CAT Coursing

[BlackPuppy]

I'm taking my Laekenois to a CAT on Saturday in Charlotte, NC. Do you think it will make him a better rabbit hunter? I don't think I want that. Right now he sees the rabbit, and then tries to scent it's location. Of course, that doesn't work.

[momto8]

With my Ibizan coursing had heightened her prey drive alot, for her breed this is not really a bad thing. However she is a breed that has high prey drive and are naturally good hunters, so it may be different for other breeds.

[CaliTerp07]

Dog's don't generalize very easily. Think about training a basic behavior. The dog may have mastered "sit" in your living room, but it will still take a lot of effort to effectively train a "sit" in the backyard or out in public. More complex behaviors like agility have to be practiced in dozens of different locations before the dog realizes it's the same activity in a different spot. I don't see why coursing would be any different, although in coursing there's nothing to train, really--the dog just follows its instinct.

[MafiaPrincess]

It might help, it might not.

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

I don't see why coursing would be any different, although in coursing there's nothing to train, really--the dog just follows its instinct.

There are plenty of dogs who can play go to ground in the safety of a trial, but in the real world can't or will not go after real prey. You could get a better hunter from playing the game, especially as Cali points out you do it in varying situations, or you could end up with a dog that gets the game and still won't hunt.

[BlackPuppy]

I just heard that a special collar is required. It looks confusing. Can I use a rope with a loop?