Talk to me about lurchers

[Unicorn]

Having recently lost my beloved Elliedog, I’m realising that my house is all wrong without a dog in it.

At the moment I’m at the thinking stage, and spending a lot of time looking at rescues. Part of me is thinking of GSDs (Ellie was GSD x Rottie) , and part of me is thinking about lurchery/whippety sort of dogs. This is mostly based on the fact that the few I’ve met have been very sweet. But… I know very little about them and what they’re like to live with.

I've also noticed quite a lot of people saying to steer clear of salukis and saluki crosses, but I'm not sure why.

I know it’s all very much down to the individual dog, but you all know so much and give such helpful advice, and I'm thinking myself round in circles!

 

[planete]

Prey drive is the most problematic trait of most lurchers, often coupled with a distinct lack of interest in pleasing humans as opposed to pleasing themselves if they are salukis or saluki crosses. I have had lurchers and greyhounds for over thirty years and love them dearly but accepted early on that management is key to a trouble free life with them. Walking without a care in the world in the countryside with a happy hound gambolling around you is not the reality of owning a lurcher. They mostly have a working dog' s energy and drive and it takes a lot of training and vigilance to keep them anchored and out of trouble. If you are up for it, they make fabulous family friends and are a total joy to have around though. They can excel at agility and scent work or canicross, and be very clever at securing food items you thought safely put away!

 

[Unicorn]

Thank you, that's a huge help

Prey drive was one of Ellie's strongest traits too...plus a strong desire to see what's over the next hill... or maybe the hill after that, so I'm used to having to manage that. How are they with other dogs?

Interesting to hear they can excel at scent work - I'd always thought of them as working more by sight, so that's a fun thing to know - it's something I'd be up for!

 

[splashgirl45]

I could talk about them all day, my latest is whippet/border collie/bedlington and is a joy so far. He is now 2 and I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old . He does have prey drive but also likes to play with a ball so that is handy to keep his attention on me. One of my terriers has more prey drive than he does. My previous lurcher was whippet/ bearded collie /bedlington and had a very high prey drive so it was difficult to let her off lead in the countryside but I did manage to most of the time with a great deal of care so not very relaxing walks for me.
My current dog

 

[Unicorn]

What a gorgeous boy! I love his little white paws

He sounds lovely too. I'm getting the feeling they're a bit addictive?!

 

[I'm Dun]

Mine are whippets, both working bred so big, bold boys. They are the most loving dogs you could ever find. They think Im the best thing ever and would do anything for me. The are happiest when we've had a walk and come home and all sit in a pile in bed or on the sofa. They are absolute velcro dogs. I can and do take them anywhere and everywhere. On trains, to shops, in cafes, to friends houses and they are well behaved everywhere, so long as they have something soft to sit their bony little bums on!

Salukis are hard work and I absolutely wouldn't have one. A bit of saluki in the mix is ok, and usually gives them some lovely silky feather. They do tend to me more aloof though. I find sight hound girls in general to be a little bit more aloof, and I'm so used to my little lovebugs I find it weird!

I have always walked through the countryside with the dogs bounding alongside me without a care in the world. Then I got the current little firecracker. They do always tend to be little sods for the first 18months but this one has been very tricky! Hes 2 now and settling down but his prey drive is through the roof. It means I'm careful where I walk and always looking for deer. I have no issue if he wants to pick off rabbits and squirrels, but chasing deer is not ok. It has the potential for him to be hurt and/or end up on a road.

Hes 23 inches at the shoulder and 19kgs and a couple of weeks ago, walking down a track near a village a roe deer stag jumped out. He caught and killed it within 80metres. I was torn between being amazed at the skill and speed and absolutely horrified he'd killed bambi! It was my fault, I should have been more switched on, but I didn't expect a deer to come out between houses. They are everywhere at the minute. I did try muzzling him, but it doesn't stop them chasing and then they use the muzzle to bludgeon small creatures rather than a clean kill, so I stopped that. He is 100% with other dogs, horses, sheep. Hes fine with cats but I wouldn't trust him if one ran in front of him, and he hates cows with a passion as we got chased by some when he was quite young. So he's not a blood thirsty monster, he just instinctively knows rabbits/squirrel/foxes/deer are prey and no amount of training overrides that.

I am lucky that he's very, very clever, very trainable and generally obedient and he came straight back and went on his lead. Someone has missed out on what would have been an incredible working dog. I don't work them so have to spend time fulfilling that drive. Hes going to start racing this year. Lure racing helps a lot with drivey dogs.

My other boy, also working bred, will gambol about after a bunny but in 8yrs has never caught anything and has no real intent to. He is so tuned into me he's my medical assistance dog. I'm diabetic and he wakes me up if my blood sugar drops if I'm asleep. They are all different and you don't always know what you have till they are mature.

 

[I'm Dun]

Massively addictive! They have so much personality and just arent like other dogs. They feel things super deeply, be that sadness or joy!

Suffering from the sads as he wanted to go home and I was on my phone and not driving

Deep joy at a roll in a puddle when he was hot from running

There was a peacock screeching on the otherside of the hedge and Floyd didn't know if he was interested or terrified!

Shiny, greedy eyes sharing a pupacino at the local fancy cafe. They love them there and have put photos of them on their social media.

He has grown out of it on the whole now, but when he was a teenager he stole anything he thought was important to me. Didnt usually damage it, he just thought it was treasure and took it to whatever spot was his favourite and cuddled it. He particularly loved anything I was using for DIY, and therefore needed, like my mask!

And an absolutely terrible photo taken in the dark, this is how he would sleep if I let him, we compromise normally and he sleeps next to me, not on top of me!

 

[Carlosmum]

I have a Beddlington x whippet, she is 12 now. She has the most wonderfully gentle mature but is very independent. Happy to sleep all day, until she wants feeding or outside then she has the most piercing yip. We have 2 other younger dogs, a cocker and a rescued Romanian, when possible she completely ignores them. She is in her element when we are on our narrowboat, lots to see and straight line walks.
Her bad points.... she's a thief jumping up to worktops, her recall isn't great, she hates thunderstorms, she stresses when travelling., and she hates having her toenails trimmed. BUT she is a lovely dog!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Really sorry to hear you lost Ellie.

I'm not so up on my Lurcher knowledge other than knowing they can have more about them than Greyhounds, and probably a bit less precious about getting wet/muddy than a Greyhound or Whippet (that might just be me having a particularly precious Greyhound though) and a bit hardier in general. I tend to think of Saluki's as 'spicy' sighthounds but not sure if that is accurate or fair!

Obviously I'm biased so will put in a word for rescue Greyhounds (the girls can be quite small, people often think Ivy is an overgrown Whippet) but the sighthound rescue charities I think will be good at matching you with the pointy hound most suitable for you.

In short... do it! Sighthounds really are wonderful.

Eta - I think there are a couple of sighthound groups that may do walks nearish you so might be worth hopping on their FB pages. We used to go out with them and I'm sure one of the organisers had a Saluki or two. There was probably just about every flavour of sighthound there!

Eta 2 - perhaps different if you have from a pup in terms of likely recall training success but I tend to agree with @planete in terms of managing prey drive. Ivy is mainly on lead, often long lead, and off-lead is either in private secure field or occasionally very carefully selected enclosed public spaces. We are lucky to have an enclosed 'pocket park' near our house which is big enough for her to get a bit of a run in every morning. She's generally not interested in other dogs but I absolutely cannot take the risk of her going after a smaller dog or cat, or wildlife - this is as much for her safety as for others, and to preserve any semblance of recall we have!

 

[I'm Dun]

and she hates having her toenails trimmed.

Floyd, who is practically perfect in every way is the same. If anyone tries to do it with him standing, he screams and drops "dead" to the floor. He does it with vaccinations as well. No one ever believes me then has the fright of their life when he "dies". If he goes in the sling he knows the game is up and is fine, but any other attempts results in a dropped dead Floyd. If I hold him up for his jab he doesn't even know its happening.

The first few times it scared the living daylights out of me, but now I think its hysterical. The irony is he loves the vets. Bounds in filled with joy knowing they will fuss him and give him biscuits, so it makes it even less believable. I really need to video it one day!

 

[skinnydipper]

I find sight hound girls in general to be a little bit more aloof, and I'm so used to my little lovebugs I find it weird!

Didn't you have a lurcher?

 

[Unicorn]

Really sorry to hear you lost Ellie.

I'm not so up on my Lurcher knowledge other than knowing they can have more about them than Greyhounds, and probably a bit less precious about getting wet/muddy than a Greyhound or Whippet (that might just be me having a particularly precious Greyhound though) and a bit hardier in general. I tend to think of Saluki's as 'spicy' sighthounds but not sure if that is accurate or fair!

Obviously I'm biased so will put in a word for rescue Greyhounds (the girls can be quite small, people often think Ivy is an overgrown Whippet) but the sighthound rescue charities I think will be good at matching you with the pointy hound most suitable for you.

In short... do it! Sighthounds really are wonderful.

Eta - I think there are a couple of sighthound groups that may do walks nearish you so might be worth hopping on their FB pages. We used to go out with them and I'm sure one of the organisers had a Saluki or two. There was probably just about every flavour of sighthound there!

Eta 2 - perhaps different if you have from a pup in terms of likely recall training success but I tend to agree with @planete in terms of managing prey drive. Ivy is mainly on lead, often long lead, and off-lead is either in private secure field or occasionally very carefully selected enclosed public spaces. She's generally not interested in other dogs but I absolutely cannot take the risk of her going after a smaller dog or cat, or wildlife - this is as much for her safety as for others, and to preserve any semblance of recall we have!

Thank you

At the moment I think there's a greyhound trust place not far from me, but not sure about any other sighthound places - don't suppose you can remember any names?

I've loved following your adventures with Ivy - she's turned into such a fab dog with you!

Massively addictive! They have so much personality and just arent like other dogs. They feel things super deeply, be that sadness or joy!

Suffering from the sads as he wanted to go home and I was on my phone and not driving

Deep joy at a roll in a puddle when he was hot from running

There was a peacock screeching on the otherside of the hedge and Floyd didn't know if he was interested or terrified!

Shiny, greedy eyes sharing a pupacino at the local fancy cafe. They love them there and have put photos of them on their social media.

He has grown out of it on the whole now, but when he was a teenager he stole anything he thought was important to me. Didnt usually damage it, he just thought it was treasure and took it to whatever spot was his favourite and cuddled it. He particularly loved anything I was using for DIY, and therefore needed, like my mask!

And an absolutely terrible photo taken in the dark, this is how he would sleep if I let him, we compromise normally and he sleeps next to me, not on top of me!

Those pics are fab! and I'm in giggles at the mask! It's lovely that they're such good cafe dogs - it was something I only ever managed in Ellie's later years... as a younger dog she was too gobby! (probably my fault, but she was my first dog, so I was on quite a learning curve!)

 

[I'm Dun]

I cant find the photo, but he once carried an open box of screws about 75ms along the tow path without dropping one, then carefully laid them down on the floor and laid next to them to cuddle his treasure. They make me laugh multiple times a day!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Thank you

At the moment I think there's a greyhound trust place not far from me, but not sure about any other sighthound places - don't suppose you can remember any names?

I've loved following your adventures with Ivy - she's turned into such a fab dog with you!


Those pics are fab! and I'm in giggles at the mask! It's lovely that they're such good cafe dogs - it was something I only ever managed in Ellie's later years... as a younger dog she was too gobby! (probably my fault, but she was my first dog, so I was on quite a learning curve!)

Will PM you some names

Ivy has given us an easy time I think; she makes us look like much better/more competent dog owners than we really are!

 

[I'm Dun]

Didn't you have a young lurcher?

Hes supposed to be a whippet. His dad is KC registered and his mum is not, but is visually 100% whippet. All his siblings are whippets, from two different litters. He is enormous, spotty, wrong shaped ears, huge bum, and just a bit different to a whippet. So I can only assume mum has something further back in her genetics and he got all those genes!

Beautiful, but not looking like a whippet

 

[skinnydipper]

Hes supposed to be a whippet. His dad is KC registered and his mum is not, but is visually 100% whippet. All his siblings are whippets, from two different litters. He is enormous, spotty, wrong shaped ears, huge bum, and just a bit different to a whippet. So I can only assume mum has something further back in her genetics and he got all those genes!

Beautiful, but not looking like a whippet

I thought you had a lurcher called Lola? My mistake

 

[Goldenstar]

We rescued an injured emaciated Lurcher from the edge of a slip road to the A1 .
She would have been suluki cross .
She went to my Mum and Dad .
She did have poor recall ,not non but not good enough on the beach and as a result I never took her to the forest, I suspect I would never have got her back.
She did get loose here to run in the paddocks .
And she walked really well on the lead she was ideal for an older person in this respect and she was good with cats and completely non reactive with other dogs .
She had garden it needed to secure though , she got here for wild runs , and my Dad walked her on the lead .
I think Lurchers vary if you a rescue I think to think through all the things they may have issues with .
That would recall , prey drive and cats I have looked after Lurchers and long dogs a fair bit I have never met who was poor with people .
They do a distinct vibe to them .
You need to think would a dog like this suit you are your set up .
I might well have the right one when I am older or a greyhound I am particularly partial to greyhounds.

Mrs Lurcher lived into extreme old age for a dog she ended up here with us .

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My sister has a lurcher. When she went to see her aged about a year she was described as an Irish collie. My sister knew immediately what she was but fortunately her husband didn't (he doesn't like lurchers) and so she went home with them. By the time he twigged he was in love with her so didn't mind. I was worried about a lurcher with having sheep but needn't have as she has enough collie in her to make her trainable and has never bothered the sheep, wary if anything. Excellent at agility, made Grade 5 and helps with the sheep because she will bark and bounce on command which usually convinces stubborn sheep to move. Nearly 15 now and will be a hard act to follow.
So much depends on what the cross is and how much they have inherited from their respective parents.

 

[Annette4]

I can't see us ever not having a pointy hound but I will never have anything with Saluki in again!

Fizz is working line whippet, yes she needed lots of work as a younger dog on recall/prey drive but all that hard work paid off and we're at the point she can be trusted off lead in most environments and I can recall her on the rare occasion she does spot something before I do. The only downside, she is the wussiest dog I've ever had. She will scream if too cold overnight and not wearing pyjamas and will refuse to walk if not wearing a coat in poor weather.

Dobby is whippet x saluki. He is the most athletic, intelligent dog I have ever owned....but he only cares to use that for his own amusement. He has been training for flyball for nearly 6 years and still not in open as he would rather zoom than play the game, his sister took 12 months for context. He is amazing at freestyle frisbee, but without a grab handle will just do zoomies. He can never be trusted off lead in public as while he totally understands recall, he would rather go hunting. Unlike his sister, he isn't fussed on coats and only wants pyjamas when it's very cold camping or after swimming.

 

[skinnydipper]

I've also noticed quite a lot of people saying to steer clear of salukis and saluki crosses, but I'm not sure why.

Take no notice of that nonsense.

Very much missed.

 

[Unicorn]

Take no notice of that nonsense.

Very much missed.

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What a gorgeous bunch!

 

[Unicorn]

I can't see us ever not having a pointy hound but I will never have anything with Saluki in again!

Fizz is working line whippet, yes she needed lots of work as a younger dog on recall/prey drive but all that hard work paid off and we're at the point she can be trusted off lead in most environments and I can recall her on the rare occasion she does spot something before I do. The only downside, she is the wussiest dog I've ever had. She will scream if too cold overnight and not wearing pyjamas and will refuse to walk if not wearing a coat in poor weather.

Dobby is whippet x saluki. He is the most athletic, intelligent dog I have ever owned....but he only cares to use that for his own amusement. He has been training for flyball for nearly 6 years and still not in open as he would rather zoom than play the game, his sister took 12 months for context. He is amazing at freestyle frisbee, but without a grab handle will just do zoomies. He can never be trusted off lead in public as while he totally understands recall, he would rather go hunting. Unlike his sister, he isn't fussed on coats and only wants pyjamas when it's very cold camping or after swimming.

Fizz sounds lovely Dobby sounds like he'd be hilarious company as long as he could be handed back after a short while!
To be fair, Ellie was similar at first ....she absolutely couldn't be trusted off lead and several times came home from epic walks just to jump the garden fence and go exploring the fields for a couple of hours, deaf to everything but potential small squeakies. Thankfully we managed to agree a compromise after a couple of years. Or possibly it was Stockholm syndrome.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Depends on how much Saluki is thrown into the mix.... poor recall, selective deafness, and once fixed on something, will keep on running! Some friends of mine used to race Salukis, and they attended club meetings all over the place. There were always tales of the one who jumped the fence and kept going.

 

[Jenko109]

My lurcher is just the most wonderful creature.

She will lay in bed as long as is required. We have not been out yet today and she has barely moved from her snooze position. The off switch is like no other for her.

She is getting on a bit now, but we used to do a little bit of agility when she was younger. She has fabulous handler focus. Does not learn anywhere near as fast as my collie, however is keen and eager to please.

She has caught and eaten the odd grey squirrel in her time though...

This is her prepped and ready to go out for an early morning walk in the dark.

 

[pistolpete]

Mine is part saluki we think. Got her at one and honestly wanted to send her back at times! Shes a rescue. I wouldn’t swap her for a million pounds now but she is tricky!No recall with a prey drive that incudes chasing anything that moves. Bikes cars joggers birds dogs cats. The list goes on! We hired an enclosed field near Gatwick last month and she tried to chase the planes!! Crazy creature! She is good with my two year old grand daughter and is very very clean in the house. She’s good on the lead and has a good constitution. I’d join some of the Lurcher Facebook groups and ask questions there. Tons of info. All biased of course! Here is crazy Meg!

 

[splashgirl45]

All of my lurchers have been couch potatoes once they have had their morning walk , they usually like to be near me and love to cuddle, so the only downside that I can see is the prey drive, it’s a bit luck of the draw if you get a hunting fanatic who goes deaf to your calls or one that will chase like any normal dog and will still recall. At the moment my boy is really good to recall and I’m hoping he will stay like it

 

[I'm Dun]

I thought you had a lurcher called Lola? My mistake

Oh sorry, I misunderstood. Sadly my lovely Lola isnt with me anymore. Neither is my beloved black whippet. Hence the addition of the spotty demon. My other boy had never lived alone and was utterly miserable until I got him a friend.

 

[I'm Dun]

Actually, thats the other thing. They do tend to do better in company. They have someone to play with who understands thuggy sight hound games, someone to cuddle with when your out etc.

 

[skinnydipper]

When I was down to one sighthound, despite having my other dogs to play with, the remaining sighthound was overjoyed when we met another sighthound.

 

[Spotherisk]

I’m on my second. The first was pure whippet but oversized, he was very loved and died of old age.

I bought Rew in 2021 as a puppy, his sire was whippet, dam is (whippet x bedlington) x (whippet x greyhound). He is fab! I’ve been very ‘on him’ always, as we live in sheep and deer country, and he’s never worried me with that. Loves the car, loves zoomies, and sofas, and sleeping. Came on holiday with me and Clodagh and one of her dogs recently, and slotted right in to a strange house… didn’t h much enjoy pavement walking but I don’t blame him for that! Does agility, great recall, has grown out of jumping on the kitchen table! Comes to work with me sometimes and is quiet under my desk, was an absolute doddle to housetrain (has never pooed in the house), and is happy as an only house dog.