Lure Coursing

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Lure Coursing is a dog sport simulating a hunt where dogs chase a mechanical lure (usually a plastic bag) across a pulley system designed to simulate small prey animals, letting them use their natural prey drive for exercise and fun.

Yes, while traditional lure coursing is for sighthounds, events like AKC's Coursing Ability Tests (CAT) and FastCAT are open to all dog breeds (including mixed breeds) as long as they have a healthy chase drive and are physically fit, allowing any dog that loves to run and chase to enjoy the sport. The key is the dog's enthusiasm for the moving lure, not their breed, though sighthounds have a natural advantage due to their breeding for hunting. 

Lure coursing dangers include orthopedic injuries (tendon tears, joint strains, broken bones from sharp turns), paw pad tears (especially in cold weather), line burns or cuts from the lure string, overheating in hot weather, and exhaustion, especially if dogs are unfit, overweight, or run on hard ground, highlighting the need for proper fitness, course design, warm-ups, hydration, and careful operation. 

While injuries are always going to be possible when running on a lure course there are steps that can be taken to help ensure a safe experience for your dog. A good lure operator will know how hard to run your dog based on age, size and breed as well as keep the lure a safe distance in front of the dog at all times. Making sure your dogs paws are clean and free of debris (small rocks, twigs and rock salt for example) will help prevent paw injuries. Some pet owners may choose to consider items like paw balm or paw/leg wraps for thier dogs if they see fit.