On Saturday, the groomer I work with (who also owns a borzoi) and I took off early to take our dogs to Purina Farms for the ASFA trial (lure coursing). Our dogs have never had a chance to try coursing, so they weren't elligible to run in the trial, but usually the group allows practices after the trial has wrapped up. A local borzoi breeder had said she would sign us up so that we wouldn't have to wait until the end of the practices to run. We were both so excited to get to see our dogs do what they were bred to do.
So, we drive an hour to get out there, only to have the club people announce that the lure machine was out of juice, so no practice runs would be allowed. Grrr.
The good news is that as the lure was being zipped in, Venus lunged for it, so I think she will chase it when given the opportunity. Not all borzoi will chase it; some will only chase live game. We'll probably have to wait until June to get another shot at practicing.
If she does well at some practice runs, she'll have a chance to certify, and if she does well during her cert run, then she'll finally get to run in a trial. The process takes some time.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
That's so neat Proto! Isn't it amazing to see dogs do what they were bred to do, and to do it naturally without much prompting? That's what happened once with my parent's Redbone. House dog her whole life. Previous owners even shock collared her because they didn't like her bark. (What the?? Why buy a hound then? lol) But I had her on my parent's property, and she took off after some raccoons, baying the whole time. I was amazed. She slightly looked like she knew what she was doing, lol.
That would be nice if you could get yours certified. Good luck with everything! :)
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-The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
I have a special hatred for people who get scenthounds and then complain about the barking.
I love redbones. I used to pass one all the time when I walked to take care of a friend's animals in New Orleans. He was so pretty, and he had a lovely singing voice, which his owner had the good sense to appreciate.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
GOD BLESS. IT IS AMAZING WHEN THEY GET TO DO WHAT THEY ARE BRED FOR. THE LOOK ON THE DOG'S FACE, WHEN INSTINCT KICKS IN IS FREAKING COMICAL AND PRICELESS.
For certification, a dog has to run a full course with another dog. The dog being certified must complete the entire course and not interfere with the other dog. One bad incident during a course can wreck a dog for life, so other people with coursing dogs want to make sure that a new dog will run properly.
Venus won't start out running a full course, and in the beginning, she'll run alone. Lure coursing is trained just like anything else--start simple and build on a good foundation. At first, she'll just run straights--a short straight run with no turns--and as she shows she'll stay on the "bunny," distance and turns will be added. Once she can do a good job on a full course by herself, she'll try running with another dog.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
Yes, you can go watch lure coursing trials. It's kind of like greyhound racing, but it includes most sighthound breeds, not just greyhounds. The dogs run against members of their own breed. Greyhound racing usually takes place on an oval track, but a good lure course is designed to approximate the movements a real rabbit would make. The course should start out with a straight sprint, followed by a series of turns, and then end with another straight sprint. The design of the course with differ from trial to trial; the dogs can't just memorize the layout.
Also, there's no gambling at lure coursing trials, so it's not a sport you get into in hopes of making money.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
