WHAT IS LURE COURSING
Lure Coursing is a performance event developed in the early 70's by Lyle Gillette and other California sighthound fanciers who hunted jackrabbits in the open field, which risked harm caused by barbed wire fencing. They invented lure coursing as a safer, more controlled sport for sighthounds that would recreate the physical requirements of open field coursing, allowing them to continue testing the functional abilities of their sighthounds. The hounds chase plastic bags on a course laid out to simulate escaping game. Lure coursing is a sport for dogs that involves chasing a mechanically operated lure.
Lure coursing is a sport not just for sighthounds but for all breeds. In Ausrtalia, Lure Coursing is a sport in which any breed of dog can compete.
Lure Coursing in most countries is limited to sight hounds, dogs that are traditionally used to hunt by sight. The lure is usually strips of cloth or plastic tied to a rope run around spindles and pulleys and run by a mechanically operated lure especially designed for this task. It is a continuous loop which travels in a pattern, imitating the zig zag movement of a rabbit or hare being chased over an open field and ends up back at the starting point. It is usually run over a course of 650 - 900m and the dogs are judged on their enthusiasm, ability to follow, agility, speed and endurance. Lure Coursing isfor dogs that have a love of running and the ability to sight and chase a lure.
Lure coursing is a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend time with your hound and a safe way for your hound to have fun and exercise. Proper training and preparation will help ensure that you and your hound can enjoy lure coursing for a long time to come.
Chasing an artificial lure is not an instinctive behaviour for some dogs. Some breeds were bred to hunt live game, not plastic bags, some were not bred to hunt at all. Genetics seems to play some part, so you might look for a litter where there are proven lure coursers in the pedigree, but this is still not a guarantee. Perhaps a better guide is the dog's personality and attitude. Is your dog active and alert and confident? Does your dog watch leaves blowing along the ground and other quick moving objects? Are they keen to chase them? If the answer is yes, there is a good chance that you may be watching a future lure courser. This isn't fool proof though. Some ball mad dogs lure course, some don't. Some dogs who don't ball chase, lure course like speed demons!
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Rules and regulations for lure coursing can be found on the ANKC Website (opens a new browser window). You can also find out more by attending one of our meets. The dates of which are found here.
WILL MY DOG COURSE?
There are no guarantees that your dog will chase a lure. Some take to the chase as soon as they sense movement, while others take a few runs to understand what is expected of them. Normally dogs that do obedience and agility take a little longer before they start to course the lure. Dogs competing in obedience or agility have been trained to follow commands given by their handler and to not veer to far from their handler. On the coursing field there are no commands except to let your dog know it is OK to run like the wind and catch that elusive plastic bag.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Come down and check out one of our meets. You can enter your dog in Novice and give it a go. (If you have a female, she must not be in season). Don't be afraid to ask questions. We're here to help. We love the sport and encourage new people to give it a go.
WHAT DOGS ARE ELIGIBLE?
Any dog that is on an ANKC Register is eligible to compete. If your dog came with pedigree papers from the ANKC, they're already on a register. If they did not, you will need to register the dog on the Associate Register before you compete. (Click here to download the Associate Register form). You will also need to be a member of a Canine Control Council. In Queensland, this is Dogs Queensland. (Click here to download the Membership Application form for Dogs Queensland).
Your dog must be a minimum of 12 months old in order to start competing. Younger dogs may enter in Novice and do shorter fun runs. Novice run lengths will be determined by the age of the dog and the breed.
I'M A MEMBER AND MY DOG IS REGISTERED, WHAT NEXT?
Ensure that your dog is fit! You can't just pull a dog off the couch and ask it to run in a Lure Coursing trial. You will not only be at high risk for injury on the dog, but you will put the dog under a lot of stress. Also ensure that your dog is not carrying excess weight. It is highly recommended that you have your dog checked over by an animal physiotherapist prior to Lure Coursing to ensure that your dog is safe to do so.
So now you've got your fit and healthy dog and you're ready to go.
The first trial you enter is a Junior Courser (JC). To enter a Junior Courser Test, your dog must be minimum 12 months of age on the day of the trial. You must achieve a pass (score more than 150 points total over two runs on the day). You must pass two JC trials (two runs in each trial). This will give you your JC title. You must achieve this title to progress further.
From here, if you own a registered Sighthound, you will go into the Sighthound Stream. If you own another registered non-sighthound or an Associate Registered Sighthound, you will go into the Coursing Ability Stream.
For more guidelines for new competitors, please click here.
Lure Coursing is a performance event developed in the early 70's by Lyle Gillette and other California sighthound fanciers who hunted jackrabbits in the open field, which risked harm caused by barbed wire fencing. They invented lure coursing as a safer, more controlled sport for sighthounds that would recreate the physical requirements of open field coursing, allowing them to continue testing the functional abilities of their sighthounds. The hounds chase plastic bags on a course laid out to simulate escaping game. Lure coursing is a sport for dogs that involves chasing a mechanically operated lure.
Lure coursing is a sport not just for sighthounds but for all breeds. In Ausrtalia, Lure Coursing is a sport in which any breed of dog can compete.
Lure Coursing in most countries is limited to sight hounds, dogs that are traditionally used to hunt by sight. The lure is usually strips of cloth or plastic tied to a rope run around spindles and pulleys and run by a mechanically operated lure especially designed for this task. It is a continuous loop which travels in a pattern, imitating the zig zag movement of a rabbit or hare being chased over an open field and ends up back at the starting point. It is usually run over a course of 650 - 900m and the dogs are judged on their enthusiasm, ability to follow, agility, speed and endurance. Lure Coursing isfor dogs that have a love of running and the ability to sight and chase a lure.
Lure coursing is a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend time with your hound and a safe way for your hound to have fun and exercise. Proper training and preparation will help ensure that you and your hound can enjoy lure coursing for a long time to come.
Chasing an artificial lure is not an instinctive behaviour for some dogs. Some breeds were bred to hunt live game, not plastic bags, some were not bred to hunt at all. Genetics seems to play some part, so you might look for a litter where there are proven lure coursers in the pedigree, but this is still not a guarantee. Perhaps a better guide is the dog's personality and attitude. Is your dog active and alert and confident? Does your dog watch leaves blowing along the ground and other quick moving objects? Are they keen to chase them? If the answer is yes, there is a good chance that you may be watching a future lure courser. This isn't fool proof though. Some ball mad dogs lure course, some don't. Some dogs who don't ball chase, lure course like speed demons!
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Rules and regulations for lure coursing can be found on the ANKC Website (opens a new browser window). You can also find out more by attending one of our meets. The dates of which are found here.
WILL MY DOG COURSE?
There are no guarantees that your dog will chase a lure. Some take to the chase as soon as they sense movement, while others take a few runs to understand what is expected of them. Normally dogs that do obedience and agility take a little longer before they start to course the lure. Dogs competing in obedience or agility have been trained to follow commands given by their handler and to not veer to far from their handler. On the coursing field there are no commands except to let your dog know it is OK to run like the wind and catch that elusive plastic bag.
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Come down and check out one of our meets. You can enter your dog in Novice and give it a go. (If you have a female, she must not be in season). Don't be afraid to ask questions. We're here to help. We love the sport and encourage new people to give it a go.
WHAT DOGS ARE ELIGIBLE?
Any dog that is on an ANKC Register is eligible to compete. If your dog came with pedigree papers from the ANKC, they're already on a register. If they did not, you will need to register the dog on the Associate Register before you compete. (Click here to download the Associate Register form). You will also need to be a member of a Canine Control Council. In Queensland, this is Dogs Queensland. (Click here to download the Membership Application form for Dogs Queensland).
Your dog must be a minimum of 12 months old in order to start competing. Younger dogs may enter in Novice and do shorter fun runs. Novice run lengths will be determined by the age of the dog and the breed.
I'M A MEMBER AND MY DOG IS REGISTERED, WHAT NEXT?
Ensure that your dog is fit! You can't just pull a dog off the couch and ask it to run in a Lure Coursing trial. You will not only be at high risk for injury on the dog, but you will put the dog under a lot of stress. Also ensure that your dog is not carrying excess weight. It is highly recommended that you have your dog checked over by an animal physiotherapist prior to Lure Coursing to ensure that your dog is safe to do so.
So now you've got your fit and healthy dog and you're ready to go.
The first trial you enter is a Junior Courser (JC). To enter a Junior Courser Test, your dog must be minimum 12 months of age on the day of the trial. You must achieve a pass (score more than 150 points total over two runs on the day). You must pass two JC trials (two runs in each trial). This will give you your JC title. You must achieve this title to progress further.
From here, if you own a registered Sighthound, you will go into the Sighthound Stream. If you own another registered non-sighthound or an Associate Registered Sighthound, you will go into the Coursing Ability Stream.
For more guidelines for new competitors, please click here.
Last updated 21st March 2019
