It’s a Dog’s Life

By CBerger on February 12th, 2010

dog-track-1

Have you ever been watching a horse race and thought: “This is great, but it would be much better if the horses could fall all over each other trying to get a metal bone that they will never catch, but still all cross the finish line upright and almost in order?” If so, welcome to the wonderful world of dog racing.

A Brief History of Dog Racing

Dog racing did not emerge as a betting sport in the way horse racing did until the 20th century, mostly because the way the dogs ran was so disorganized. In 1912, Owen Patrick Smith invented the “artificial hare” (now that metal bone on many tracks) which allowed organizers to get the dogs to run on an oval track (and also saved the hides of a lot of live jackrabbits). Today in certain parts of the world, dog racing is as or more popular than horse racing.

Where to Find Dog Racing

You can find dog racing in most English speaking countries and in many of the United States, including Florida, Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa and Texas. You may also be able to find dog racing opportunities online, but it’s not as much fun as being there.

How to Bet on Dog Racing

Dog racing bets are just like horse racing bets. You can bet to win, place, show, you can make exotic bets that combine dogs, and so on. However, by far the most common bet in dog racing is the quinella. The quinella is a wager where you bet on two dogs to come in first or second in either order. The reason this bet is so popular is that because these dogs rarely stay in their lanes, they can get tripped up going around the track, which is a lot of fun to watch. However, they all typically still finish, and often as expected. The quinella protects against a top dog getting tripped up near the finish line and finishing second instead of first.

Tips for Betting on Dog Racing

Greyhound races are typically broken down into four classes: A, B, C and D. The class of race will be made clear on the program. You can also find out what class the greyhounds in this race typically race in. This is the most important information you can have on a greyhound race. An A greyhound dropping in class to a B race will usually win or place unless racing against other A greyhounds who are dropping. Of course, they are dropping because they have underperformed at the A level, but they are still usually superior dogs. Similarly, watch out for a dog that has had a lot of wins in D class races and is now racing against C dogs. Happy hunting!

(Photo Via: Viajar)