"Tally-ho" - Welcome to the Wonderful World of Lure Coursing

By Karen Fasciano

The vision of a Sighthound (a hound the hunts by sight) in motion, running flat out in pursuit, is truly breathtaking. While conformation shows can expose the public to the tranquil beauty of these dogs, relatively few people have the opportunity to witness these breeds in real action. Lure coursing will give you this opportunity in a controlled and safe environment.

Lure coursing is different things to various people. It's an opportunity to let our Sighthounds succumb to their instinct; it is an enjoyable day spent with friends who have a common interest; it is time spent with your best friend in a fairly secluded and beautiful outdoor setting; it is a visually exciting sport that is both poetic and strenuous. Best of all, it is something that the dogs themselves love to do

In simple terms, coursing means to run or race after something. Lure coursing is a simulation of a rabbit (the lure) in flight from predators (the hounds) who chase after it. For humane reasons, live rabbits have thankfully been replaced by white plastic bags which are moved through the coursing field by means of a special string at ground level with pulleys controlling the direction. The lure makes sudden turns, veers off in various directions, and often does the unexpected as a rabbit would if pursued.

The object is for the hounds to course the "bunny" until it completes the pre-determined pattern at which point they are allowed to catch it. A lure operator ensures that the lure always stays slightly ahead of the dogs until the course ends.

While most dogs instinctively love to chase and capture, the Sighthound breeds are specifically bred for this purpose and therefore are the most adept at following a lure. Under the Canadian Kennel Club rules, lure coursing trials are only open to the following breeds:

Afghan Hounds
Basenjis
Borzois
Greyhounds
Ibizan Hounds
Irish Wolfhounds
Pharaoh Hounds
Salukis
Scottish Deerhounds
Whippets

The dogs are evaluated on Enthusiasm, Follow, Speed, Agility, and Endurance on the basis of a perfect score being 100. This procedure is carried out in two rounds to arrive at a total score for the day and it is from this score that the winners and placements are determined.

Obviously each breed has a different running style and to judge Whippets against Irish Wolfhounds would be like comparing apples and oranges. Therefore, each dog is judged independently on its own merits.

The first step in becoming involved in lure coursing is to attend a practice with your hound. Inexperienced and young dogs are coursed alone to determine interest and to gain experience. Most Sighthounds are immediately enthusiastic and interested when they see the lure moving, and instinctively want to chase it.

Once your dog is old enough and experienced enough at running on his own, you should test him with an experienced dog to ensure that he will run without interfering, threatening, or playing with the other dogs.

The dogs should be so intent on the lure that they don't even pay attention to other dogs.

By testing the novice dog with an experienced dog that is known to be a clean runner, in the presence of a judge, there is some guarantee that the animals are safe.

At a trial dogs run by breed in groups of three. At the start line the huntmaster will ask the judges, lure opperator and handlers if they are ready. Once everyone is ready, the hunt master will initiate the movement of the lure and then shout "tally-ho" at which point the dogs are released. Sometimes this is more difficult than it sounds when you have an enthusiastic dog straining to run.

Now everything is up to the dogs.You can't force your dog to course if he doesn't want to. It has to be his idea. The competition aspect is placed squarely on the shoulders of the dogs themselves so you don't have to feel competitive with other handlers because you aren't competing with them. You'll actually find that most of them will go out of their way to be helpful to you and cheer you and your dog on.

The primary concern is the safety of the dogs. Fields are checked scrupulously for holes, hazards, or any perils that could endanger the dogs. Every attempt is made to ensure that the course is laid out in a safe manner.

As any athlete knows, any strenuous physical activity or sport is not entirely without risks, however, dogs could suffer the same risks by playing in a backyard, or running in a park. In the event of an accident, a veterinarian is always on call and all of the clubs have experienced and knowledgeable handlers who know what to do in case of an emergency. Often veterinarians and people trained in animal health are present and can handle just about anything that comes up.

It goes without saying that your dog should be in condition before running him. It is foolish to expect a dog that is grossly obese and spends no time at all exercising to run without injury to his muscles and tendons. However, if your dog is healthy and receives adequate exercise, then there is no reason why he should hurt himself.

Common sense should prevail when deciding whether to run your dog. In effect, he is the athlete and you are his coach. In this capacity, you must always do what is best for the dog. If he is too tired to compete in a run don't push him. If it is too hot and he is showing signs of heat exhaustion, pull him. Your dog's well being must always come first. The clubs have taken every precaution to ensure that coursing is safe, and the rest is up to you, after all who knows your dog better that you.

Lure coursing is excellent exercise and gives your dog a chance to do something with his owner that excites him thus creating and strengthening that special bond between you because you are encouraging and praising him for something he enjoys.

For those who possess a competitive nature, there is always the goal of obtaining a title for your dog and winning a rosettes or trophies. More than anything else though, lure coursing is something you and your dog should do for the sheer pleasure of it.