My wife and I were in PetSmart over the weekend and she saw this laser pointer at the checkout counter and wanted to buy it. I said, “What do you want with that?” and she said, “To play with the dogs.”
We have a Labrador retriever, two Jack Russell Terriers, and five Border Collies and I knew that at least one of our Jack Russell’s would “chase the dot” because he loves Lure Coursing.
Life Tips says that The Sport of Lure Coursing:
Competition is limited to the sighthound breeds, so called because they hunt mainly by sight rather than scent. These breeds include Afghan Hounds, Basenjis, Borzoi, Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Ibizan Hounds, Pharoah Hounds, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Whippets. Greyhounds and others of these fast breeds also participate in track racing.
The competition may be limited to the sight hound breeds, but our Jack Russell, Patch, just goes nuts on the course. Patch is so obsessed he will cry when it is time to leave. Our other Jack Russell, Ed, could care less about the lure course. He is like, “It’s just a piece of fabric on a rope. Do you think I’m stupid?”
My wife bought the Laser, and to my surprise, both Patch and Ed will chase it until they cannot run any more, which is a very long time for a Jack Russell Terrier. Believe me; you will get tired of playing long before they do. We just had both of them out in the yard for a laser luring good time and they both just think it is neatest thing, and it is great exercise for them. Plus, it is just as much fun for us.
All of our Border Collies except for two will just look at it like, “It’s just a light. Do you think we’re stupid?” The other two Border Collies must be crated and out of sight when the “chase the dot” game is played because one of them wants to eat the Jacks and the other one is deathly afraid of the dot. Before we realized just how afraid he was of the dot, my wife chased him out the dog door with it. When he did not come in right away, we both realized that he was not playing and was actually terrified of the dot. The “Big Bad Border Collies” are afraid of the weirdest things sometime.
If you have a Jack Russell Terrier(s) or any of the sight hound breeds, I am sure they would love to “chase the dot.” Laser lights can be found on the Internet under the names “Laser Chase” or “Miracle Beam.”
Larry
9 comments ↓
My “Big Bad Border Collie” can not function if he sees or hears a clicker, guitar, or camera. He will crawl under a table and shake. He’s my first hearding breed after a life of Labs- whole differant bag of chips!
We have an almost 11 year old Golden who goes absolutely nutso after that stupid plastic bag lure that the Doggie Fun Zone uses. I’ve never seen anything like it. We got an all day pass last year at St. Judes and that was the happiest Golden you’ve ever seen chasing that bag. I wish we had someone doing lure coursing near just to let her chase. She’s just hilarious.
Talking about a “Big Bad Border Collie,” we have one that is afraid of laundry being folded, and he is the Alpha in the pack. The popping sound that is created when shaking out a towel is what started his fear. Now anytime he sees the laundry basket he runs for cover.
oh the RED DOT! Don’t even bother bringing one of those w/in 20 feet of my house. My staffy Twizzy loves the RED DOT. He knows the sound it makes when you click it, this sound is hardwired in his mind now. He refuses food for the RED DOT! That right there tells you he is completely obsessed by it. A staffy refusing food, NEVER….
He also goes nuts over the lure. If he see’s any canopy set up similar to the Course a Lure sight at Wags for Wishes he thinks he is going luring. We have a flirt pole that he adores…anything for the lure!
My BC Celeste is intoxicated by shadows, highlights, and reflections. We had snow on the ground for a long time this winter and it was fun to make shadow monsters that she’d pounce on and then dig dig dig dig dig. I stopped doing it when she started to pounce on concrete and I got worried that she’d damage her front legs.
But the laser light brings the “ooooh, look at the pretty lights” obsession to another level. The red light must die. It NEEDS killing.
As such I don’t use it often, but if a nasty neighbor needs to have their flowers torn up or I need an instant hole for a fence post, or if I’m trapped in the desert with just my dog, a laser, and no water except underground… I know what to do.
About half of the border collies I’ve had (mostly the girls as it turns out) have/had extreme sensitivity to noise. All of them hate thunder, but that is easily cured with some liquid Melatonin from the Vitamin store…. works WONDERS over 4th of July, etc. Give a few drops an hour before the noise starts (or dose them all day given the bratty kids setting off firecrackers) and they never panic or get past the “what’s that noise?” stage.
Otherwise they’d chew through solid core doors to get away.
I’ve had several BCs that hate the sound of my mother sneezing (no one else, just her) and leave the room when she starts. One hates the sound of a duck quack or when a human makes the raspberries noise.
Given their over-the-top reactions to loud noise and lights, I suspect that a Disco is the BC’s idea of hell.
Border collies can have some strange behaviors but the Jacks really love the dot. So when a trip to the Lure Course is not possible the Laser is an excellent substitute.
My dogs LOVE the dot. My Zoe is actually obsessed with it. We have to change it’s hiding places because if we even open the kitchen drawer where it’s been kept she goes nuts! I have to be very careful when playing with it b/c they can get too over the top.
My cats love it too!
Sneezing is not just a BC thing. I have several friends with Shelties and some of them go nuts when their person sneezes. Wonder what’s with that?
Beth
The organized sport of lure coursing is only for sighthounds but many organized events will offer “practice” time where all breeds are welcome to chase the bunny by themselves. We often take our Cairn Terriers out on a coursing weekend (for the whippets) to run a couple hundred yards to help get a little energy out. You should see those little legs work!
Howard
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