| Lure coursing is an event where the
hounds chase and 'catch' an artificial lure. They are "slipped"
in threes with each dog wearing a different coloured coat for
ease of recognition. The course is set out in an attempt to
mimic the actual chase of a hare. The lure is made up of highly
visible white plastic or rabbit pelt securely attached to a
continuous loop line. The line is fed through a series of pulley's
to simulate the zigzag motion of a rabbit on the run.
Hounds that compete in coursing are judged
not only on speed, but also on enthusiasm during the course,
agility in making turns, how accurately they follow the path
of the lure, and their endurance in completing the course.
Points are awarded based uon what the judges observe. dogs
who have completed the necessary requirements according to
CKC guidelines are awarded the title of Field Champion.
If you are interested in coursing your Saluki
you must be sure that he is physically fit and free of any
injuries. Your Saluki must first be certified prior to competing.
There are a number of lure coursing groups across Canada and
we encourage everyone to give it a try!
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In a conformation show, judges familiar with specific
dog breeds evaluate individual dogs for how well they conform to
published breed standards. Conformation shows are also referred
to as dog shows or breed shows. Conformation shows are typically
held under the auspices of a national kennel club. At the highest
levels are Championship or all-breed shows, which have separate
classes for the majority of breeds. In addition, the show can be
breed- or group-specific, usually organized by a breed club and
often called a specialty show.
In Canada, 10 points are needed for a Championship,
with wins awarded by at least three different judges.
Obedience training ranges from very basic training,
such as teaching the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such
as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay",
to high level competition within clubs such as the Canadian Kennel
Club, where additional commands, accuracy and performance are scored
and judged.
Training a dog in obedience can be an ongoing and
lengthy process depending on the dog, the methods used, and the
skill and understanding of both the trainer and the handler. The
level of obedience the handler wishes to achieve with the dog is
also a major factor in the time involved, as is the commitment to
training by the handler. Obedience training is often a prerequisite
for or component of other training.
The actual training of the dog can be done by anyone,
the trainer, owner, or a friend. Typically the individual who is
caring for and living with the dog participates and trains the dog,
as they will be the one who will be giving the commands. The relationship
and trust between the dog and handler are important for success.
Basic or beginner's obedience is typically a short
course ranging from six to ten weeks, where it is demonstrated to
the handler how to communicate with and train the dog in a few simple
commands. With most methods the dog is trained one command at a
time. Though there may or may not be a specific word attached to
it, walking properly on a leash, or leash control, is often the
first training required prior to learning other commands.
Therapy Dog refers to a dog trained to provide
affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes,
nursing homes, mental institutions, schools, and stressful situations
such as disaster areas.
The concept of a therapy dog is based on the therapeutic
effects of animal companionship, such as relieving stress, lowering
blood pressure, and raising spirits, and the demand for therapy
dogs continues to grow. In recent years, therapy dogs have been
enlisted to help children overcome speech and emotional disorders.
Therapy dogs come in all sizes and breeds. The
most important aspect of a therapy dog is temperament. A good therapy
dog must be friendly, patient, confident, at ease in all situations,
and gentle. Therapy dogs must enjoy human contact and be content
to be petted and handled, sometimes clumsily.
A therapy dog's primary job is to allow unfamiliar
people to make physical contact with him and to enjoy that contact.
Children in particular enjoy hugging animals; adults usually enjoy
simply petting the dog. The dog might need to be lifted onto, or
climb onto, an invalid's lap or bed and sit or lie comfortably there.
Many dogs add to the visiting experience by performing small tricks
for their audiences or by playing carefully structured games.
It is important to note that therapy dogs are not
assistance dogs. Service dogs directly assist humans, and have a
legal right to accompany their owners. Therapy dogs do not provide
direct assistance, do not have legal rights to travel everywhere,
and must be invited by institutions. Most institutions have rigorous
requirements for therapy dogs.
Many organizations provide testing and accreditation
for therapy dogs. Most require that a dog pass the equivalent of
a Canine Good Citizen test, and then add further requirements specific
to the environments in which the dogs will be working. Typical tests
might ensure that a dog can handle sudden loud or strange noises,
can walk on assorted unfamiliar surfaces comfortably, are not frightened
by people with canes, wheelchairs, or unusual styles of walking
or moving, get along well with children and with the elderly, and
so on.
Dog agility is a sport in which a handler directs
a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy.
Dogs must run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives. The
handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles, except accidentally.
Consequently, the handler's controls are limited to voice, movement,
and various body signals, requiring exceptional training of the
animal and of the human.
In its simplest form, an agility course consists
of a set of standard obstacles, laid out by an agility judge in
a design of his own choosing on a roughly 100 by 100 foot (30 by
30 m) area, with numbers indicating the order in which the dog must
complete the obstacles.
Courses are complicated enough that a dog could
not complete them correctly without human direction. In competition,
the handler must assess the course, decide on handling strategies,
and direct the dog through the course, with precision and speed
equally important. Many strategies exist to compensate for the inherent
difference in human and dog speeds and the strengths and weaknesses
of the various dogs and handlers. Many things can go wrong, though,
and for any course on any day, it is rare to be able to predict
which team will perform best.
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