# Sookie's CAT Testing Adventure



## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

I took Sookie to her first Coursing Ability Test (CAT) yesterday and she did great! We came home with two qualifying runs, despite her losing the lure and falling on her face during the first run. It was so much fun to see her chasing the lure with such excitement and determination. 










She fell, but she caught that lure! 









The release



























I cannot take a decent photo with the sun in my eyes. My smile turns into a grimace LOL but Sookie looks cute! We got our first two legs for her CA title. One more to go! 









And here are a couple videos. The first one is the one where she gets lost, but the second run was pretty much flawless.


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## plr (Oct 20, 2012)

cool!! congrats


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## My babies (Aug 14, 2012)

She flys! Sorry but the picture with her 4 legs up got me cracking up. She is so beautiful. I always look forward to your posts. It's like those episodes where you can't wait till next week for the next episode. Lol


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

That coursing looks like SOOOO much fun! I know Bonnie would love doing that! I do not think we have any coursing trials here. I am going to go look!

That photo of Sookie with her legs up in the air is hilarious!! You should print it out, or at the least put in on your computer background. LOL Sookie really runs fast now that she is lean and mean.

edit: omg!!!!! Look what I found!!!! Two of these locations are within a half hour of me! Okay, Sookie, if you can do it...
http://socalcoursing.com/events/locations/


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Sookie was born to run! She did _FANTASTIC _on her second go round! I got a kick of watching her take a detour to smell the clover on the first run. But she got back on track and literally went head over heels after the lure._*Y**ay, Sookie! *_You two look picture perfect together in that photo, it is totally suitable from framing.


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## Dallasminis (Feb 6, 2011)

Man, this post is fantastic! Very informative. LOVE the feet in the air shot, but also, so cool to see how Sookie improved in such a short time. This was very interesting, thanks for posting! It's true, your posts are like a mini-series! I SO enjoy them! And that is a really great pic of you and Sookie.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Dallasminis said:


> Man, this post is fantastic! Very informative. LOVE the feet in the air shot, but also, so cool to see how Sookie improved in such a short time. This was very interesting, thanks for posting!


Watching a poodle lure course live is _so _exhilarating, and they look exquisite doing it! After seeing videos of it on-line, I just_ had _ to be there to see it for myself. My wish came true last summer when I was at the field to watch and cheer* cavon*'s Finnegan as he raced after the lure. (Just a little factoid: in 2011, Finnegan become the FIRST STANDARD POODLE IN AKC HISTORY to earn the Coursing Ability title.) I swear, my heart raced like I was running the course along side him! (Fat chance of that, I am _way_ too slow!) Finnegan is not quite as willing as Sookie to release the lure though, it's funny to see. I guess he figures he chased it, he caught it, it's his!  Sookie clearly has a blast doing it. Watching her lovely, lean, *silver* body in action is a breathtaking sight! :vroam:


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

I loved watching this. When we had Salukis they were rare in NZ and we took them to the hound club coursing. They couldn't get the lure fast enough for them. Both my husband and I were interested in how the lure changes direction on Sookie's course? Our lures were just winched from the back of a car!!


Sent from Petguide.com App


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

WOW! Sookie obviously enjoys coursing!! It shows! I so enjoy watching a dog loving life!
And congratulations to YOU for a job well done in your dedication to her!


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

My babies said:


> She flys! Sorry but the picture with her 4 legs up got me cracking up. She is so beautiful. I always look forward to your posts. It's like those episodes where you can't wait till next week for the next episode. Lol


I crack up every time I look at that photo. She took quite a tumble. I was glad she didn't hurt herself, but it's funny looking back on it. 



outwest said:


> That coursing looks like SOOOO much fun! I know Bonnie would love doing that! I do not think we have any coursing trials here. I am going to go look!
> 
> That photo of Sookie with her legs up in the air is hilarious!! You should print it out, or at the least put in on your computer background. LOL Sookie really runs fast now that she is lean and mean.
> 
> ...


You're right, I think Bonnie would excel at coursing. I'm so glad you found some near you. DO IT! You really don't have to prepare at all. Sookie and I did a practice run a few weeks ago, but most of the people (and dogs) there had never even seen a course. Go for it and TAKE PICTURES. 



Chagall's mom said:


> Sookie was born to run! She did _FANTASTIC _on her second go round! I got a kick of watching her take a detour to smell the clover on the first run. But she got back on track and literally went head over heels after the lure._*Y**ay, Sookie! *_You two look picture perfect together in that photo, it is totally suitable from framing.


Thank you! And yes, once she decided the lure was as good as gone, she wanted to go sniff and say high to the photographer LOL. She really loves to run, and it's beautiful to watch her do so. It's comical to me how lazy she is in everyday life though. It's all I can do to get her off the sofa! 



Chagall's mom said:


> Watching a poodle lure course live is _so _exhilarating, and they look exquisite doing it! After seeing videos of it on-line, I just_ had _ to be there to see it for myself. My wish came true last summer when I was at the field to watch and cheer* cavon*'s Finnegan as he raced after the lure. (Just a little factoid: in 2011, Finnegan become the FIRST STANDARD POODLE IN AKC HISTORY to earn the Coursing Ability title.) I swear, my heart raced like I was running the course along side him! (Fat chance of that, I am _way_ too slow!) Finnegan is not quite as willing as Sookie to release the lure though, it's funny to see. I guess he figures he chased it, he caught it, it's his!  Sookie clearly has a blast doing it. Watching her lovely, lean, *silver* body in action is a breathtaking sight! :vroam:


Now, I bet THAT was something to see. How impressive, I didn't know that Finnegan was the first. We are proud to follow in his footsteps  Sookie has never had much interest in anything stationary. Once it stops moving, she doesn't want anything to do with it anymore LOL. 



Qarza said:


> I loved watching this. When we had Salukis they were rare in NZ and we took them to the hound club coursing. They couldn't get the lure fast enough for them. Both my husband and I were interested in how the lure changes direction on Sookie's course? Our lures were just winched from the back of a car!!
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


Salukis are breathtaking. There were a few of them there yesterday and they were something to watch. 

The lure is powered by a generator connected to a small motor with a pully. It's one long, circular string and there are staked pulleys (you can see the cones marking the locations) all over that change the direction. I don't know if I'm describing this well :/ ??


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

Sookster said:


> The lure is powered by a generator connected to a small motor with a pully. It's one long, circular string and there are staked pulleys (you can see the cones marking the locations) all over that change the direction. I don't know if I'm describing this well :/ ??


You described it perfectly. Yes the Salukis are poetry in motion when running. We loved them. Unfortunately I have since found I am allergic to dogs so to my advantage I can only have poodles now. 




Sent from Petguide.com App


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Poetry in motion with a touch of comedy thrown in, I love it! This looks like such fun I bet you both had a blast.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Wow! Awesome! She looks like she loves it, and she is obviously good at it. Way to go!!!


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

She looks GREAT!!! & displays a lot of drive. I am envious; I would so love to try this with Rain.


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

nu2poodles said:


> She looks GREAT!!! & displays a lot of drive. I am envious; I would so love to try this with Rain.


You should! There's literally almost no preparation required. Good physical shape and a decent recall are about it.


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

I have to say! that is awesome!


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

Sookster said:


> You should! There's literally almost no preparation required. Good physical shape and a decent recall are about it.


No place anywhere near here that I can find, doing this. Perhaps up in FL somewhere, but hundreds of miles away. There are drawbacks to living on a small island where virtually every shrub is protected ( not much open space )~~~

Happy that I can dream & share in your & Sookie's delight through your photos & videos !

She even looks a bit like Rain, I think !


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## Sookster (Apr 11, 2011)

nu2poodles said:


> No place anywhere near here that I can find, doing this. Perhaps up in FL somewhere, but hundreds of miles away. There are drawbacks to living on a small island where virtually every shrub is protected ( not much open space )~~~
> 
> Happy that I can dream & share in your & Sookie's delight through your photos & videos !
> 
> She even looks a bit like Rain, I think !


Awww, bummer  Well, you do have a fabulous beach for her to run on, which I'm super jealous of. I agree they kind of look alike. You used to have a photo of Rain lying under a bed as your sig pic, and I always thought it looked so much like Sooks when she was a baby.


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## PonkiPoodles (Feb 25, 2009)

That is so cool, congratulations! I wish I could find a place in MD where I can do it with Ponki... she loves to run.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

PonkiPoodles said:


> That is so cool, congratulations! I wish I could find a place in MD where I can do it with Ponki... she loves to run.


Maybe contact the sight hound group in the area to see where they hold lure coursing?:vroam:
PVIWC Lure Coursing


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