Is your dog fast AF? Yeah, I know, nobody appreciates my TikTok references, only me. So, let’s start over.  Is your dog super fast leaving you wondering just how fast is my bestie?  Well, wonder no more!  By entering into a Fast Cat event, you can find out just how many miles per hour your dog can run.

This post was initially going to be about sport dogs, and then my brain wandered and I decided to do a whole series on sport dogs, broken into various sports, one at a time, staring with lure coursing or Fast CAT.

What is Fast CAT?

There is no feline involved, I promise. The CAT stands for Coursing Ability Test and Fast CAT is an AKC lure coursing event.  The course is a timed, straight 100-yard dash, where each dog runs, one at a time, chasing something eye-catching (toy or plastic bag) on a line that is mechanically operated.

Here are a couple of videos showing what it looks like:  

• Flea
• View slomo

As I mentioned above, Fast CAT is an AKC event, but there are other options, and if you aren't interested in participating in a Fast CAT event, you can always run your dog at practice.  Spring Mountain Sprinters have a Facebook group where you can learn about upcoming events.

Who can participate in Fast CAT?

Just about any dog can participate in lure coursing practice but for a Fast CAT trial,  participating dogs must be over one year of age and they must be registered with AKC. This does not limit events to purebred dogs.  Mixes can be registered with AKC and can participate.  The only condition I'm aware of with mixes is that all mixed breeds must be spayed or neutered. I won't go into my opinions on this, other than I hope they get with the times and reevaluate their decision in the future.

You can find all the rules here.

Is Fast CAT /lure coursing right for your dog?

If your dog is at all active, there's a pretty good chance your dog would enjoy lure coursing, as chasing is pretty much instinctual. This is probably the easiest sport to get involved in since it requires minimal, if any training.  Some dogs will just do it naturally.  Others might be a bit confused at first and not know what to do.  If you'd like to see if your dog has any interest, you can try a flirt pole at home to see if your dog is interested in the movement and chases the toy.  Here's a video on how to get started with a flirt pole. If your dog loves the flirt pole, you are off to a good start.  

Before heading out to a lure practice, you'll want to be sure your dog is not just comfortable, but confident in new environments. If you think your dog is great anywhere, test out the flirt pole in a different environment.  Pick a  place where your dog will be safe. You definitely don't want to use the flirt pole with random loose dogs around. You can test your dog on-leash if necessary. Once your dog is focused completely on the flirt pole you're ready for practice.

Does it matter if your dog is fast?  Nope. Not at all. The only thing that matters is that your dog has fun.

Some additional tips

When you go to practice, you'll need to bring two leashes because you'll hand your dog off to a releaser. If your dog isn't crazy about being held by strangers, you'll want to have someone with you to release.  While your dog is new, don't walk around to the side of the course, stay on the course when you go to the other end, so your dog can see you the whole time.  Before your dog is released, be loud and call. This is the hard part.  Fight the urge to run up and pull your dog off the lure. Assuming your dog stays on the lure, let your dog run and stay out of the way. If the lure is a toy and your dog wants the toy, give him or her a second (for new dogs), you might want to bring a toy with you to swap out.  If it's a plastic bag, your dog might get there and run off.  It's a good idea to have a recall to get your dog back if that's the case. Don't be surprised if your dog looks a little confused like he or she doesn't know how they got there.  

You'll want to be close enough to get your dog, but at the same time stay out of the way.  Also, you don't want to run up and pull your dog off the lure.  That will lead to a dog that bails at the end and is hard to catch.  If your dog has a reward or likes a giant meatball, whatever,  use it.

Recently I photographed a lure coursing event, and as you can see there were a variety of different breeds and mixes.