So You Want to Run Your Sighthound

By Denise Como, reviewed by Laurel E. Drew.
privately published by the author:  1996. $15.00 paperback. To order, write to: Denise Como, 741 Lakehurst Ave, Jackson NJ 08527

If you have ever considered entering your sighthound in one of the  various forms of running sports for gazehounds, this could be one of  your most invaluable resources. It ranks right up there with having  the rule books for the various sports in which you are interested.  It's handy for those of us who have been at the games for a while but  could use a refresher and reminder as well as for rank novices.

In addition to basic information on lure coursing and how to do  it, Ms. Como provides a brief guide to lesser known running sports  such as NOTRA (National Oval Track Racining Association), NOFCA  (National Open Field Coursing Association), NPR and ARM racing (for  whippets), and even LGRA (Large Gazehound Racing Association) which  holds events similar to the whippet straight line racing. These are  the best know groups, but others are also mentioned.

There is good advice on conditioning your hound and on feeding for  performance. First aid and veterinary information are given in two  chapters. Some of the best sections are the ones on how to actually  enter a coursing trial and what to expect and do once you get there.  The novice will find this invaluable!

Hints on starting puppies on chasing the "petroleum hare" are also  succinct but very handy. Box breaking for NOTRA and LGRA events is  mentioned but needs to be expanded. I believe that this may be done  in the new edition which is now in preparation.

One of the more fascinating sections is a brief breed history and  standard for each of 18 different sighthound breeds including the  Italian Greyhound plus some information on the American Staghound.  Additional "newly discovered" breeds will be included in the new  editon, I am told.

Last but not least, there are useful chapters containing a  bibliography of sighthound books and sources of special sighthound  equipment. A final chapter lists the addresses of all the national  sighthound field sport organizations.

And, I cannot close without mentioning the clever and thoroughly  enjoyable cartoons done by Maryann Conran. They are so true to the  breeds and the sport that I giggle every time I look at them. I would  love a copy of the closing cartoon of an out-of-shape Greyhound in front of a mirror to hang on my refrigerator!

So You Want to Run Your Sighthound is a handy little guide which  will only get better in the new edition, but if you plan to run your  dog soon, don't wait for that. Get this one--and fast!

Reprinted with permission from Celebrating Greyhounds: The Magazine, Fall, 1997. 
© Laurel E. Drew, El-Aur Greyhounds, Greyhound Club of America Archivist