# Tell me about lure coursing



## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

If Maddie ever heals enough where this is an option, I'd really like to take her to a couple fun-type events. I think its something that with her insane chase drive she would love and excel at. I know at least one member here participates in coursing events :smile: So can you tell me about training and getting the dog ready for an event?


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

There really isn't much training involved, especially for non-Sighthound breeds. The instinct/prey drive is either there, or it's not. 

For Sako, it's definitely "there".. he's a NUT on the LC field:










I do UKC LC, but I'm sure there are other clubs out there that do it. There aren't many events in my area, unfortunately :/


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

I've never done lure coursing, but doesn't it "fuel" the prey drive even more??
I'm doing everything with my Weim so that i can have him off leash pretty anywhere and that he doesn't chase and i can call him off if he does chase and he's a pretty good boy, wouldn't that be counterproductive?


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I'd love to get Avery into it as well, I think he'd love it. But I haven't found any events near enough to be able to participate.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

Ok guess I was jk. Just looked it up and theres a place 30mins from where I live!!! Signing Avery up for next Tuesday, I'll like you know how it goes.


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

bernadettelevis said:


> I've never done lure coursing, but doesn't it "fuel" the prey drive even more??
> I'm doing everything with my Weim so that i can have him off leash pretty anywhere and that he doesn't chase and i can call him off if he does chase and he's a pretty good boy, wouldn't that be counterproductive?


Quinn has a high prey drive. he also lives in a household with cats and free ranging chickens- so his drive has to be controlled. I don't try to extinguish it, I manage it. He gets LOTS of time with the flirt pole. I hope to get him into lure coursing. he knows when it is appropriate to give in to instinct and when it isn't. It took time, but it was doable.

My lat dog was very prey driven. I think I made a huge mistake by trying to stifle his drive instead of giving him an appropriate outlet.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

werecatrising said:


> Quinn has a high prey drive. he also lives in a household with cats and free ranging chickens- so his drive has to be controlled. I don't try to extinguish it, I manage it. He gets LOTS of time with the flirt pole. I hope to get him into lure coursing. *he knows when it is appropriate to give in to instinct and when it isn't.* It took time, but it was doable.
> 
> My lat dog was very prey driven. I think I made a huge mistake by trying to stifle his drive instead of giving him an appropriate outlet.


This is Maddie as well. We ran a ferret rescue for about 2 years and she was fine, she has also been around chickens, baby animals of all kinds (from kittens to puppies to piglets and goat kids). She knows what is ok for her to chase and what isn't. She is fine off leash (and she is a scent hound mix, so it took awhile lol) and if she sees something she wants to chase, she will point at it. If I say leave it, she gives me sad eyes and then keeps on walking. If I say OK, she is off like a cheetah lol


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

Honestly, I think the thought that LC could "encourage" prey drive is kind of like the people that think that feeding raw is going to make dogs go after other pets, livestock, etc.

It's all about training. All of my dogs have insanely good recall. Sako (he's my only one I've done LC with) has an insane prey drive for birds, but I can call him back to me at anytime.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

kady05 said:


> Honestly, I think the thought that LC could "encourage" prey drive is kind of like the people that think that feeding raw is going to make dogs go after other pets, livestock, etc.
> QUOTE]
> 
> Well it is a fact that while dogs run after prey, endorphines are set free that make the dog want to chase even more. Which is biologically totally understandable.
> ...


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

I see it a lot like playing tug of war. The dog gets excited and can have fun, but when you say enough than that means enough :smile:


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

Like I said, Sako has an insane prey drive for birds, but if I want to, I can call him off of them. He's a lunatic on the LC field, screaming, pulling, etc. I can take him straight off the LC field and into the conformation ring (where he's expected to stand and not act like an idiot), where we're routinely placed next to the small, white, fluffy dogs (that can look a lot like the LC lures!), and he has no issues.


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

RedneckCowgirl said:


> I see it a lot like playing tug of war. The dog gets excited and can have fun, but when you say enough than that means enough :smile:


That's how I see it. You are bringing them to a specific place for the activity. They only give chase when released, and when they are done- that's it. Game over.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

werecatrising said:


> Quinn has a high prey drive. he also lives in a household with cats and free ranging chickens- so his drive has to be controlled. I don't try to extinguish it, I manage it. He gets LOTS of time with the flirt pole. I hope to get him into lure coursing. he knows when it is appropriate to give in to instinct and when it isn't. It took time, but it was doable.
> 
> My lat dog was very prey driven. I think I made a huge mistake by trying to stifle his drive instead of giving him an appropriate outlet.


i agree, all dogs have SOME prey drive and IMO doing things to bring it out shouldnt be a problem if you have control over your dog (training) Cesar has prey drive, hes a terrier and when he gets locked into prey he wants it, it took some time training him that when i say "leave it" or "AHAH" thats what i mean, ignore it.
i had him around my tiny button quail no larger then the average hamster and they can fly AND they escaped fairly often, and everytime they escaped guess who was right there? 

i had a few of the cages on the floor and in the begining Cesar would watch them intently and would body slam the cages to get them but it wasnt long of my stopping him from stareing then he stopped slamming the cages then he stopped trying to grab them when they fly around the room or landed between his feet. the last few months i had the birds i trusted him enough to leave the cage lid off while i walked acrossed the room to fill the water bottle knowing he wouldnt touch them. (i also used the quails eggs to teach him to be patient while sitting near the cages)

and all the while i was using a flirt pole and a hunk of fuax fur for him to chase around!


its all a matter of re-directing your dog and teaching a GOOD leave it command


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

Lure coursing is super fun, and if anyone gets a chance they should take their dog to a practice and see if they are into the chase. 

Some pics of coursing:


















Box release!









Whippet vs Greyhound (this is shortly after the start... Blueberry (the greyhound) won in the end... can't beat that speed!)


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

Maddie goes to the vet in a couple of days to see if her leg is healed and if the doc gives the go-ahead I will probably be taking her so I can get a feel for what its like, as once the new pup gets here (and is old enough of course) I'm hoping to get her FC :smile:


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

RedneckCowgirl said:


> Maddie goes to the vet in a couple of days to see if her leg is healed and if the doc gives the go-ahead I will probably be taking her so I can get a feel for what its like, as once the new pup gets here (and is old enough of course) I'm hoping to get her FC :smile:


If you get a good operator they will 'play' with the lure to get the dogs attention and be able to hold it and get them to chase. 

Flynn will be going all out next year as he'll be over 1 year old. You can do small practices though until then! Sometimes they have straights and ovals which are really nice... i prefer those to the actual 'courses'. You really see the speed on the straights and ovals.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

KittyKat said:


> If you get a good operator they will 'play' with the lure to get the dogs attention and be able to hold it and get them to chase.
> 
> Flynn will be going all out next year as he'll be over 1 year old. You can do small practices though until then! Sometimes they have straights and ovals which are really nice... i prefer those to the actual 'courses'. You really see the speed on the straights and ovals.


I was thinking today after I heard that I was on the waiting list, wouldn't it be fairly easy to set up an at home practice course? Isn't the lure just a white rag, drug by a vehicle of some sort?


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

RedneckCowgirl said:


> I was thinking today after I heard that I was on the waiting list, wouldn't it be fairly easy to set up an at home practice course? Isn't the lure just a white rag, drug by a vehicle of some sort?


The machines (no vehical, just a stand-alone machine) can be rather pricey. I've seen gas and electric versions of it. 

I have seen the odd 'home-made' versions of it however - all of those have been electric based.


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## RedneckCowgirl (Oct 28, 2011)

KittyKat said:


> The machines (no vehical, just a stand-alone machine) can be rather pricey. I've seen gas and electric versions of it.
> 
> I have seen the odd 'home-made' versions of it however - all of those have been electric based.


Oh. So how do they make it make anything other than a straight course? (sorry if that's a really dumb question lol)


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## smaughunter (Apr 27, 2012)

They have fine rope or wire close to the ground on a pulley system, they can shape the wire into any course shape. The zigs and zags are supposed to emulate a prey animal escaping a predator. In straight and oval racing speed is the most important factor.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

It's a closed loop system that uses guides (like what people use for hoses) to change the shape. In a straight they simply loop it back to the start.
In coursing you have longer chases compared to ovals and straights. They award points based on how close to the lure the dog keeps. You get fewer points if the dog cheats etc. It's not a flat out race, so the dog that 'wins' may not win if they cheated a lot.

The only time they don't use a closed loop system is when they do Uval... which only seems to be used when they can't do a proper oval.


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## werecatrising (Oct 15, 2010)

I was happy to find a semi local club that does all breed lure coursing. I was sort of discouraged after reading this in the rule book:
If your dog has any human aggression issues of any kind 
(shyness, fear, lunging, sketchiness, etc) please do not race or practice your dog. 
Quinn has never been aggressive, but he is shy.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

werecatrising said:


> I was happy to find a semi local club that does all breed lure coursing. I was sort of discouraged after reading this in the rule book:
> If your dog has any human aggression issues of any kind
> (shyness, fear, lunging, sketchiness, etc) please do not race or practice your dog.
> Quinn has never been aggressive, but he is shy.


I'm going to go out on a limb and say he's likely fine. A lot of sighthounds are rather shy (it's a genetic trait), and I have a feeling their thoughts on what shyness is and yours may be different. 

I'd go anyways when they run a practice - just show up like you own the place and they won't say a peep. As long as he's not so shy as to not want to be around other people/dogs it should be okay. You can run singles as well.


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## Losech (Jul 10, 2012)

werecatrising said:


> I was happy to find a semi local club that does all breed lure coursing. I was sort of discouraged after reading this in the rule book:
> If your dog has any human aggression issues of any kind
> (shyness, fear, lunging, sketchiness, etc) please do not race or practice your dog.
> Quinn has never been aggressive, but he is shy.


My Shiba is shy, sometimes to the point of trying to run from people. AKC didn't tell me to leave, and once he got sight of the lure and got used to the atmosphere, he was perfectly fine. One of my mutts is not exactly glad to be around other dogs, not flat-out aggressive but she would bite another dog if they got too close and were rude about it. AKC again did not tell me to leave. She did just fine too. 
It's a general unspoken rule not to allow dogs to interact with one another at these sorts of events. As long as you keep your dog under control and don't let them "say hello" to every dog present, there most likely will not be an issue. An individual club may differ from the AKC, but I really don't think it will be a problem if your dog is a bit shy of people.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I took Avery. He is leash reactive and doesn't like all strangers but he did fine at the course. We just stayed away from the other dogs and ppl and when it was our turn he took to it like a pro. I actually wasn't sure if he would, he sniffed the bags and ultimately wasn't interested but then they moved and he took off, nearly taking me with him. It was awesome!!! They have two more sessions this month, I think Avery and I will make as appearance at both..


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