In 2016, AKC added a new performance sport to its portfolio. Fast CAT, short for Fast Coursing Ability Test, is a simpler and shorter version of the AKC sport of Course Ability Test (CAT). In CAT, dogs chase after a “bunny” (aka a white plastic bag) attached to a mechanical lure operated manually. The course involves twists and turns and dogs must be motivated by the lure to make it through as quickly.

Fast CAT varies in that dogs do a straight 100-yard sprint with a catcher (most often their owner) standing past the finish line calling out to them to “come” or “get the bunny!” Dogs are rewarded with a “prize” of getting to be with their owners at the finish line or grabbing onto the bag. To participate and earn points, dogs must be 12 months old, be registered with AKC, and bitches cannot be in heat.

Runs are solo and times are motion-activated, with those times converted into miles per hour and points. Dogs under 12” in height receive a handicap of two, while those who are 12”-18” earn a 1.5 handicap. Most male Schipperkes fall into the 1.5 range, while females often have a handicap. Three titles are possible in Fast CAT – BCAT at 150 points, DCAT at 500 points, and FCAT at 1,000 points (these titles aren’t acronyms). If a dog continues to rack up points, they can earn FCAT2 at 1,500 points, and so on.

The primary lure operator in the Mid-Atlantic is Ching-Yao Yu, who runs approximately 15,000 dogs annually. “People get excited because it’s a ‘no-brainer’ entry-level sport almost zero training involved,” Yu said. “It’s almost instinct and prey drive. In my experience you can’t ‘teach’ a dog to chase the bags. They either do almost immediately or no interest.”

CSC hosts a three-day Fast CAT trial the first weekend in June, with the next scheduled events taking place Friday, June 2, 2023 – Sunday, June 4, 2023 in Walkersville, MD. To learn more about participating in Fast CAT, contact 2022 Fast CAT Trial Chair Stephanie Woodrow at stephaniewoodrow@gmail.com.