On March 19-20 there will host an NLCC lure coursing meet at Chattahoochee Hills Farm in Fairburn, Georgia. (PDF file with info here.) On Saturday there will be a fundraising lunch. That gives you the opportunity for wonderful meal enjoyed al fresco while helping the hounds. There will also be fun runs offered after the end of the meet and even a photographer there. If you are like me it is hard to get a good photo of your hound in action. I plan to bring my new boy out and hope for a good photo of him looking more like the Greyhound bus logo and less like a couch potato. These runs will be open to all dogs. It will be a 100 yard straight run with a drag lure. Drag lure means the lure is affixed to the end of the line rather than to a continuous loop of line as is often used for lure coursing. As the lure machine runs is basically reels the lure in, dragging it along the ground resulting in it bouncing. Judging from the dogs reactions, I think the drag lure appeals to more of them than the lure coursing standard of white, plastic bags on a string. Though even my girl who is normally scared of plastic bags would turn herself inside out to chase those same bags across a field. Since the fun runs are a straight run there is also the advantage of there being no pulleys on the course to get in your hounds way. Plus, I think 100 yards is a nice distance. Long enough to be fun but short enough to be safe for Greyhounds who do not often get a chance to use their full power. Now if your dog hasn't coursed but is fit and has already shown a keen interest in chasing a lure you might even consider entering in singles.
Lure coursing is perhaps the ultimate sport for those Greyhounds in areas where there are no safe places to allow them to course live game. It also gives people who would prefer not to hunt a chance to offer their hounds a hunt with artificial prey. Greyhounds need a large open course with turns carefully laid out to encourage safe running. Smaller courses with tighter turns can lead to more injuries. I do not mean the courses need to be long. Whatever the length though they should be designed by someone who knows how to lay out a course for fast dogs like Greyhounds. If you have not seen lure coursing I strongly suggest you go to this next meet and watch the beauty of hounds running in wide open spaces. Bring your Greyhound with you to you can see his reaction.
If you choose to attend the upcoming NLCC meet note that competition is often finished fairly early, sometimes near lunchtime. Since it is never known in advance how long the meet will last I suggest you come early. It will give you plenty of time to see some of the competition and enjoy the great lunch. After the meet there will be fun runs so your dog can try his or her paw at chasing the lure. It is open to any breed. Though I will say that if you bring a smaller breed it would be best to provide a safe, comfortable spot for him to hang out away from the big dogs excited by the event. Actually I will suggest bringing a crate as a secure place for your Greyhound to relax in for a bit before the fun runs start. I think many will be surprised by their Greyhound's reaction to the competition. Some of us think our hounds would never be the type for lure coursing and get a bit caught off guard by how enthusiastically our hounds respond. Most of us never get to see our dogs display their true desire to chase or their potential for power & speed unless swift moving prey in a large area is available. that is what lure coursing provides. A 100 yard fun run is an excellent distance for hound and human to get a taste of that. It may just convince you to give coursing a try. For those with new dogs or anyone who hasn't taken your dog to a coursing meet I invite you to read the next post with the story of Venus & the bunnies.
No comments:
Post a Comment