Lure coursing is a dog sport for sighthounds. It is fashioned after the sighthound’s original job, the coursing of game. “Coursing” is when dogs sight, run down and kill prey.

Lure Coursing is set up to mimic what happens naturally when a dog chases prey. It is held in a large field of at least 5 acres and prepared with a series of ropes and pulleys that pull along a lure that simulates a prey’s natural erratic flight. The lure is usually a simple white bag. Sighthounds of the same breed run in groups of 2 or 3 and chase the “lure”. The dogs are judged on five things: their enthusiasm, speed and agility, their ability to follow the lure and their endurance. The hounds run twice during the day and their two scores are added together for their final mark. When there is a tie, the tying dogs will do a tie-breaker run. At the end of the event a “Best of Breed” is awarded to the dogs who have the highest marks from each breed group. The Best of each Breed can than participate in a “Best of Field” match. Italian Greyhounds are not able to participate in the “Best of Field” run as they are so small they may be mistaken for prey by the bigger sight hounds.

For health reason, all dogs must be at least one year old to compete. The quick turns and manoeuvres are too hazardous on developing bones and joints. However, it is recommended that those with puppies play lure chasing oriented games to help bring out their natural instincts.

There are many dogs who can participate in lure coursing. Some of them are: Whippet, Sloughi, Afghan Hound, Basenji, Borzoi, Greyhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Italian Greyhound, Irish Wolfhound, Ibizan Hound, Scottish Deerhound and the Pharaoh Hound.

As coursing comes naturally to most sighthounds, it does not entail a lot of training. However, basic obedience is a must as the dogs need to be well behaved and obedient when at an event.

Lure Coursing is an excellent activity to do with a sighthound. It is not only great exercise for the dog, it is great socialization and will help to establish the owner as pack leader as they work and train their dog for the sport. Lure coursing is natural for sighthounds and gives them the opportunity to follow their instincts and be as they were originally meant to be.