Excellent article on lurchers

[JudyN]

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This article is by Jackie Drakeford, author of The House Lurcher, so it was bound to be excellent - but she really does describe the lurcher personality so well: The lurcher - a designer cross-breed dog - Shooting UK

The only bit that made me raise my eyebrow was 'for the sake of handler sanity, task-oriented breeds such as collies are often crossed into the sighthound mix...' Now, I've always said I wouldn't have a collie x lurcher because I want to preserve my sanity, but that's because I want an idle companion, not a working dog or one who seems to want to progress to algebra as soon as possible...

 

[Finsky]

"..there is little that lights their candle apart from hunting.."

 

[Rinkydinkydo]

In the right hands they are brilliant dogs, sadly alot are ruined by people who just aren't cut out for lurchers. In a way I think lurchers and longdogs have become the new black. I'm seeing them everywhere these days,is it a good thing or bad only time will tell. I do know that there are lots in rescue and it's not just down to people who work them like some like to believe. If one gets found it's always the same chorus... dumped by coursing lads or travellers... look I've gone off on one haven't I.
Collie lurchers, one of if not thee best lurchers in my mind. They are so versatile I love em. I've heard people say they wouldn't have one given. They've had to eat their words when they've seen them out think and out run other dogs.

 

[JudyN]

It's the collie lurcher outthinking me that I'd worry about, Rinkydinko! But when I say that to preserve my sanity, I wouldn't have a collie lurcher but would have a saluki x or even full saluki at the drop of a hat, I wonder if that suggests I have already lost my sanity....

It does of course depend on what you want the dog for, whether you want to invest a lot of time doing agility or whatever, or whether you want to have a lovely long walk in the wild, come home and stick the kettle on, and not hear a squeak from the dog till his next walk or meal is due. I know which camp I'm in

Lurchers can be very misunderstood dogs - so many people expect them to respond like other dogs and then it's likely to go very badly or, at least, with the dog never reaching his potential.