I took my dogs coursing in Camden SC this past weekend and we had a blast. Cinnamon earned her JC and was able to compete Sunday. She did great!

Here are some photos from the trial:





This dog just cracked me up





OK, now these are my hounds and my braggy photos





My puppy, Dottie, got to chase the bunny for her 4 month birthday

Cool photos, it's great to shoot somthing you really love!

I have a question. This lure coursing is when you take your dog out and let it chase what it thinks is a bunny, but then they never get to catch one? What would happen if you lived in an area where there were bunnies? Is it cruel to "tease" your dogs by letting them chase what it thinks is a rabbit but then they dont get to catch it?

I'm not trying to start anything, i'm ignorant of lure coursing and the purpose for doing such a thing to a dog.

I trained and raised cattle dogs, horses, and cattle, I still own horses, so I'm not animal rights fruit cake, just wondering about lure coursing. . .

Thanks,

The "bunnies" are actually white trash bags and they chase them because they chase anything that moves(literally). They DO catch rabbits, squirrels, possums and unfortunately cats and kill them. If it is small and runs, they will kill it. You can't teach them not to and you don't have to teach them to do it. It is so bred into them. It is like labs and water or pointers and pointing.

Lure coursing was actually started 20 years or so ago because people were aghast at open coursing(hunting live jackrabbits) it is a controlled and "clean" way to let the dogs do what they were bred to. There are still people who open course, mainly out west where there is an overpopulation of rabbits and enough open space. I would love to do it. It would get ME in shape too!

that's cool. you guys should make a trip out west and put your dogs on some bunnies, there are lots of them in eastern montana. However, can you target just bunnies, or will they chase mule deer and antelope too? How about coyotes, badgers?

I know they will chase a deer, but, no way they could take one down. They will chase about anything, and I am glad there are no badgers around here!!! I would guess a coyote in a pack would target a lone whippet and then the whippet would run

We had some stupid rabbits that would come in our yard. I would always knock on the door before letting out Cinny. I loved to see her chase, but didn't want to see her kill!

finalshot - my dogs do lure coursing and live with house rabbits and they are fine.

*In* the house mine would be ok, but, if they ran, forget it. They would eat them. Whippets are notoriously bad with small animals. Most can live well with cats and then there are those that just cannot. Their prey drive is insane.

Just too selectively bred to train out of them reliably. I think Cinnamon's favorite prey is squirrels. There are so many around and she would just loooove to kill one.

I don't think lure coursing makes them bad with rabbits, but the actual breed. It is what whippets were selectively bred to do. Kill rabbits

The only lure coursing around the area(within 5 hours) is either ASFA or AKC, both which are competitive and restricted to sighthounds.

Jackrabbits are darn fast. They are also very overpopulated in the western united states, which is the only place I know of it being held. It 1000's of open acres, so, it certainly isn't shooting fish in a barrel. The dogs have to find the hares first, then chase them. They are not planted.

Believe me, the AR groups go bonkers. I will never be close enough to even do it if I wanted. It is a lot more fair than hunting with a gun. At least this is animal to animal. And it is a lot better than poisoning them for control