Fast CAT vs CAT vs Lure Coursing: What's the Difference?
Fast CAT vs CAT vs Lure Coursing: What's the Difference?
Three AKC sports involve a dog chasing a moving lure across a field. Newcomers (especially handlers who've already done some Fast CAT) frequently ask why there are three, what's different about each, and which they should try.
The short answer: they have different distances, different judging criteria, and different breed eligibility. Each measures something distinct.
The long answer follows.
Fast CAT
Full name: Fast Coursing Ability Test (sometimes "FCAT" — though FCAT is also a title within the sport, confusingly).
What it is: A timed 100-yard straight-line sprint. Your dog chases a lure (usually a white plastic bag pulled by a motorized line) the length of the course. There are no obstacles, no turns, no judging of form.
How it scores: Your dog's time is converted to MPH using MPH = 204.545 ÷ seconds. Then a height handicap multiplier is applied (×1.0 for 18+ inches, ×1.5 for 12–18", ×2.0 for under 12"). Points = MPH × handicap. Points accumulate over a dog's career and earn titles.
Who can compete: Every AKC-registered dog (purebred or All American Dog enrolled in Canine Partners) at least 12 months old, sound, and (for females) not in season.
Title progression: BCAT, DCAT, FCAT, then FCAT2, FCAT3, … indefinitely. Earned by accumulating points — no qualifying runs or placements required.
Time per dog: 5–11 seconds for the run itself. About 30–60 seconds total including walk-up and catch.
What it measures: Pure straight-line sprint speed, height-handicapped to be cross-breed comparable.
Introduced: 2016, as a more accessible alternative to the older CAT and Lure Coursing.
For a complete primer on Fast CAT, see our Fast CAT guide. For the math, the Fast CAT calculator.
CAT (Coursing Ability Test)
Full name: Coursing Ability Test (no "Fast" prefix). The original.
What it is: A pass/fail course over a longer distance. The dog must complete the full course, chasing the lure with intent, within a time limit. The course has gentle turns laid out by the host club — not tight or technical, but more dynamic than Fast CAT's straight line.
How it scores: Pass/fail. Your dog either completes the course following the lure within the time limit (and passes) or doesn't (and fails). There's no point system or speed component. The dog gets credit for the test itself, not for how well or fast they ran.
- Distance:
- Dogs under 12" at the withers: 300 yards
- Dogs 12 inches and over: 600 yards
The distance variation is one of the few places handicapping shows up in CAT — small dogs run a shorter course, but it's still pass/fail.
Time limit: 1.5 minutes for the 300-yard course; 2 minutes for the 600-yard course.
Who can compete: Same eligibility as Fast CAT — any AKC-registered or Canine Partners dog 12+ months old.
- Title progression:
- CA — 3 qualifying runs (passes)
- CAA — 10 qualifying runs
- CAX — 25 qualifying runs
- CAX2, CAX3, … — every additional 25 runs
What it measures: Stamina and lure-following commitment over a longer course. CAT tests whether your dog will follow the lure for several hundred yards without getting bored, distracted, or losing interest. Fast CAT is over before that question can be asked.
Introduced: 2011.
Lure Coursing
Full name: AKC Lure Coursing Trials (sometimes called "lure coursing" generically, but the AKC sport has specific rules).
What it is: A timed-and-judged sprint over a complex course of 600+ yards with multiple turns. The course is designed by the host club's huntmaster to simulate the prey paths a sighthound would chase in open country: angled turns, switchbacks, occasional crossings.
- How it scores: Each dog runs against one or two other dogs of the same breed. Judges score each dog's run on five criteria, each worth up to 10 points (50 total):
- Speed
- Enthusiasm
- Agility
- Endurance
- Follow (does the dog follow the lure or cut corners?)
Two judges' scores are averaged. Dogs are ranked within their breed group; placements (BOB, NBQ, FC) are awarded.
Distance: 600+ yards on most courses. Many run 700–1000 yards.
Who can compete: Sighthounds only. AKC's eligible breed list for Lure Coursing (vs. CAT/Fast CAT, which are open to all breeds):
Afghan Hound, Azawakh, Basenji, Borzoi, Cirneco dell'Etna, Greyhound, Ibizan Hound, Irish Wolfhound, Italian Greyhound, Pharaoh Hound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Saluki, Scottish Deerhound, Sloughi, Whippet, plus a few recently added breeds.
If your dog isn't on this list, Lure Coursing isn't an option — but CAT and Fast CAT are.
- Title progression:
- JC — Junior Courser (run twice without a competing dog)
- SC — Senior Courser (after JC, three qualifying scores in competition)
- MC — Master Courser
- FC — Field Champion (Lure Coursing's title equivalent of a conformation Champion)
What it measures: Whether your dog can follow a complex course with the speed, agility, and judgment of a sighthound at full work.
Side-by-side
| | Fast CAT | CAT | Lure Coursing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Distance | 100 yards | 300/600 yards | 600+ yards (turns) | | Scoring | MPH-based points | Pass/fail | Judged 0–50 points | | Eligibility | All breeds | All breeds | Sighthounds only | | Time per run | 5–11 sec | 30–90 sec | ~60–90 sec | | Turns | None | Gentle | Multiple, technical | | Titles | BCAT, DCAT, FCAT+ | CA, CAA, CAX+ | JC, SC, MC, FC | | Run with other dogs? | No (single) | No (single) | Yes (in pairs/triples) | | First introduced | 2016 | 2011 | 1991 |
Which one should you try?
If your dog is any breed and you want to see how fast they can run 100 yards: Fast CAT.
If your dog is any breed and you want to test their endurance and lure-following over a longer course: CAT. (Many dogs do both — they're complementary.)
If your dog is a sighthound and you want to compete in the original AKC coursing sport with judged form-and-speed scoring: Lure Coursing. Note: most lure coursing clubs run CAT and Fast CAT events alongside their lure coursing trials, so a sighthound handler can do all three at the same weekend.
If you're new to the lure-chasing sports: Fast CAT is by far the most accessible entry point. A 30-second run is a manageable first experience for handler and dog. CAT is a natural follow-on once your dog has demonstrated they'll follow the lure on a short course; Lure Coursing is the most intense and least newcomer-friendly.
TallyCAT is purpose-built for Fast CAT — that's where the leaderboards, calculators, and run tracking live. CAT and Lure Coursing have different scoring shapes that don't fit the app, so handlers running those events use AKC's official records for those sports.
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