lure coursing with a Briard! (and a rant about idiots with Cane Corsos)

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

The weather was gorgeous this weekend, so I went to a lure coursing fun match yesterday with my 20 month old Briard, Chewie. It was held by a local terrier club at the same time a local kennel club was hosting a conformation event.

It turns out raising a Briard is really challenging compared to raising a Sheltie (the breed I was coming from), but I have been just so pleased (read: REALLY RELIEVED) at how Chewie has started growing into his self-confidence and and settling in his own skin over the past few months. I was really tickled with how well behaved he was at the lure coursing event.

I was less tickled with the Cane Corso ahead of us in the run order before our second run. She was there for the conformation event, but the woman who walked up with her was going on and on about how much the dog seems to like lure coursing.

After a few minutes it was becoming increasingly clear her female handler was physically unable to control the dog. I put as much distance as possible between my dog and hers, but I could only make about 10’ because of the setup of the line for the running order. A few moments later she called over her very large, muscular husband. He brought their toddler with him.

I thought it was bad when the dog absolutely plowed over the kid (including stepping on his face!!) and the kid’s grandmother had to rush over to get him because his parents didn’t even blink, much less check if their crying, muddy child was okay.

The final straw, though, was when the man lost control of the dog and it rushed us and bit Chewie in the face (or tried to; Chew screamed pretty dramatically but I think his furry face made it hard for the dog to aim so the blow was mostly glancing). I kicked the dog hard in the head as it made contact with my dog, and thankfully the man caught the Cane Corso again immediately.

Then… he did not apologize. His wife did not apologize. They didn’t ask if my dog was okay (he’s fine, but that’s not the point). The husband went so far as to give ME a dirty look for kicking their dog!

I was incredibly proud of my dog. Male briards in particular are notorious for dog aggression, but Chewie shook the incident off, and didn’t retaliate in any way. He just took a single step back and looked to me for direction while maintaining absolute composure (which quite frankly shocked me LOL). Multiple other exhibitors approached me to express indignation at the Cane Corso’s owners, and every one of them complimented Chewie’s rock solid temperament and how well he listened to me.

Then we had two very nice runs (for a Briard ;)).

I finished the day by informing show management and having the idiots kicked out of the fun match and the AKC conformation show going on. I know not all Cane Corsos are bad, but there’s a certain macho “type” attracted to owning them that makes my blood boil.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but I just need to get this off my chest…

• If you have to rely on brute strength to manage your dog, you should not be in public with it.
• If you have to rely on brute force to handle your dog [I]and[/I] it is also dog aggressive, you should REALLY not be in public with it.
• If you aren't even strong enough to be able to keep your aggressive dog under control by brute force... for the love of god DON'T BRING IT TO A PUBLIC PLACE AND SURROUND IT WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER STRUNG OUT DOGS.
• Lastly, if you do decide to be an idiot and do all the above... have half an iota of human decency and (1) make sure the other dog isn't injured, and (2) freaking apologize!!!!

Thanks for letting me vent. :)

[S1969]

I’m glad to hear that you reported the incident; before I got to that point I was wondering, and know that AKC has specific rules about dog incidents at conformation shows - and dogs that bite are generally excused (even if provoked!) It’s a good lesson for these people - conformation shows are full of unaltered dogs, and you can generally bet on a good many females in season on the premises (unlike AKC performance events). So dogs have to be capable of handling that environment or they are kicked out.

It’s too bad for some of these breeds that idiots are attracted to them. Many of the breeds notorious for being “scary” really are not supposed to be aggressive. It’s the idiots that ruin everything for the good owners and good dogs.

Looks like it was fun, though! I’m not sure my dog would do lure coursing. Maybe once. If he found out it was just a bag on a string I don’t think he’d try so hard the next time! :lol: Good job!

[vtdobes]

Wow he looks great!!! Dogs love that lure coursing so much

Sorry about the incident. I’ve had a few at events but nothing that close. Actually my male Dobe and I were confronted out in my work parking lot this past Friday by two loose wandering dogs. They decided to gang up on us and I ended up kicking the yellow lab in the head and that knocked some sense in him. There was no way my dog would have backed down especially with me being there and I didn’t really want any of us getting bit!

[Bicoastal]

I bet neither the dog nor its handlers were prepared for the level of arousal that occurs at lure coursing. It sounds like it was the CC’s first time. As you saw, dogs’ brains fall out. I’d say most handlers use brute force to hang onto their hounds at coursing events.

I’m so sorry you didn’t have enough room to be safe. It is NOT cool to have dogs waiting in a group at the line. One CAT tried that because the day was running long. Enough handlers of big 'uns complained that they stopped that ‘queing’ after, like, 3 runs. I often see re-direction happen when dogs are watching others run and sometimes the owners don’t realize Sweetums is trying to nail their leg.

I am not attempting to excuse the owners’ behavior. AKC has a reporting system for bites and I hope that process was followed out. Cheers to Chewie for his impeccable recovery.

[Calamber]

She said he wasn’t bitten. I would add to that list, how in the name of God did management not intervene when a CHILD was plowed over by a dog trying to attack another one? That is a big red flag that they need a better system.

[vacation1]

Man, the Cane Corsos are taking a beating on COTH lately Apart from the rest of the problems with the attacking CC, you have to wonder WTH they’re actually encouraging their already aggressive, uncontrollable giant breed to chase prey by doing lure coursing… I bet he’s lots of fun at the local dog park.

OP’s dog is adorable.

[Trakehner]

[QUOTE=vacation1;8135446]
Man, the Cane Corsos are taking a beating on COTH lately Apart from the rest of the problems with the attacking CC, you have to wonder WTH they’re actually encouraging their already aggressive, uncontrollable giant breed to chase prey by doing lure coursing.[/QUOTE]

There’s a pretty screwed up mindset with way too many owners of these dogs…they’re dangerous in most owners hands.

It was a Cane Corso who killed the woman in the hallway of her apartment…the dog’s owners tried to blame the victim (she was lesbian and wearing perfume!). They were sentenced to jail for many years.

[JanM]

I think the dog involved in the San Francisco attack was a Presa Canario, but not that much different from a CC I think. Yes, the defense in that case was ludicrous, especially since it wasn’t that dog’s first attack, and I believe that one was a Seeing Eye dog or something similar.

Good point, that many people simply aren’t equipped to own huge dogs, or even a dog that’s not for a beginning dog owner without a lot of education, and training for dog and owner.

[Bicoastal]

[QUOTE=Calamber;8134614]
She said he wasn’t bitten.[/QUOTE]

I dunno…people probably define this chain of events differently. I’d say contact was made but no punctures. As far as Chewie is concerned, he was bitten. The mental encounter impact’s Chewie’s future behavior just as much if not more than the physical.

[QUOTE=Lazy Palomino Hunter;8134348][COLOR=#141823]
The final straw, though, was when the man lost control of the dog and it rushed us and bit Chewie in the face (or tried to; Chew screamed pretty dramatically but I think his furry face made it hard for the dog to aim so the blow was mostly glancing). [/QUOTE]

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

[QUOTE=Bicoastal;8134599]
I bet neither the dog nor its handlers were prepared for the level of arousal that occurs at lure coursing. It sounds like it was the CC’s first time. As you saw, dogs’ brains fall out. I’d say most handlers use brute force to hang onto their hounds at coursing events.[/QUOTE]

At one point there were some technical issues with the timer. During the ~10 minute period where we were waiting for the problem to be resolved, most of the exhibitors in line continued to actively work to arouse their dogs (“ARE YOU READY TO RUN? ARE YOU EXCITED!? YEAH???”… to dogs already standing on their hind legs and screaming nonstop).

I didn’t know (and still don’t) if this is standard at lure coursing events, or if it was just because it was a fun match. Because he’s an agility dog and slightly over half my weight, I need my dog to settle when I ask him to. We spend a lot of time proofing his “relax” command in the face of exciting distractions. I just used Sunday as a learning opportunity for him and played quiet It’s Yer Choice “leave it” games with high value treats, as well as some click/treat “Look at That” games when dogs were on course.

I was proud of Chewie- he was SO excited about the lure and getting permission to chase something, but other than yelping when the other dog came after him, he was quiet and polite on his lead the entire day.

If you’d told me before the event that this was how he’d behave, I would have been shocked. Maybe he is growing up after all.

I’m so sorry you didn’t have enough room to be safe. It is NOT cool to have dogs waiting in a group at the line. One CAT tried that because the day was running long. Enough handlers of big 'uns complained that they stopped that ‘queing’ after, like, 3 runs. I often see re-direction happen when dogs are watching others run and sometimes the owners don’t realize Sweetums is trying to nail their leg.

Yeah, the entry system wasn’t great… you couldn’t put your # in and wait at a distance to be called; you had to physically wait in the line, then hand them your paper as you walked onto the course. So no matter what was happening with the other dogs, if you stepped too far away you lost your place and had to go to back to the end of the line. I thought I was a reasonably safe distance away, but clearly not!!

Cheers to Chewie for his impeccable recovery.

Again, if anyone had told me he’d handle something calmly prior to the incident happening, I would have laughed in their face. :lol: He was a reactive, fearful monster of a puppy… other Briard people (his breeder included) kept assuring me they turn into different dogs between 2 and 3 when they “grow into their confidence,” and this was the first thing that has made me really believe it.

(My SO has also suggested Chewie was abducted by aliens and replaced with a well-behaved Briard. :lol: Have not yet been able to disprove this theory.)

@Calamber;8134614

She said he wasn’t bitten.

Well… the dog wasn’t able to chomp down and no blood was drawn… but my guy screamed quite loudly, had the other dog’s slobber all over his face, and he has two tender spots on his face (one right under his eye, the other further up his snout). I think we were just very, very lucky that his wild mop of face hair made it hard for the other dog to aim. If I had a smaller/shorter haired dog, or a dog willing to engage with another dog coming at it… I think it would’ve been pretty ugly.

I would add to that list, how in the name of God did management not intervene when a CHILD was plowed over by a dog trying to attack another one? That is a big red flag that they need a better system.

I KNOW!!! WHAT KIND OF PARENT JUST LETS THAT HAPPEN!?! It did happen independently of their dog coming after mine (2 or 3 minutes before)… the dog was sort of frantically heaving this way and that while the man basically choked it with the two massive collars it had on… and the kid was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When the kid got knocked down, I looked frantically around to see if ANYONE else saw it happen (nope). The child was pretty quiet about it… he had a maybe 4" scratch down his cheek (the kind that makes a red welt but isn’t bad enough to really bleed) and big alligator tears rolling down his face, but he didn’t scream or make much noise at all.

The reaction of the parents and child to the dog knocking him over was the most upsetting part of the situation for me, because it made it seem like the dog knocks the toddler down frequently and he doesn’t expect help anymore.

[Horsegal984]

That’s awful. That poor kid! I will admit I have had times when I have scolded DD after getting bowled over by the dogs but only after she has been given instructions to stay out of the playroom/yard/etc and ignores me. However I think getting knocked on your arse at 4 by Cattle Dogs is a bit different than being trampled by a CC! Heck my dogs even come to check on DD whenever they’ve knocked her over!

Glad your recently abducted Briard had such a good coursing day overall!

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

[QUOTE=Horsegal984;8136246]
However I think getting knocked on your arse at 4 by Cattle Dogs is a bit different than being trampled by a CC! Heck my dogs even come to check on DD whenever they’ve knocked her over! [/QUOTE]

This kid was definitely under 4, he was just a little guy. I’m not great with guestimating child ages, but he must have been under 2… he was still a little unsteady on uneven ground, barely talking, etc.

It was inappropriate to even have him around the line of dogs waiting to go in, much less to let him be underfoot around their worked-up Molosser. He walked up with the dad, but I didn’t see his family even acknowledge his existence until his grandmom came and scooped him up a minute or so after their dog flattened him.

And did I mention his grandmom then took him to the field next to the lure coursing course and flew a small white kite with him to entertain him? She held on to the kite, but every time it crashed (at which point every dog that had ever seen a lure was salivating to get at it), she sent him toddling off to get it and bring it back to her.

They eventually stopped with the kite, I’m pretty sure at the request of management, but seriously… what a freaking dumb and short-sighted toy to bring.

You can’t fix stupid, and it sure can be hard to watch the casualties it leaves in its wake.

[Calamber]

I would write a letter about this whole situation, specifically what happened with the child and the dog’s contact with your dog and explain that there was no one there to monitor the behavior or the owner’s with their dogs (continuing to jazz them up during a hold) and the lack of control that this man had over the dog. The child was injured so that you could see a 4 inch long scratch and the parents did nothing? This is insane and the hosting club should know what was going on around them when no one was paying attention. Your dog was a star but I hope you can make some kinds of change so that this less likely to happen again. I cannot understand them letting little children just barely walking into a lure course where dogs are being encouraged to chase prey. Something is just not right.