Bunny Butt chasing "The Bunny"

Move aside Borzoi, Whippet, and Greyhound, Ashton proves can run with the big dogs! He may not be one of the "supermodels" of the dog world and have the long sleek bodies, slender legs or super speed... but he is powered by the Corgis ability to FRAP!!

Recently the AKC has started a new titling event called the Coursing Ability Test or CAT. The CAT is open to all breeds unlike Lure Coursing which is only for Sighthounds. This past weekend we made our way over the mountains to attend the Cascade Coursing Club's Lure Coursing practice session in North Bend, Washington. We wanted to see if this was something Ashton would enjoy. He loved it! The field had some mole holes and elk poo (joys of living in the northwest. lol) he had to avoid while running but he gave it his all and did great for his very first time coursing. It was great fun. The dogs basically chase three plastic bags, which is called "the bunny", tied to a cable.

But the best part was we were not alone. There was a total of 9 Corgis there! All the Sighthound owners were surprised to see so many Corgis. We impressed them all.
                      Elk poo and mole holes?! No problem! Hover Corgi can levitate over them!!


The other Corgi owners shot this video for us since my husband is the one releasing Ashton and I was "the catcher" at the end of the course. Since this was his first time Coursing they wanted him to start with just a straight path. Next time we will move to a zig zag pattern which I am sure he is going to really love.

This is definitely a fun activity for Corgis. It plays into their herding instinct and gives them the perfect chance to burn off some of that extra energy. Another thing that is great about this sport is you really don't have to do anything. Unlike obedience, agility and herding where you need to be out there in competition giving directions to your dog you only need to let go of your dog and it's up to them to "get the bunny". Plus, if you pass the CAT three times you get an AKC title! In terms of handling and training, hands down the easiest thing we have done with Ashton to date.

I should mention that your dog should have a good recall since they are off lead.


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"Ready steady can't hold me back. Ready steady give me good luck. Ready steady never look back. Let's get started READY STEADY GO!"

Check with your local kennel club, Sighthound specific clubs or Lure Coursing clubs to see if you can drop in on practice. The Cascade Coursing Club was very friendly and welcoming to our merry band of munchkin herders. They took the time to introduce us to the lingo, equipment and answered all of our questions. It was so much fun and very informative. On top of that we got to watch some beautiful Sighthounds run. I'd seen many Sighthounds before at dog shows and trials but never off lead in a full out run. It's really impressive.

The only downside for us: Camera. We need to get one of those super high speed cameras like you see at sporting events. It's going to be tough getting non-blurry pictures of Coursing!! LOL