why in greyhound racing do they chase a hare when dogs like to chase cats?

Answer 1

Greyhounds don't chase a hare, they chase a mechanical lure. Different tracks attach different items to the end of the lure. Some use stuffed animals shaped like white rabbits or white bones, others just use bright white flags (and as another answer said in lure coursing the dogs chase a white plastic bag). The color is fairly uniform simply because something bright white is easy for both dogs and humans to see. Realistically though most racing greyhounds don't actually need a lure to run but it does help them focus on racing rather than being distracted by the crowd.

And just a point of information, young greyhounds are not trained to chase live animals either. Most training centers use squeaky toys (think how much all dogs love them) attached to a rope. The dogs want to play with the toy so they chase it, when they do a good job then the trainer allows them to catch the toy as a reward.

Answer 2

These dogs are trained to chase the hare. Most dogs can be trained to chase other animals. Main smaller breed dogs were bread to chase fox, weasal, rats and other various small animals. Greyhouse were trained to chase hares mainly because the domesticaion of cats in America. Could you imagine them chasing a cat on the track. The outrage this would cause.

Answer 3

since the traditional quarry is a hare. Due to this even when the lure used at a sighthound field trial is a plastic bag (right out of the heavy box), it's called a bunny. While I've never set foot on a track, I have done lure coursing for years (dogs love it) and rather doubt live bunnies are a frequent training quarry (actually geting caught doing this will get a trainer banned from many tracks). Lure coursing dogs are started on plastic and one school of thought is that you can decrease your dog intrest in plastic by letting them chase live game. I have a greyhound training lure on the top of my fridge - it looks like a coonskin cap stuffed with a loud squeeker, so I know they exist. My dog loves this as a reward for a good obedience preformance - better than treats and yes its a bunny.

Answer 4

cos greyhounds were originally bred for hare-coursing. They will chase anything, even if that means cats, but they are not exposed to them until after their racing career, so the question should be why do greyhounds chase cats? because they look like hares.

Answer 5

They Chase a Mechanical Hare! They Use rabbits to train them to chase a moving object..I dont think people would enjoy watching a dog chasing any living thing in a race...Plus they could catch it...They cant catch the Mechanical Rabbit!

Answer 6

hare is faster than a cat and when they train the greyhounds to chase the hare they use a rabbit hide that is drug on the ground for scent.

Answer 7

they will chase anthing it is the movement that catches their eye not what they are chasing, at some tracks it is a bone. My grandfather invented the lure used at two tracks one here in my State of Florida and the other in Ala so if you go and hear here comes Rusty that is thanks to my Grandad! Russell Groh. I have also worked (when I was younger) for 8 years at the track, trust me the dogs will chase and attack anything that moves and the lure must be stopped with a skilled hand quickly and on time where the dogs cant grab it and be electrocuted, it has happened sad to say.

Answer 8

Sighthounds will chase anything! when dog racing began, hares became the tradition.
In lure coursing, the hounds chase a white plastic bag!! pulled accross the field, or on pullies.
They really don't care what they chase

Answer 9

Greyhounds are hunting dogs, originally trained to chase bunnies.

Answer 10

Hares are faster. And you wouldn't see very many rabbits in town compared to the wild.