Competitive Sports

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The presence of Irish Wolfhounds at various Competitive Sports venues is on the rise. The Irish Wolfhound Association of the Carolinas supports those who enjoy the challenge, camaraderie, and down right great fun of these sports, and the club hopes to encourage those who have not yet caught the Competitive Sports bug to join in and fall in love!

The purpose of this page is to provide education and information about a variety of fun and exciting Canine Competitive Sports opportunities.

Competitive Sports Goals:

Increase Irish Wolfhound participation in activities that are fulfilling their natural instincts
Improve your wolfhound's focus
Strengthen your bond with your Irish Wolfhound(s)
Improve your wolfhound's confidence, leading to a happier healthier, well-behaved dog.
Have fun with other Irish Wolfhound owners
Mentor Irish Wolfhound owners who are new to the competitive sports environment
Gather more owners at events in order to provide Irish Wolfhound awareness & education

Coursing and Racing Events

LGRA (Large Gazehound Racing Association) [pronounced as legra]

LGRA is a racing sport run on a 200 yard straight, flat track,

and is limited exclusively to purebred sighthounds. In this

sport, the hounds chase a drag lure for a short sprint of

200 yards. Each heat is run with 2 to 4 dogs of the same

breed, and the race is judged simply by speed--the first to

cross the finish line wins the heat. Each hound wears a

numbered blanket similar to lure coursing, and must wear

both a collar and a muzzle. A starting box is used for smaller dogs, however, Irish Wolfhounds are hand-slipped. A handler releases the hound at the starting line and then there is someone to catch at the finish line. It is not uncommon to find this high-action racing event being offered as part of an Irish Wolfhound Specialty.

Want to know more about this fun and exciting sport? All the details along with calendars of upcoming LGRA events throughout the country can be found on the Large Gazehound Racing Association Website ( https://www.lgra.club/ )

AKC Fast CAT

Think your Irish Wolfhound is fast?! Have you ever wondered how fast? The exciting and fast-paced sport of AKC Fast CAT (Coursing Ability Test) is a timed 100-yard straight line dash. Each dog runs individually, chasing a lure, and their speed is measured to earn points toward AKC titles. All dogs can participate in Fast CAT, whether purebred or mixed breed, and all that is needed to compete, is that innate prey drive instinct possessed by so many of our Irish Wolfhounds!

For more information about AKC Fast CAT, visit the American Kennel Club Fast CAT page at: https://www.akc.org/sports/coursing/fast-cat/

AKC Lure Coursing

Is your Irish Wolfhound forever on the lookout for prey? Does he/she bolt after that (sometimes) elusive squirrel, or any other "prey" that comes into sight? Do you often watch your hound joyfully and energetically zigzagging across the terrain in determined and highly focused pursuit of a moving object? If so, Lure Coursing may be the sport for you and your Irish Wolfhound.

Lure Coursing is an AKC event open to Irish Wolfhounds and 15 other sighthound breeds. In this event, the setting is a large, open field, and the "prey" is a mechanized, white plastic bag that follows an unpredictable 600-yard course, mimicking the movements of a live prey. . . such as that elusive squirrel! Lure Coursing gives our Irish Wolfhounds the opportunity to do what they were bred to do ~ see the prey, and use their speed, power and endurance to chase it down.

If this highly energized sport brings out YOUR inner instinct for fun and excitement, you can learn more by visiting the American Kennel Club Lure Coursing page at:

https://www.akc.org/sports/coursing/lure-coursing/

Additional Resources:

American Kennel Club - Coursing

National Oval Track Racing Association

American Sighthound Field Association

Scent Work

Obedience

AKC Rally

If you are looking for a super fun and low key team sport that will not only enhance your bond with your Irish Wolfhound, but also sharpen your hound's obedience and behavior skills, you should definitely check out AKC Rally.

In AKC Rally, you and your Wolfhound will navigate a course and perform obedience exercises as directed by each of 10-20 signs per course. Touching and/or tension on a lead isn’t allowed, but communication from you to your hound is unlimited and encouraged. Verbal commands (in a very happy voice!) and physical cues (clapping, patting your leg, hand signals) can be used for praise and encouragement. And on a very positive note, the course is started with a perfect score of 100! Points for any errors are deducted along the way; a retained score of at least 70 points earns a qualifying leg toward earning a title and being able to move on to the next level.

To learn more about AKC Rally, visit the AKC Rally page at https://www.akc.org/sports/rally/

Trick Dog Title

Agility