Is anyone into Lure Coursing their Sighthounds?

I'm in the mid-atlantic region and we do it very regularly with our
Whippets. Do you have a sighthound and have no idea what I'm writing about?
It's great fun for your canine companion....

TW

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 06:14:52 -0500, "www.wackerwhippets.com"
wrote:

Is anyone into Lure Coursing their Sighthounds?

I'm in the mid-atlantic region and we do it very regularly with our
Whippets. Do you have a sighthound and have no idea what I'm writing about?
It's great fun for your canine companion....

??? I have sighthounds, and I know exactly what you're writing about,
but there's no active coursing club in my area. What's your point?

Mustang Sally

on 2006-11-02 at 10:37 wrote:

??? I have sighthounds, and I know exactly what you're
writing about, but there's no active coursing club in my
area. What's your point?

Speaking of pointless, I think this is as good a place as any
to post one of my favoritest links:

http://www.injoy-1.com/images/dog_imag/boxers.htm

Yes, those are lure coursing Boxers, illustrating a double
suspension gallop.

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 11:00:18 -0500, Shelly
wrote:

on 2006-11-02 at 10:37 wrote:

??? I have sighthounds, and I know exactly what you're
writing about, but there's no active coursing club in my
area. What's your point?

Speaking of pointless, I think this is as good a place as any
to post one of my favoritest links:

http://www.injoy-1.com/images/dog_imag/boxers.htm

Yes, those are lure coursing Boxers, illustrating a double
suspension gallop.

Heh. Of course, nobody does a double suspension gallop like a
sighthound. Did you see the IGs? They truly look as though they're
flying.

But the Boxers are mighty cute. I also liked the Leonbergers and
Cocker Spaniels. The Samoyed didn't look like he was having much fun,
but I suppose he was.

Now if we could just get some pictures of, say, sighthounds
retrieving.

Mustang Sally

on 2006-11-02 at 11:32 wrote:

Heh. Of course, nobody does a double suspension gallop like
a sighthound.

I should hope not, or all those centuries of breeding were for
nothing.

Did you see the IGs? They truly look as though they're
flying.

*Big* air!

But the Boxers are mighty cute.

They are. I stumbled across that website 4-5 years ago, and
those are still some of my favoritest Boxer photos.

I also liked the Leonbergers and Cocker Spaniels. The
Samoyed didn't look like he was having much fun, but I
suppose he was.

Did you see the Dachshund? Talk about an unlikely candidate
for lure coursing. Very cute, though, with those forward ears
and bright expression.

For anyone wanting to play along at home, the breed photos are
he

http://www.injoy-1.com/list_dog.htm

Now if we could just get some pictures of, say, sighthounds
retrieving.

What, you want them to do *all* the work?

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 11:52:41 -0500, Shelly
wrote:


Did you see the Dachshund? Talk about an unlikely candidate
for lure coursing. Very cute, though, with those forward ears
and bright expression.

I went back and looked. Very cute indeed. Although I still want to
see a coursing Leonberger in person.

Now if we could just get some pictures of, say, sighthounds
retrieving.

What, you want them to do *all* the work?

It's just such fun watching dogs do things they were NOT bred to do.

Mustang Sally

on 2006-11-02 at 12:30 wrote:

I went back and looked. Very cute indeed. Although I still
want to see a coursing Leonberger in person.

Definitely. They remind me a *lot* of Elliott, though, which
may be why I find them so appealing.

It's just such fun watching dogs do things they were NOT bred
to do.

True!

--
Shelly (Warning: see label for details)
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

Hi Sally,

??? I have sighthounds, and I know exactly what you're writing about,
but there's no active coursing club in my area. What's your point?

Oh my, that sucks... What regions do you occupy with ASFA ? I'm in the LC
"loop" and may be able to help. If at the very least, you might be able to
hook up with some others and start an organization (just a thought). I'll
be moving to an area (next year) where there won't be one, but I've already
started a business model to begin an organization and join a region.

Basically, I'll start the organization (I just need one other person to
start it), and give the organization a loan to buy the equipment. Then I'll
put on a few demonstrations (locally advertised) in the central town park
(already greased the skids) where there are frequent dog walkers in the
middle of a weekend and draw a crowd. I'll do this until we can get a few
more folks to join for a measly $15.00 per year and pick up officer
positions, word of mouth recruiting, and -- Then we can begin hosting ASFA
and AKC meets, sell chili for lunch and within a year, we will have made
enough money to pay my loan back and carry on.

What kind of sighthounds do you have?

WR/TW

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 17:51:40 -0500, "www.wackerwhippets.com"
wrote:


Oh my, that sucks... What regions do you occupy with ASFA ? I'm in the LC
"loop" and may be able to help. If at the very least, you might be able to
hook up with some others and start an organization (just a thought). I'll
be moving to an area (next year) where there won't be one, but I've already
started a business model to begin an organization and join a region.

I have no idea. There is a club here, Northcoast Coursing Club, but I
could never get the person in charge to respond to my inquiries, and
other sighthound owners said that was typical. I just checked their
site and there's someone else in charge now, so perhaps things have
changed. Too late for me, though; the Whippet I wanted to course is 7
now. Two, actually.

Basically, I'll start the organization (I just need one other person to
start it), and give the organization a loan to buy the equipment. Then I'll
put on a few demonstrations (locally advertised) in the central town park
(already greased the skids) where there are frequent dog walkers in the
middle of a weekend and draw a crowd. I'll do this until we can get a few
more folks to join for a measly $15.00 per year and pick up officer
positions, word of mouth recruiting, and -- Then we can begin hosting ASFA
and AKC meets, sell chili for lunch and within a year, we will have made
enough money to pay my loan back and carry on.

Well, good luck.

What kind of sighthounds do you have?

Greyhounds, Whippets, a Borzoi and an IG.

Mustang Sally

Hi Sally,

changed. Too late for me, though; the Whippet I wanted to course is 7
now. Two, actually.

Ahh -- 7 is in the veterans category. If you warm them up to some decent
exercise for a few weeks before they begin coursing, they should be "good to
go"...! Actually, if they have been sedentary / or rather / haven't done a
great deal of extreme exercises (like coursing) throughout their lives, they
would be in excellent shape for beginning a career in LC. Remember,
Whippets typically live until they are between 14 and 16 yrs (human
obviously). 7 is really the 'prime' of their life. If it were me (and you
know your babies best), I would run them a 1 a day for a week (jog really)
and take 2 days off and increase it to 2 miles a day for a 6 days; take 1
day off, do 3 miles a day for 3 days, take a day off and then alternate
between 2 and 3 miles a day 5 days per week. Change their food to Innova
"Evo" dry and canned -- it has no grain, high in protein and low in carbs.
They can eat that until they are about 10 or 11 as long as they are getting
exercise. Tip: If you can't run that much -- and most folks really can't --
then there are attachments you can get for a bicycle that will attach to the
dog's lead and give you the opportunity to ride (slower) and carry the dog
faster than you could run over longer distances. It's sort of like a
collapsible fishing pole (sort of) that attaches to your bike and sticks out
(on the right side). You attach a very short lead to that and it keeps the
dog from walking under your bike while you are riding. You go very slow,
but the dog will be at a good jog (7-8mph). You will need a wide sidewalk
though -- and riding in the street isn't recommended, but it works great and
the dogs really love it. You can go faster with a greyhound -- 9-10mph.

One of my whippets is endurance trained. I'm a professional runner and
compete around the country in marathons. He is 4 yrs old and has run 9
(official) half marathons -- and runs at least one 12 run every 2 weeks. Of
course he is on supplements (like me), and he also takes off for the 1/2 the
fall, the whole winter and the first part of spring -- so he runs like that
between 7 and 8 months out of the year. The rest of the time he is a skinny
little couch potato.

Greyhounds, Whippets, a Borzoi and an IG.

I specialize in personal training for Greyhounds and Whippets, but I have a
love for all sighthounds (and canines for that matter).

I really do wish you luck in hooking up with LC'ing -- since you've done it
before you are well aware of how much fun it is

Warmest regards,
TW