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ABC's of Irish Wolfhounds Puppy Tales: Find a person in your area for help and information
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Performance in Irish Wolfhounds
An Irish Wolfhound is identified as a sighthound within the various groups of dogs. A Sighthound is one that was used to hunt a particular prey based on the movement of that animal. A Scottish Deerhound coursed deer and Greyhounds chased hare. Although the wolf is no longer available for an Irish Wolfhound to hunt (probably not anything most of us would like to see anyway), many wolfhounds still have some of that coursing instinct remaining.  That coursing instinct generally is not very strong within the breed though. Since it's much easier to control a large hound when it's not trying to chase that cat down the street, many breeders base their breeding plans mostly on conformation matters and could care less whether that wolfhound is a hunter. (Photo clickable) However, if your hound seems to have this instinct the easiest way to satisfy your hounds' urge to course is to allow him to participate in the artificial sport of lure coursing. This involves a lure of plastic that is operated in a set plan around a field. Wolfhounds tend to know it's a game and so many will not bother. For those who will play, it is a great way to see them run as they were intended to do. (Photo clickable) There are two different organizations that offer lure coursing. One is the American Sighthound Field Association (ASFA) and the other is the American Kennel Club (AKC). Both offer similar programs, however the scoring and paperwork differ between the two organizations. For a coursing trial, a hound is judged by either one or two judges over a course of at least 600 yards. They are judged on speed, agility, endurance, enthusiasm and follow. Both organizations offer a Field Champion title for those sighthounds that excel in the sport.  Another performance option for an Irish Wolfhound is straight racing over a 200 yard track. This activity is governed by the Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA). Up to four hounds race at a single time down the track and only the order of finish matters. Many Irish Wolfhounds participate in LGRA  annually though race meets may be more difficult to find. All hounds must wear a racing muzzle as they chase a furry and noisy squawker down the track. At the finish, the muzzles prevent the hounds from destroying the lure. LGRA awards a Gazehound Racing Championship (GRC) to those hounds who earn a certain level of championship points.
(Racing Photos clickable)  So you have a puppy and think you'd like to participate in any of the above activities? First of all, realize that the puppy's joints are not hardened just yet. The best thing to do is to tie a white plastic bag on a bamboo pole and tease them in the yard for a short amount of time. Make it fun and encourage them. Then put the lure away since you don't want them to get bored. Make it fun and make it exciting (and then keep your fingers crossed). Teach them the game while they are puppies and maybe they'll continue when they get old enough to compete. |
