Lure Coursing

A couple of weeks ago, I took the girls out to their very first lure coursing practice. I'm not that interested in lure coursing personally as I prefer sports that involve more training and partnership, however it is really cool to see sighthounds doing what they were bred for. And there is nothing more spectacular than a hound in full sprint.

Dogs are typically started on "straights" which is just the initial straight run from the start. This allows them to really get on the lure and stick with it. I also only wanted my girls running straights because I'm afraid they'll hurt themselves on the turns, though I'm assured that this isn't a common issue.

I was a little surprised to find that Kili had to be encouraged to chase the lure. She's probably the more prey drive of the two, and I thought she'd be really excited. As it turned out though, I don't think she really saw the plastic bags as prey (smart dog I guess!), but she did catch on after a bit of encouragement. Kenna was a rock star. She saw the bags and just went for them. At the end of the straight when the lure was dead I then recalled them back to me and was very pleased with how promptly and enthusiastically they came back.

The girls had fun, so I think I will take them to another practice sometime, but it will remain a side activity for us.

Check out the spit flying!