Lurchers

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tkmaxx

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Was reading an article in The Field about lurcher 'breeds' and what goes into making the better ones. I've been lusting after a staffy X greyhound for a while now, but the article was scathing suggesting although they're in vogue, they're useless dogs!
Has anyone any experience with them?
 
Only ones I've known with that exact breeding have been evil machines that can't be worked with other dogs at all else they'll pitch in on them and not the quarry! Not exactly what you want in a lurcher at all TBH! I can understand the greyhound bit but why a Staffy, do you want a bit of strength cos there are plenty of other far better breeds/types you could use than one of those? Sorry if that sounds a bit scathing, just puzzled!
 
My OH says the staffy/pit part of the x breeding in lurchers is for stamina....he said the first crosses do not make good dogs....however the second crosses do....and he has seen some good working lurchers with this mix in them.....I personally would not have a clue..lol.(I would imagine they are make the end product hardier and less prone to serious injury(broken bones) those injuries u are going to get in the speed side of the mix...i.e whippet, greyhound, saluki.
OH has kept and worked lurchers for years...he has never delved into the in breeding of bull breeds...but a few of those he knows and has gone out with have had them, and have proved to do a good job.
 
Not an expert on working lurchers but I thought the idea was to cross dogs with speed and hunting instincts and ones with agility and stamina like the bedlington/whippet, which seems to be a favourite. Personally the staffy/sighthound mixtures i've seen appear to lose something in the cross. They look stocky, not very agile and a bit fearsome.....I wouldn't want to try and get a rabbit off one!

That's just made me wonder why they don't cross stuff like beagles/whippets? Anyone know?
 
There's a staffy cross who lives near me, a very handsome bitch. A 1/4 staffy sounds like a better idea though, I don't want a dog I can't handle! I know some lovely staffies, but hybrid vigour might make a cross more volatile?
I think I'll stick to collie crosses if staffy crosses aren't good hunting dogs, not that I'll be hunting with them!
 
The article I was reading used the phrase hybrid vigour to describe the offspring of cross-bred dogs? It must happen, I heard of a bull mastiff X newfoundland who was huge because of vigour from the two breeds?
 
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Calangel when you're talking pit cross what exactly do you mean?

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I mean pibull terriers...as u will probabley be aware..people are still breeding these dogs...and they are commonly used to breed with lurchers
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OH has not worked his lurchers for about 5 years now.....however when he did....atleast 3 of the people he knew at the time had pit bull x greyhounds...then put back to a greyhound 1/4 pit 3/4 greyhound....I can recall seeing one of them and it was built like a tank
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of course if asked....they would say it was a staffi cross
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Calangel when you're talking pit cross what exactly do you mean?

[/ QUOTE ]

I mean pibull terriers...as u will probabley be aware..people are still breeding these dogs...and they are commonly used to breed with lurchers
crazy.gif


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But surprisingly soft dogs to handle and hard workers....apparently.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Calangel when you're talking pit cross what exactly do you mean?

[/ QUOTE ]

I mean pibull terriers...as u will probabley be aware..people are still breeding these dogs...and they are commonly used to breed with lurchers
crazy.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

But surprisingly soft dogs to handle and hard workers....apparently.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah...along those lines...OH said the ones he saw had immense stamina and would not be afraid to run into anything to try and catch there prey...where as some of the finer breed lurchers would think twice....he said these dogs where not so good on hares but good on rabbits...due to lack of top end
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as he describes it...I think this translates...to speed
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He said he would never work this kind of lurcher....as u can get far better all rounders...he prefers his deerhoundxgreyhound mixes.
 
i think they look awful and wouldn't touch them, i have always had working lurchers and would say you carnt beat agood collie/ grehound or deerhound cross. They acn also be trusted with my horses and children and ferrets???
 
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