Lurchers info

E

elsielouise

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 February 2005
Messages
778
Visit site
Sooooo

We're almost decided on the four month rescue greyhound x lab or collie (dumped on motorway at six weeks so not completely certain of x- looks lab but cant be sure). Beautiful pup and all the gentle characteristics of the greyhound with added bounce.

We know greys, have had them as rescues for several years and we also have terriers. Does anyone have any experience of this lurcher type on the spectrum of behaviour and trainability between greyhound and terrier?

Have had labs and it is either a pedigree lab or this and tbh buying pedigree feels wrong when these pups sit in rescue.....

Am sort of hoping for the brains and train ability of the lab or collie with the gentle calmness of the grey but preparing myself for a permanently hungry fast food thief that acts dumb when caught in the act or worse runs off so you can't actually catch it!

arghhh no now got visions of giant black dog running at speed with loaf of bread whilst grinning inanely....

Am I mad? Shall I just go get a grown up grey even though all the ones we've had have been at best..... a teeny bit um..... Lacking in brains?
 
We had a lurcher, was a pouchers dog that ended up on our land, hell of a state bold with mange and SOOO thin

We handed him into vets after a week vet rang up saying not been claimed and they were putting him down so we went back for him

OMG the best dog we ever had, we called him Alfred

He been used to bait hates and deer and in the first 6 months we had him he killed animals , we told him off and within a year he'd just stand and stare as the rabbits or deer ran off In to the distance

He was a lovely dog, behaved like a saint. The only time I've ever seen my father shed a year was when he was put down about 10 years after we got him, he was a old man by then. God I loved that dog.


Lurchers are super dogs :-)

We think ours was deer hound x grey hound.
 
We have a 6 month old lurcher. He's a bit of a mixture, greyhound and collie with a bit of saluki. He's by far one of the easiest dogs we've had, he's been so quick to learn, was clean almost from the onset, behaves when out and with other dogs.

That said he's still a thief, he can take a chip of your fork inbetween the plate and your mouth without you seeing !
 
They're fantastic dogs, my lurcher is an unknown mix, but is just fab!

I'd recommend getting yourself into 'thehoundlounge.proboards.com' lots of very knowledgeable people in there!

Oh and we will NEED to see photos once the little bundle gets home with you!!
 
Lurchers are a dog of "Type", and the type will all so often depend on how they're bred. For instance;

There are no hard and fast rules, but generally, if you put a pure-bred dog to a pure-bred bitch (Greyhound to Saluki, for instance) then the ladies tend to be a little more tractable than the boys, who can be a bit bone-headed, though even then the ladies can be a bit dim :eek:. I've had a couple of very nice Greyhound/Whippets, and they've been very well mannered, so it isn't always the case. There's also the Greyhound/Deerhound, and if the parents are chosen with care, they can be brave and serious flying machines!!

When breeding Lurchers, the speed needs to be underneath, as in a greyhound or whippet (or Saluki, if you must) should be the bitch. What goes on top can be open to choice. The resultant first cross dog, if he's of any use will be ideal to put back to another greyhound. I've had a few first cross dogs, and generally, lovely dispositions though they may have, they aren't that racy, to my mind, and they struggle to kill a hare. Again, as an exception, I once had an Alsation/Greyhound, of intentional breeding, I took him at 5 months, and he was possibly one of the cleverest dogs which I've ever owned. 40 years on, and there are still his descendants in the New Forest!!

The term, or description "Lurcher" is often misused, to describe a dog of indeterminate breeding, which once had an ancestor who may have been a greyhound, or a whippet.

They may well exist, but I've yet to see a Lurcher, put to another lurcher, which would give me what I want. It seems to me that they all so often revert back to bone and excess weight, which wouldn't be what I'd want; others may, I don't.

Temperament? Brought up properly, with a respect for their two legged chum, and there isn't a finer companion, well not one that I've found. ;)

Alec.
 
Thank you

She's coming from an RGT kennel and they are pretty certain they know the mix and indeed which traveller site she was dumped from (along with her brother). The suspicion is only one was wanted from the litter and the bitch is too chunky and the boy too small for 'working'.

We've done a test with my pack today and she is being spayed tomorrow (early I know but they wont let me get it done in a couple of months and wont let her come home without it done). Can't wait to bring her home.
 
I have two, one if which is a lab x whippet, more or less. She is definitely more 'dog like' than the other, who came from a lurcherman (kicked out for laziness, we suspect). Despite having had an awful start she is a very sweet little dog and more trainable and attentive than the other one. She is also not a thief at all and has been known to rat on Stan, although she is quick to have the kibble lid off if it's not secure. She's no fool, just a bit more compliant.

Although she's not generally as sharp as the other dog and gets on well with the cat in the house, she is, in fact, a more dedicated hunter and seems to combine the lurcher inclination with the lab dedication.

Her whole litter was in rescue and seem to run the gamut, physically and mentally. The only dog looks the most pointy but actually seems less so in his mind than his sisters. As a group they are complicated, but that probably goes mostly to their truly awful start. I think ours would have done very well at agility but she struggled with strangers a lot so it was not a priority. A friend who has gun dogs worked with her a bit and thought she was very smart and tough but more inclined to use her eye rather than her nose.

So. . .basically, as already said, it's impossible to tell! I'd say she's definitely on the trainable/tractable end of the lurcher spectrum but, despite looking very lab-like (at least standing still), she doesn't really think like one.
 
I've got two, one (see above post) suffers from SA, prob due to his poor start in life - he was found wandering the streets in a poor state at 6 months old. He's a grey/staffie cross but is the most loyal, affectionate dog and very fast! The other is a greyhound/saluki/deerhound and although fairly aloof has the best temperament ever and has never even got vaguely cross withlittle children pulling her around! She does what she wants, isn't fussed about food but has been known on many an occasion to chase deer so we keep her close when off lead and she also wears an air collar!!!
 
Last year I rescued a 2 year old podenco I found as a stray collapsed in the olive groves on farm I was working on in Spain. The dogs are bred to hunt by the farmers - I was told by so many people that, like many sighthounds, I would never be able to train a decent recall! I didn't believe it, and now a year later she is perfect! I would say go for it- it all depends on their environment more than anything!
 
I have 5 ! All greyhound/deerhound/whippet mix fabulous dogs, but do bugger off, have no recall when chasing and cost £££ in vets bills!
Most loyal loving friends I'll ever have ;);)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top