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From: Marna Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
At what age can I safely introduce Lily to coursing? She enjoys tearing
around the yard with Remus, but I don't want to start her coursing if doing
so will cause her problems later on. Does anyone have experience with
coursing puppies?
AT this age, you should be working on getting her very interested in chasing
the bag and trying to shred it. She should be allowed (and encouraged) to get
plenty of free exercise, but don't actually run her on the lure for longer than
about 100 yard straights. Let her watch other dogs who are very interested in
"killing" the bag and let her try a few times, but always stop while she still
really wants to continue. Don't wait until she's bored with the game. Let her
stand near the lure machine and see the bag whipping around the pulleys before
you let her have it. You can also put food and treats in a plastic bag for her
to shred. Make the white plastic bag the ultimate in toys.
As she gets older, you can add longer straights and turns, so that she is
running a full course when she's about a year old. Keep her on short courses
(no more than 800 yards) without hard turns until she's about 18 months old.
For her yard exercise, try to make sure she gets to run around obstacles and on
varied terrain. She needs to learn to pay attention to her surroundings while
she's running. She also needs to push herself athleticly in the next few
months- or it will limit her abilities later in life.
Mel
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