Coursing with Siru
Coursing competitions are very popular in Finland. They are strictly for fun and the athmosphere at the races is usually very relaxed. For many dog owners participating in the competition is a great way of meeting other dog owners, exercising their dog and having lots of fun all at the same time ! And the hounds love it ! Unfortunately Silkens are usually not permitted to compete because the breed is not internationally recognized. However they can and do participate in coursing practice sessions where they have found new admirers among sighthound people.
Siru and Nipsu, the first Silken in Finland, take off after the lure... Siru is badly in need of tuition when it comes to chasing prey - though she loves running she has not yet grasped the concept of hunting a bunch of rags (we suspect her instincts would be instantaneously awakened if the lure were a bag of dog food). But she is being instructed by experts, in this case by Nipsu who is an old hand when it comes to coursing.
Like most sighthounds Silkens are proficient hunters. They keep their eyes firmly glued onto the prey while running and are therefore unable to pay much attention to the terrain. As a consequence we often see them perform frightening somersaults at high speeds and always fear something terrible will happen... Thus far there have been no injuries and it seems that the dogs' compact, muscular bodies are able to withstand amazing amounts of slipping, sliding, falling over and somersaulting.
Siru showing off her double-suspended gallop, one of the identifying characteristics of sighthounds.
After a few practice sessions we must report that Siru needs much much more practice. At first she tended to give up the chase and concentrate on the running but now she mostly attempts to run away from the coursing track and return back to the crowd of waiting dogs where she typically attempts to fall asleep immediately. We are hoping that eventually she will be more interested in the moving lure. On the other hand we hope she will still refrain from trying to chase Nougat the cat.
Nipsu going in for the kill. At an unofficial coursing competition organized by the Saluki club in 1999 Nipsu was rated the best non-Saluki of the event.
Siru and her brother Teal'c chasing after the lure.
After the lure became stuck the dogs decided that there was no need to stop running just because the lure was no longer in the race. Delirious with the sensation of speed, they dashed up and down the field to the delight of the crowd and the despair of their owners. Catching them took a long long time.
Teal'c is an accomplished coursing athlete who always runs the full distance. Every Silken should have a big brother to look up to and Teal'c sets a fine example for Siru.
Back to the front page