Although there is no official job for Wolfhounds to do any more, they are very much fit for function dogs and the Lure Coursing Club offers owners the opportunity to see their hounds in action.    The hounds love it and it makes a great day out for the whole family! 

The Club meets on a regular basis throughout the year and  at different locations.

Owners and their hounds have a good workout- and it's not just Wolfhounds, you will see the odd Greyhound, Whippet, Lurcher or even Rottweiler doing their stuff. 

Lure Coursing is a race between 2 dogs, chasing a mechanical lure. The track is carefully designed to attempt to throw the dogs off course.

The winner of each event goes forward to the annual final, held in late Spring or early Summer, where prizes are awarded. Anybody can enter or come along to watch.There is always a hearty lunch, hot coffee and tea and it's never been so much fun getting wet and muddy!

Click here for the Lure Coursing Club Website

The Wolfhound belongs to the Sighthound family which also includes Deerhounds, Greyhounds and Whippets.  This Group is probably one of the most structurally functional dogs bred for a particular purpose. 

Originally used to sight and chase down game, sighthounds utilise the double suspension gallop which means that  the hound has all four feet off the ground twice during the footfall rotation.  These photographs taken at a Lure Coursing meeting show the first period of suspension with the hound fully extended with the body almost flat and level with the ground while the second shows the collected period with the feet tucked beneath the body.