014 by Diva

[Kirislin]

Thanks Diva. Yes I was thrilled when I started seeing her run like this, she's had problems for quite a while and couldn't or wouldn't stretch out.

annoyingly her brother Arkey is much faster although it pains me to admit it.

5F6A4650dppt by kirislin, on Flickr

but she gets her prize in the end.

5F6A3501dppt by kirislin, on Flickr

[Diva]

One of the US Borzoi breeders has run a number of studies correlating various physical measurements with speed in the breed, the last one was about croup angle. It would be very cool to see how it plays out differently for different breeds but not likely to ever be done I guess, just doing Borzoi was huge effort. And of course heart can carry a dog a long way by itself.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Diva

[SkySoaringMagpie]

all you other Iggies better start training 'cause Neko's got a head start on you. :laugh:

Baby can RUN!! by kirislin, on Flickr

Awesome shot! Go Neko go!!

[Kirislin]

Awesome shot! Go Neko go!!

thanks, she's pretty cute when she runs, and quick for a tiny little dog, but when I compare her to her brother I find myself laughing when I watch her because she's so cute, but when I watch Arkey I just look on in awe. Now he is fast! Not as fast as a whippet but for his size he's amazing.

Not so sure about how agile he is though. He can run his little sister down in a few bounds but she's still pretty good at dodging him so it could be interesting to see who would be the better courser.

[Kirislin]

In NZ iggies can earn coursing titles, they are a toy here too :)

NZKC Sighthound Coursing Regulations

Just read that the lure should be between 10-25 metres in front of the leading dog. That's a long way ahead! In greyhounds they'd stop trying if it was so far ahead. I suppose it's mimicking a different situation though and a dog hunting in a field could well be that far behind a bunny where as racing greyhounds they just try to encourage them to run as fast as they possibly can.

[Diva]

As I understand it, a good lure operator will work to show the best a dog can do, not just speed but agility and follow. And not to disadvantage one dog unreasonably if a couple of dogs are running together. Part of that means having it far enough ahead going into a turn that they can see it turn and it doesn't just whip away. But the distance in front seems to vary a lot on the flat. I watched a very experienced lure operator run different breeds and levels of experience and she was very responsive to how each dog was running, I suspect it is a real skill to get the best from everyone.

I would love to see your Iggies course some day Kirislin, I have watched most sighthound breeds but not the little guys!

Edited December 15, 2014 by Diva

[Kirislin]

Yes, I've only ever seen it once, and the driver either wasn't that good or my whippet was too good. It's very different to greyhound race driving that's for sure. I might have to go along to some meets. I wonder where the next one is.

[sas]

Very disappointing about the breed restriction. The Great Dane was bred as an independent working hunting dog, we will just have to enjoy it as a fun activity. This is a photo of a past Dane when she was mature Lure Coursing, she was fit and healthy and enjoyed it.

Edited December 16, 2014 by sas

[CrazyCresties]

As someone who has done hare coursing years ago back in the UK, I understand the heritage behind why the breed restrictions are there, and maybe one day in the near future I might have another greyhound that I would be able to compete with. In the meantime non-sight hounds can still compete, not for Lure Coursing Titles, but they can obtain Coursing Ability titles.

It will be interesting to see how clubs work this, I know our club is mostly non-sighthounds, so they may do official runs under the ANKC rules but also retain a fun run element to it? I have no idea at the moment, but I do know a lot of people really enjoy lure coursing as a fun day out with their dogs and friends whatever breed they have.

Poppy having fun with lure coursing :)

Edited December 16, 2014 by CrazyCresties

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Very disappointing about the breed restriction. The Great Dane was bred as an independent working hunting dog, we will just have to enjoy it as a fun activity. This is a photo of a past Dane when she was mature Lure Coursing, she was fit and healthy and enjoyed it.

Hunting is not coursing tho'. Danes were used to hunt a variety of species, and only one that I can think of is a coursed species as well (deer).

[SkySoaringMagpie]

It will be interesting to see how clubs work this, I know our club is mostly non-sighthounds, so they may do official runs under the ANKC rules but also retain a fun run element to it? I have no idea at the moment, but I do know a lot of people really enjoy lure coursing as a fun day out with their dogs and friends whatever breed they have.

I can answer this for NSW, but not for Perth. In NSW the Afghan Club will continue to run fun days. So people who just want to have fun and not compete can still go to their fun days which are all breeds fun days.

People who want to compete for titles tho', will be able to branch off into trialling through the arrangements we are setting up. Those arrangements will ultimately include a club which won't be sighthound only, and I am hoping people of all breeds will stick their hands up to help. :)