what is a lurcher?

Springy said:
Any greyhound cross ( or so I thought) :confused:
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So did I.

Although, on thinking about it, perhaps any sight hound cross :confused:
And what about whippet crosses, are they mini lurchers:confused:

Does that make them canine anglos or warmbloods then?

I love lurchers.
 
Around here it is anything crossed with a greyhound and any such cross is carried out for work.

Used to be obsessed with a book in our local library called 'Lurchers and Longdogs'!!
 
A lurcher is any sighthound crossed with a non sighthound (eg whippet/bedlington, saluki/collie), A sighthound crossed with a sighthound and nothing else is a longdog (eg Whippet/greyhound, deerhound/Greyhound).
 
Crackedhalo said:
A lurcher is any sighthound crossed with a non sighthound (eg whippet/bedlington, saluki/collie), A sighthound crossed with a sighthound and nothing else is a longdog (eg Whippet/greyhound, deerhound/Greyhound).
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so what about a collie/staffy/greyhound?

or a collie/greyhound + saluki/greyhound?

or is it first cross only in your opinion?
 
Crackedhalo said:
A lurcher is any sighthound crossed with a non sighthound (eg whippet/bedlington, saluki/collie), A sighthound crossed with a sighthound and nothing else is a longdog (eg Whippet/greyhound, deerhound/Greyhound).
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Agree and one side should always be pure bred.

When you get multiple crosses it becomes a mutt.
 
Both are Lurchers :-)

I have a Greyhound and a Saluki Whippet (long dog) :-)

Lurchers are a sight hound crossed with any other breed apart from another sight hound as that's a long dog :-)
 
Jools1234 said:
ok so for you a greyhound X collie/staffy is a lurcher

and a greyhound/collie X greyhound/staffy is not?
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No - if you add in a bull breed it becomes a mutt or sometimes called a bull lurcher = mutt.

Lurcher = Sighthound x collie or a collie x sighthound back to a collie or another sighthound.

Longdog has only sighthounds in the mix.

Some of the most stunning dogs I've ever met are greyhound x deerhound or bedlington x whippet but backcrossing holds no advantages over using pure breeds.
 
s4sugar said:
No - if you add in a bull breed it becomes a mutt or sometimes called a bull lurcher = mutt.

Lurcher = Sighthound x collie or a collie x sighthound back to a collie or another sighthound.

Longdog has only sighthounds in the mix.

Some of the most stunning dogs I've ever met are greyhound x deerhound or bedlington x whippet but backcrossing holds no advantages over using pure breeds.
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ok so are you saying that only sighthounds and collies can go into the breeding for a lurcher?
 
In my opinion both sides can be crossed, one side doesn't have to be pure.

In my experience lurchers are ofter better when second crosses. I have a pure whippet x staff and a bull greyhound back to a bull greyhound. The second bitch is by far the best, this has generally been my experience.

A sighthound crossed with any breed of dog is a lurcher, Though obviously if it is bred for purpose it will more often be collies, Terriers etc.
 
Interesting thread. I have a greyhound X Afghan (i think - he was a rescue so it's a guess plus a suggestion by an Afghan breeder) - i've always just called him a lurcher, even although technically he's a longdog.
 
Yep agree with crachedhalo
Sight hound x with any other breed or breeds
sighthound can include
Whippet ,greyhound,afghan ,wolf n otter hound ,basenji ,
Italian greyhound isn't a sight hound
Sight hound x sight hound = long dog
My little foster dog is whippet size about 21 inch but looks like there greyhound in her ,thicker tail ,thicker coat etc
Btw I hav KC whippets lol
Lurchers can b rough or smooth n big as a wolfhound n as small as a jrt depending in the cross
Also alot of lurchers are usually greyhound x boarder collie for speed n agility for working
 
I've never understood the distinctions which are offered up which would advise that there's a difference between a Lurcher, and a Longdog. They are one and the same animal, in my view, despite what Plummer or Walsh may say!

The name Lurcher, so I understand, came from those greyhounds which used their brains and ran cunning. Their only intent was on killing the hare, and as they were actually racing, such a dog was of little use. Such a dog was, however, of use to the man who wasn't concerned with points, but with killing hares.

Lurchers, and again these are my views, need to be bred with the speed underneath, in other words, the dam needs to be the Greyhound, or the whippet, or the Saluki (if you must), and the covering dog can be just about anything. The combinations are endless, and some are unlikely. I once had a GSD/Greyhound dog, who was perhaps, my ideal.

If the Greyhound is to be the dam, then using a dog as the sire, which has no pace and/or no brain, is a waist of time. Greyhound/Bedlington, Greyhound/Deerhound (though they can all so often get up to 28", which I think's a bit big). Perhaps the best cross that I've seen which has been Consistent, is the Greyhound bitch which is put to a Collie/Greyhound (or just about anything/Greyhound) dog.

Strangely, and there will be those who don't agree with me, for a proper dog, one side of the equation needs to be a purebred dog, of speed. It's very rarely that a Lurcher/Lurcher works, as the puppies end up too heavy.

A quick thought about Salukis; they are distance dogs and will follow their hare for 1000 yards, and more. They have remarkable stamina. Many seem to think that Greyhounds are stupid, they're anything but. Salukis, however, are of little use, in the thinking department!

Alec.
 
Interesting. I have a saluki/greyhound (dam) x pure whippet and a mostly saluki foster. The whippet cross is stronger, faster and turns quicker, he also has brains and can work things out for himself without ever going scatty. So far the mostly salukix falls into ditches and dips in the ground, slips on the turns and runs into the house when the terrier and the lurcher are ratting. He is lovely but very blond!
 
Springy said:
Lurcher.... big floppy hot water bottle adicted to lying on sofas :confused: :D
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Jools1234 said:
like this description but only applies to mine after a good hr or mores running-she is the only dog i have ever allowed on the furniture, and thats because she is so bloody persisitant
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Oh I can relate to this! Our family dog is a complete PITA when it comes to lying on the sofa, or bed, or even just all over you if she can :rolleyes:

This has been interesting reading - we have had M since she was a puppy and she is apparently a lab X collie (mum was a lab) although literally everyone we meet describes her as a lurcher. But from what has been said on here she cannot be a lurcher if her mum was a lab?

Also - how do people cope with recall and their lurchers? M is very hit and miss, and not because she doesn't understand because the little madam certainly can do it when she feels like it. We are hoping that she will grow out of it? (She is 20 months).
 
Alec Swan said:
I've never understood the distinctions which are offered up which would advise that there's a difference between a Lurcher, and a Longdog. They are one and the same animal, in my view, despite what Plummer or Walsh may say!

The name Lurcher, so I understand, came from those greyhounds which used their brains and ran cunning. Their only intent was on killing the hare, and as they were actually racing, such a dog was of little use. Such a dog was, however, of use to the man who wasn't concerned with points, but with killing hares.

Lurchers, and again these are my views, need to be bred with the speed underneath, in other words, the dam needs to be the Greyhound, or the whippet, or the Saluki (if you must), and the covering dog can be just about anything. The combinations are endless, and some are unlikely. I once had a GSD/Greyhound dog, who was perhaps, my ideal.

If the Greyhound is to be the dam, then using a dog as the sire, which has no pace and/or no brain, is a waist of time. Greyhound/Bedlington, Greyhound/Deerhound (though they can all so often get up to 28", which I think's a bit big). Perhaps the best cross that I've seen which has been Consistent, is the Greyhound bitch which is put to a Collie/Greyhound (or just about anything/Greyhound) dog.

Strangely, and there will be those who don't agree with me, for a proper dog, one side of the equation needs to be a purebred dog, of speed. It's very rarely that a Lurcher/Lurcher works, as the puppies end up too heavy.

A quick thought about Salukis; they are distance dogs and will follow their hare for 1000 yards, and more. They have remarkable stamina. Many seem to think that Greyhounds are stupid, they're anything but. Salukis, however, are of little use, in the thinking department!

Alec.
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so alec, in my pictures on page 2 what sort/type/breeding would you say you say dog is?
 
whorls said:
Oh I can relate to this! Our family dog is a complete PITA when it comes to lying on the sofa, or bed, or even just all over you if she can :rolleyes:

This has been interesting reading - we have had M since she was a puppy and she is apparently a lab X collie (mum was a lab) although literally everyone we meet describes her as a lurcher. But from what has been said on here she cannot be a lurcher if her mum was a lab?

Also - how do people cope with recall and their lurchers? M is very hit and miss, and not because she doesn't understand because the little madam certainly can do it when she feels like it. We are hoping that she will grow out of it? (She is 20 months).
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no a lab cross collie is not a lurcher,but i would be interested to see what she looks like if people think she is one. can you put a picture up?
 
Jools1234 said:
no a lab cross collie is not a lurcher,but i would be interested to see what she looks like if people think she is one. can you put a picture up?
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Here you go Jools (hope this works).

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j177/Kayem_1982/Maisie/DSCF5806_zps158d56a1.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j177/Kayem_1982/Maisie/DSCF4592_zpsfa97c916.jpg

As a puppy -

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j177/Kayem_1982/Maisie/DSCF4579_zpsdaecc139.jpg

And just as an example -

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j177/Kayem_1982/Maisie/photo2_zps7faf6f32.jpg


What do you think?
 
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Whorls, your dog may be a lab cross smooth coated collie. My dog is australian kelpie crossed with smooth coated collie, and he is very lurcher like about the head! But I met both his parents, and his appearance makes sense.

The smooth coat collie is a big, tall, lanky dog - completely different to the border collie. Smooth coats are the short hair version of the popular "Lassie dog" which is a rough coated collie. The breed was apparently originally made by crossing border collies to russian wolfhounds in the Victorian era.

So, very technically speaking, smooth coated and rough coated collies alike should count as lurchers, as russian wolfhounds are sighthounds!
 
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