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Lure Coursing, is becoming increasingly popular in many countries.
We do not have official dog racing of any kind in Norway yet, but many enthusiasts are hoping that the sport will be introduced to this country in the near future.
A great lure coursing enthusiast, Alice Caplinger from the US, has been so kind as to send these wonderful photo's of her Ridgeback, "Sophie" lure coursing.
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A Ridgeback that really knows the game....
"Sophie"(Am/Int Ch. Clara Valley So Phenomenal, SC) Owned by Alice Caplinger
Koda Rhodesian Ridgebacks
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Photo courtesy Alice Caplinger
Sophie and
Alice, doesn't look as though there is anything wrong with Sophie's motivation
:-)
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The below is written by a Saluki breeder who has lots of experience in lure coursing. I hope it can be of help for those of you who are getting started in the sport.
"I like to expose my dogs to the game early. I like to expose them to running with other dogs early also. This way if you see a problem, you can start working on it right away, instead of waiting until the dog is 3 when everything is already well ingrained in the dog.
If you must run with another breed, try finding one larger (greyhound), than one smaller. I start practicing my pups together on a lunge line two at a time, with two bags on the line. They get praise for going for separate bags and not interfering. They get corrected for fighting over one bag and for going to a second bag after they have already chosen a bag. I do not allow my dogs to go from bag to bag to bag. This can lead to problems on the field.
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Another fun game with two dogs -- to encourage good sportsmanship among them, is to throw one ball, Frisbees, etc.. If both dogs come back without words and without interfering whether or not they have the ball, frisbee, etc., they get a reward. Dogs pick this up real fast if they are clicker trained.
Also, the sooner you get your dog running with other dogs and having good experiences, the better. The worst thing to happen is for its first experience to be a bad one.
So my advice would be to first practice by running the dog alone several times. (I would 5 to 10 times).
Second would be practice with other dogs several times, preferably with
several different running styles".
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Photo by
Alice Caplinger
"Sophie
letting herself go...." |
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