Terrier Racing

Terrier racing is great fun and the dogs love it.The first thing you'll notice is that it's nothing like greyhound racing. Terriers usually race over a short straight course which may have barrier fencing or may be completely open. They are supposed to follow a lure but being terriers of course they may suddenly go off and do their own thing and forget about the race altogether. On some of the courses the dogs have to go over small jumps while other courses may be all on the flat.

Photo : Terrier racing at the Royal Highland Show
© Copyright Iain Lees and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Terriers may race in a group but sometimes they'll just race in pairs over a timed course. Races are often held at country fairs and game shows or they may be part of a special event for dogs. Entries can be taken on the day at most shows and if you have a terrier you can go along and enter for the fun of it and chat to people who race their dogs on a regular basis.

There are no strict regulations in place at the time of writing. At some events you may find that you can just start your dog on the line by letting go of the collar but some shows have proper starting traps. If you're thinking of taking part and you have an event in mind it would be a good idea to find out beforehand what rules are in place for that show and whether traps are used.

Above: Pencarrow dog show 2011.

In this race the terriers ran for time in pairs.
The little dog in the photo won his heat easily as the other dog had decided to go off and have a sniff somewhere else. Everyone had a great deal of fun and the dogs had a wonderful time.

Just about any small terrier can have a go at racing as long as they are fit and willing. Sometimes there are classes especially for one breed such as the Jack Russell or the Border but the schedule may just split them into long legged and short legged types or into different height groups. At some events the organisers will just wait and see how many dogs turn up on the day and then decide how the classes will be run.

If you want to go to a lot of events and you want to train your dog to race properly then you might be able to find a terrier club in your area that is able to help you. If there isn't a club near you then you may be able to join up with other terrier people and have a bit of fun together. If you go to some of the events that include terrier races you'll be able to speak to the organisers and find out where they train.

If you just want to do a little bit of training for fun at home then you'll need something resembling a lure, perhaps something made out of fun fur or a soft fluffy toy. Tie a bit of string to it and encourage your dog to chase after it. You can practice running round the garden with the lure and you may need to entertain the neighbours by making encouraging noises and persuading the dog that he wants to race. Once the dog has the idea that it's supposed to chase the lure you can try it at a distance. You could try attaching a light toy to one of those flexi leads so that the toys flies back to you without you having to do a lot of work. I haven't tried this myself so please don't hold me responsible for anything! It's just a suggestion based on the sort of daft thing I'd do.

Once you've trained your dog to follow the lure you might like to get a bit of practice in with other dogs. If you know someone else with a terrier who's interested in racing you could get them going together. You'd have a hard job to wear out a working terrier but nevertheless, don't overwork your dog and don't let him get overheated.

If you're going to an event and you know that traps are going to be used then you can easily teach your dog to go into a cage or anything that resembles a trap so that he won't be upset by having to do something new on the day. At most informal events however, the dogs just start on a line.

I hope you have loads of fun with your dog and give him something interesting and fun to do.