muzzles – The Greyhounds' Yarn

January 19, 2017March 6, 2017

Amateur Running Sports: NOTRA

Today I am continuing my series on amateur running sports for Greyhounds. In addition to racing and lure coursing I wanted to write about Open Field Coursing (OFC). I did not feel I was a good person to write about OFC, as I have never been to an event (most are out west). It was suggested to have a guest writer post on OFC, and I thought that was a great idea. Next week you will be hearing from Audrey Hsia about OFC and greyhounds. I hope you all enjoy it!

Back to this week’s post on NOTRA or oval racing organized by the National Oval Track Racing Association. So what is NOTRA? NOTRA is oval racing. The hounds are usually boxed at the start but can be hand slipped. The distance of the track is between 241 yards and 440 yards. Greyhounds run three programs in one day. Generally 4 hounds run together, although depending on the number of entrants this can change. To have a Greyhound meet there must be at least two Greyhounds entered. Just like in LGRA or sprint racing, the Greyhound that reaches the finish line first wins. Also, winning and placing Greyhounds earn points that accumulate allowing them to earn titles.

NOTRA requires a little more thought from the Greyhound than LGRA or sprint racing. The Greyhound needs to make a path to get around the track. Some go immediately to the rail while others tend to run mid track and can make up time in the back stretch of the track. Each dog is different and will generally prefer a certain location on the track. The running style of different Greyhounds is fascinating to watch. If you go to a few meets you will see you dogs’ style develop and they will learn more with each run.

What do you need for NOTRA? You need a muzzle and the same 1-4 racing blankets you bought for LGRA. You also need to talk with the race secretary prior, as first time entries will need to be re–registered through NOTRA (your NGA number is fine). Your hound will need to be certified as well – if you Greyhound ran professionally generally they are good to go – but please check with the race secretary prior to the meet. If you have never boxed your Greyhound, it might be a good idea to practice this a few times prior to your first official meet.

As always, make sure you are aware of any injuries your Greyhound may have had on the pro track. Make sure that your Greyhound is at racing weight and well conditioned. Also, please check with your vet before beginning in amateur running sports to make sure your Greyhound is healthy enough to sustain these activities.

NOTRA is a lot of fun. You are able to see your Greyhound’s mind work as they improve with each trip around the track. I also feel that NOTRA reinforces that racing is not a bad or cruel sport but fun and Greyhounds love it.

I hope this has been helpful and you consider trying NOTRA with your Greyhound in the future.

Please check back next week for the final post in the amateur running sports series on Open Field Coursing by Audrey Hsia.

Feature Photo credit: Javier Ocasio

January 12, 2017March 6, 2017

Amateur Running Sports: LGRA

I hope you all found the lure coursing piece useful and fun. Today I want to discuss sprint racing, also know as LGRA as it is organized by the large gazehound racing association.

LGRA is a favorite of mine. I love the raw speed that sprint racing provides. I also like LGRA because the fastest dog wins, which removes any subjectivity from the event. However, it is not perfect. Today I will talk about what LGRA racing is and what you should think about if you decide this is the sport for you and your hound.

First, make sure you are aware of any injuries your Greyhound may have had on the pro track. Make sure that your Greyhound is at racing weight and well conditioned. As always, please check with your vet before beginning in amateur running sports to make sure your Greyhound is healthy enough to sustain these activities.

OK, now what is LGRA? LGRA is a sprint race of 200 yards with three programs. Generally four dogs compete in each race, this number can change depending on the entrants. Dogs are usually boxed at the start just like in pro racing and then they chase a drag lure for 200 yards. The hound that gets to the finish line first wins the race. LGRA is simple and a blast to watch. My dogs love it! Based on the number of entries, the dogs are awarded points. The larger the entry the more points for the winner and placing dogs. Once your dog has accumulated enough points they are able to obtain titles. (I have never seen a Greyhound get excited about a title, but the competition is fun for the owners.)

Besides having a fit dog, you need a muzzle and racing blankets for LGRA (1-4). Usually there are plenty of experienced Greyhound people at these events and will allow you to borrow blankets or muzzles if needed. Prior to arriving at the meet you need to contact the race secretary to register your dog and check if they need a certification run. Dogs that have raced in NOTRA or have raced professionally generally do not need a certification. However, it might be helpful to run some practice runs prior to your official meet to see how things work and get the hang of boxing your Greyhound.

I overall enjoy LGRA racing. I like that LGRA focuses on raw speed – the Greyhound does not have to consider manipulating turns or when is the best time to really turn up the speed. There are two things that I wish were different. I wish the length of the sprint were longer. I feel that Greyhounds are just getting up to top speed when the race is over and another 100 yards would be better for a lot of Greyhounds. I also wish there was a trap for the lure. When the lure stops, after the sprint with plenty of run out (area for the Greyhound to decelerate) all the dogs clobber the lure. Removing a Greyhound off a lure is very difficult and I have a very small bitch. I cannot imagine having to manipulate a 65+ pound Greyhound off a lure!

LGRA is rather safe, as it is a straight line without any turns; however, these Greyhounds are running hard and as with any strenuous athletic activity, injuries can occur. As always check your Greyhound’s feet after each run. If the ground is hard and you are wrapping pads, it is important to remove the vetrap after each run to make sure their feet are OK. I generally leave the elastikon in place if they haven’t run it off.

LGRA is a great sport for retired racers. It focuses on the Greyhound’s raw speed and is a blast to watch. I hope you now know a little more about LGRA and how much fun it is! Tune in next week for another post on amateur running sports.

Feature Photo credit: Carl Doby

November 4, 2016March 6, 2017

Greyhound Behavior: Decoded!

Have you ever seen your greyhound act odd or refuse a command you know they understand? If you are like me, you want to find a cause for what they are doing or not doing. Today I am going to discuss how I analyze my dog’s behavior.

First, greyhounds are not aggressive dogs. Oftentimes new greyhound owners mistake play for aggression. Greyhounds are mouthy, they like to feel different textures in their mouths and they also like to use their mouths in play.

You can see based on these photos how someone might mistake greyhound play for aggression; however, it is completely innocent. The nature of greyhound play can lead to issues, think big teeth and thin skin. This is why a lot of owners turn out their greyhounds with muzzles on. This is the safest why to turn out multiple greyhounds.

Aggression towards other dogs or humans is rather uncommon in greyhounds, although some tend to have very strong prey drives. Jethro had some serious issues when he came to our home. He thought that anything that was small and fluffy was a lure. We needed serious help with this dog, as I was not accustomed to 65lbs of solid muscle pulling on the leash. I went to our local obedience class first. The environment there was overwhelming for Jethro and increased his fear. I decided that his reconditioning was going to have to be completed at home and gradually introduced in public.

I am a researcher; I immediately researched the best books and set out on a mission to help Jethro. These books were extremely useful to us, and I recommend them to other owners who are dealing with very drivey dogs: On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas, The Other End of the Leash: Why We do What We do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell, and Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin. After reading these books I started implementing their suggestions. I changed my behavior to help Jethro feel safe. One of my Greyhound friends told me to act like a “calm fearless leader,” and this became my mantra with Jethro. I also kept a toy with me anytime I had Jethro out, as Jethro is not food driven but loves to tug. I was also focused on his body language to give me cues, allowing me to disrupt his unwanted behavior before it happened.

Overall this was very successful for us, but we did have setbacks. Right after Darla was adopted I was struggling with watching Jethro and her on our walks. Jethro did mess up and for about four months Jethro and Darla had to be walked separately so that I could keep my eyes on him and try my best to see the world through his eyes. We have to remember that dogs are dogs. They are not humans and we cannot expect them to act like us. We have to look at life through their eyes and then train them to be successful in our world.

Now, Jethro is doing great. We can take him alone or with the rest of our pack anywhere. I did not take away his prey drive (just asked our backyard squirrels) but I did enable him with the tools to be a great dog in a world of cats and poodles.

Not all greyhounds have such high prey drives. The most common characteristic that greyhounds are known for include: even-tempered, gentle, affectionate, quiet, and athletic. Oftentimes it takes a hound some time to blossom after adoption. Even after the hound is well established in the pack, they may refuse a command or act odd. That is when I really investigate what is happening and intervene if needed.

The other day I was trying to get a photo of all three of my dogs laying on a blue quilt in the nice fall weather. I had Sashi on one end and Jethro on the other. All I needed was for Darla to lay down in-between the boys. Darla is my most loyal hound: she comes when she is called, she sits on command, and she is pure awesomeness in a small brindle package. She would not lie down between the boys, would not do it no matter what I fed her or gave her. I took a step back, letting go of my photo idea, and got in Darla’s head and thought about these four things: 1. Darla is obedient, so what is the issue with this situation? 2. Darla knows how to lie down, is something bothering her about the position? 3. Jethro is the alpha of the pack, is she insecure about lying this close to him? 4. Is she uncomfortable being in the middle of the boys and would like to be on the end?

After thinking about these facts I realized that Darla did not want her space encroached on – it was not OK at that point in their doggy relationship.

When my dogs refused a command I first think, is something hurting them. Often times the refusal can be linked to the flooring or to the situation above. My dogs are not perfect and sometimes they will simply refuse to do something, but I always rule out other factors first.

If you look at all these photos, Darla does not have issues being close to other dogs but needs to be one the end. The photo would have worked if I would have put her on the end and the boys together, oh well! I called off the photo shoot and everyone went back to his or her normal behavior.

The point of this is that most of the time obedient dogs are not trying to ignore us. There maybe something wrong with the situation in their minds. It is not our job to make them do uncomfortable things but figure out that is the issue and try to find a fix to allow them to flourish.

Being a dog owner and training my dogs is the hardest job I have. I always need to be on and be a leader for the pack. By analyzing your dog’s actions and getting into his head you will create a better environment for you and your hound.