Dear Training Goals: Italian Greyhounds are fun-loving athletic little dogs who love to spend time with their owners. While a member of the Toy group, they share the same attributes of speed and agility with their larger Greyhound cousins. Most breeds involved with lure coursing are from the hound group and are typically referred to as sighthounds. They hunt their prey by sight first rather than scent. Your sporty yet affectionate little dog would be perfect for either activity.  

To learn more about activities with your “IG,” as they are commonly called, contact the “parent club.” The parent club – the Italian Greyhound Club of America (IGCA) – is the national governing body of the breed in this country. The IGCA is a member club of the American Kennel Club (AKC). If you go to their website at www.italiangreyhound.org they have a wealth of information including a section called “Activities for your IG”. Here you will find agility information under performance events and lure coursing information under running sports. There are also some great photos of the little guys in action.

Lure Coursing

Lure coursing is a sport developed in the 1970’s by a group of California sighthound fanciers who needed a method to test their breed’s field abilities. A “lure” is used across a big field to simulate the movement of prey. The dogs must spot it and chase it down as fast as they can. It was this group that founded the American Sighthound Field Association (AFSA) and began holding events. In 1992, the AKC started sanctioning events for AKC-registered dogs under a similar format.

Currently, there are 12 AKC breeds eligible to compete: Afghan Hounds, Basenjis, Borzoi, Greyhounds, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Whippets and Italian Greyhounds.

Under AKC rules the only restrictio for Italian Greyhounds is that they cannot compete for Best in Field. Like the other breeds, they must meet their breed standard and are subject to the same disqualifications, such as an IG with brindle markings or with tan markings normally found on black and tan dogs of other breeds. The good news is that spayed and neutered dogs are eligible to compete.

If you visit the AFSA website at www.afsa.org and look under “member clubs” you will find a listing of people who train in your area.  Also, go to the AKC website at www.akc.org and do a search on lure coursing where you will find all the rules and regulations of their competitions and an e-mail list you can join.  

Agility

Agility is the fastest growing sport of all the AKC events. It simulates a grand prix horse jumping course with jumps, obstacles and tunnels that must be successfully navigated in the fastest time with the fewest faults. And, unlike lure coursing, you run with your dog in this event.

Your dog must be an AKC-registered dog or be eligible for an Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP) number. This number is given to dogs who can physically demonstrate that they are of a certain pure breed but do not have papers to prove it. Dogs must be at least one year old to compete and can be spayed or neutered.

The AKC has a wonderful brochure, A Beginner’s Guide to Agility, which can be viewed at their website. Also, the website has a training search section to help you find local kennel clubs that offer agility classes. A word to the wise; to begin agility work your dog should have a basic understanding of classic obedience. 

In Newtown, classes for Agility are held at Cassio Kennels. Visit their website at www.cassiokennels.com for more information on their instructors and when the next sessions begin.

Lisa Peterson, a breeder and exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds, is a Delegate to the American Kennel Club. Send questions to dogcolumn@aol.com  or P.O. Box 197, Newtown, CT 06470.