Lurcher - what do I need to know?

[Bearfrills]

Our local rescue has matched us with a 10wk old Lurcher pup. She's not 100% ours yet, we still have meets and greets to go, but we're hopeful.

We've read up a lot about lurchers and we're aware that we're getting a dog with two modes: lunatic and asleep We're also aware she will think she's a lap dog even if she ends up weighing 90lbs (not sure yet how big she'll be as an adult, the rescue thinks she won't be massive). We're also aware a puppy is like having a newborn but we've had four of those so it's nothing we haven't faced before.

Any tips? Any recommendations on beds, collars/harnesses/leads? Best/worst thing about owning a lurcher?

Things you'll need:

1. Good lifetime insurance
2. An extra sofa, if you ever want one to yourself again and even then it isn't guaranteed
3. Tidy kitchen habits (nothing edible left on worktops/tables, no leaving the oven unattended with the roast in, if you've got a clever one)
4. Extreme long-sightedness or good binoculars and nerves of steel, because
5. Good recall hahahahahahaha knew I'd never keep a straight face
6. Tolerance to hair loss (theirs and yours), mud and finding dead things (or parts of dead things) occasionally
7. The ability to watch TV or otherwise relax while an upturned dog shoves its popcorn-smelling feet in your face (or worse)
8. Don't get me started on them being made of elbows
9. A bike helmet and protective gear for the inevitable zoomies-related incidents

10. The ability to ignore people who shout "Do you feed that dog?!" at you in the street and the ones who tell you their aunt's sister's cousin had a lurcher but theirs was a pure-bred.

Haha! I've already had someone inform me that lurchers need around ten miles a day of walks and acres of open space. We went to meet the pup this morning and in the space of twenty minutes she had two naps.

Trying to explain they don't need that much exercise because they're essentially lazy and shirt bursts are best and was told to "ask

Lurchers are ace, I have two of my own and foster lurcher puppies for a specialist rescue.
To give you an idea of how things are with a lurcher puppy, this has been today so far with my current, 16 week old, little friend.
6.40 - wake up with a hot little body pressed against me in bed as he has slid into our bed in the night
6.43 - standing in the drizzle in the garden as he toilets
6.50 - clearing up the massive poo inside as he needed a second one but I missed the signs as I was putting the kettle on
7.00 - breakfast
7.20 - DHs mug goes flying as puppy does a vertical takeoff leap to look at a pigeon
7.30 - back out in garden for a wee
8.00 - take puppy out for a walk
8.30 - puppy plays floor is lava while I'm trying to work
9.00 - out for a wee (repeat at 30 min intervals through the day unless he's actually asleep
9.10 - conference call to the sound of squeaky toy
9.30 - asleep
9.45 - reworking the log basket while I make a cuppa
10.00 - back asleep
10.40 - trying to chew the side table, then levitates onto the dining table to steal the kitchen roll

And on, and on. He is utterley lovely but they are exhausting and every moment you are thinking about what new hell they are up to. It is easier if they can be crated (this one can't due to trauma) but puppies are really hard work.
Then they grow up, and become laid back couch potatos. If there is any saluki in the mix they love very strongly and bond most to one person - but are also drama queens!

Do you mind if I ask a quick question. Can they be taken on walks off lead? What about their prey drive, running after small things. Cat, rabbits etc.
I would love a lurcher (rescue of course) but after having a Labrador, would hate to have to always walk on lead in local woods. I noted the comment earlier on recall.

Sorry to butt in on your thread bearfrills.

It depends what their heritage is - a whippet x border collie is likely to be very different to a greyhound x labrador, but even then you might end up with more traits from one breed than the other.

I've known two larger lurchers who have had excellent recall, but have both been as mad as a box of frogs. I've only had straight-up greyhounds and whippets before, but am seriously thinking of a lurcher next time because they tend to have the personality of a sighthound with the ability/will to chase balls, recall etc that is missing with a lot of sighthounds.

I'm sure she'll be a delight, whatever she is.

Get a harness with a belly strap so she can't back out of it, otherwise she could be in the road before you can blink.
With very little body fat they feel the cold so need a coat in cold weather.

Butt away @sleepymum50, it's absolutely fine

From what I've read and been told, you can let them off the lead and they can learn recall but whether or not they listen you depends on which way the wind is blowing and what sort of mood they're in.

The rescue has advised mental exercise each day as well as physical exercise. They've also said that she will have a strong-ish prey drive but how strong remains to be seen, she's only a puppy right now, they did say though that while you can never fully suppress the prey drive you can lessen it through training and there are guide on how to do this. They mainly involve learning your dog's trigger points, pre-empting problematic situations, where possible, and using positive reinforcement to encourage the behaviours you want to see.

Ask me in six months how that's working out though

@sleepymum50 both of my lurchers go off lead and recall, and the vast majority of my former fosters do as well. It is different for adult rescues where they have had their prey drive reinforced (sometimes brutally) and also have more ingrained trauma. But its not like a collie/labrador obedience where they want to please you, its pretty transactional in my dogs where they totally know that a whistle means to come back but its about coming back to get the reward, and what value that has. The earlier you can start on positive training, the better.
I forgot to answer the practical question on collars etc. I like my dogs to walk on martingale collars (Black Rock Rosie for the puppies, Slouching Hound or Hound Haberdashery for the big dogs), when I use a harness it is always Perfect Fit as you customise the different parts to the dog, and coats I get hilarious fleece PJs from Spuds Dog Coats

Thankyou everyone x

Lurchers can be whippet x or greyhound x. Do you know what hopefully yours is?
Also this thread needs more photos 😊

I'm not sure what she's crossed with. She has a whippet tail but she was found abandoned in a box so no idea on lineage.

Buy a copy of Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson and start whistle training from the getgo. Both of my Lurchers had excellent recall having been trained to the whistle.

Not read this one myself, but have heard that Diary of a Rescue Lurcher is a fun and informative read for prospective Lurcher pup owners as well.

We got our last rescue Lurcher at 10 weeks and one of the most notable things was his total inability to control his legs, speed or brakes! Every single member of the family was ‘Lurchered’ (when they knock you over by either failing to break quick enough or having crap spatial awareness when attempting a fly-past) within the first two months.

Soft toys are a generally huge hit, especially if they also have dangly legs or flappy wings to flop about when shaken. However, be warned that there will be lots of evisceration and the necessity for a dog-toy hospital, where regular surgery will be required on a regular basis. Fwiw, the flat soft toys with no stuffing are also fun and less messy!

When mine were pups one of their favourite pastimes was shredding cardboard. They used to help us destroy boxes that deliveries came in to fit in the recycling bin and we kept all the inner rolls from cellophane, foil and baking parchment as those are thicker and keep them busy for ages, whilst satisfying the need to chomp something. Also, snuffle mats, treat dispensing balls, kongs, a kong wobbler and licki mats are all good ways to keep them busy and wear them out.

Beds - they like to stretch out and roach (lying upside down with legs all over the shop) so a lovely deep mattress or duvet style bed is usually favoured. BUT you will also need a mountain of fleece blankets and they do love their comfort. Don’t be surprised if they spend more time on your sofa or in your armchair than on their own bed though.

Some people favour martingale collars and you can get some stunning designs (which can lead to collar addiction!) but mine have always had beautiful engraved leather fishtail hound collars from this guy - we have the celtic knot ones and then been walked on a harness. My old boy has had his for 14 years and it’s still beautiful.

Harness of choice for me is the Perfect Fit. Lurchers are a funny shape and with Perfect Fit you can choose individual pieces to build up a bespoke harness, then just replace individual pieces as they grow. (Customer services are great at helping you work out what you need.) My last boy only had the Y front piece replaced once, from when he was a 10 week old puppy, because he had such a narrow chest, despite being almost 30” inches to the shoulders. Whereas he needed the girth and back piece replaced several times. They are also fleece lined, which is a must for Lurchers, who tend towards the delicate Greyhound fragile skin.

Speaking of fragile skin - did I mention the complete inability to control limbs, speed and brakes? Well skin is another issue here. Mine was constantly at the vets being patched up after careening into fences, plant pots, people and on one memorable occasion the back wall of the house!

Be warned that some come with the built in ‘scream of death’ where they convince you you will find them with a leg hanging off, only to discover someone has accidentally slightly trodden on their toe and they are actually fine. You need to be come adept at the ‘oh you poor baby’ kiss and cuddle and rub which usually does the trick in seconds!

Best thing about owning Lurchers is that they are either the sweetest most bonkers lunatics or (especially if lots of Saluki in the mix) the most gentle sensitive souls that you could ever meet. Some are a mix of both, although that sounds impossible. The ones I have had and those I’ve med have all been incredibly emotionally intelligent.

Some would say the worst things are things like worksurface/table surfing, but for me that’s part of their charm and I actually didn’t find it difficult to teach mine not to do it. (Although geriatric boy has now forgotten all his training at over 16 years old and regularly attempts to surf the corners of the table he can reach - thank goodness is is no long capable of jumping up onto it to help himself to the dc’s dinner!)

For me, the worst thing would have to be that they don’t live as long as us.

Oh, she’s brindle, similar to my boy as a pup!

This is him at 14 weeks, about 8 years old and last year (age 15).

Mine.

Op that looks like a dpuppy I saw on a not so reputable site a few weeks ago. Have you done a reverse Google search? May bring the ad up!!

Ah loving all the lush lurchers. They really are the best op. Hope it works out for you.

I'll try that, she's currently being very well looked after at our local shelter and is their office dog because she likes being with company.

Do you mind if I ask a quick question. Can they be taken on walks off lead? What about their prey drive, running after small things. Cat, rabbits etc

From the other side, much as I love sighthounds, i wouldn’t trust one as far as I could throw one. The prey drive is entirely instinct, and there’s nothing you or they can do.

I’ve had a yorkie nearly killed by a lurcher on my front drive. Granted that was a farm dog, but even so they had to put it down as it then started killing cats, chickens etc.

The second was a neighbour’s visitor’s greyhound. No history, normally impeccably behaved, saw my cat, slipped it’s lead and that was it. They were mortified, offered to pay vets bills, but luckily the cat had been quick enough that the dog didn’t get a serious hold.

I have a yorkie now and if I see any sort of sighthound he’s recalled and put on the lead so I can grab him if they catch wind.

I would check your household insurance for 3rd party just in case. Shit does happen and if it were me I’d want to cover vets bills. If I wanted to off lead a sighthound a lot I’d consider a muzzle for safety as well.

Oh my, who could abandon that bundle of cuteness?

Not too much more to add to the above, except that our rescue lurcher is an absolute joy! She fits so perfectly into our lifestyle, needing only a couple of short walks a day if we're busy, but loving miles-long hikes at the weekend.

Definitely agree with the harness advice above - don't get the Julius K9 harnesses (or similar ones that have a bar shape across the front). They hinder movement, and are very easy for sighthound-shaped dogs to slip out of beacuse of their broad chest and narrow waist. Look for one with a Y-shaped front, and preferably an extra stra round the tummy. We use a Ruffwear Webmaster, but the perfect Fit ones recommended by a PP look fab too.

Also agree with PPs v beds - lurchers like to alternate between curled up in a doughnut, and stretched out full length, so beds with sides don't really work for them. A pad-type bed is better.

We got ours at five years old, and she had been a hunting dog, so we can very rarely let her off the lead (beaches are ok for her). But if you instil recall training from a very young age you may be ok.

Get a warm jumper for cooler nights, and a raincoat - they can be -total wimps- precious little darlings about cold and rain.

I hope you get her - they are just such awesome dogs!

Recall and small furies really depends on the dog. Mine is a greyhound cross, we've had him since 5 months old approx. He was picked up off the streets. He's 10 this year. He's totally fine off lead, brilliant recall (at impressive speed), and lives with our cat.

Not all lurchers or sighthounds will attack small animals. Like many other breeds, very few will attack small dogs.

But drumming in recall and drop it/leave commands are really important.

I agree it depends on the dog, their breeding, background and age at rescue. Those bred from strong working stock are more likely to be unreliable around small furries.

The only time my old boy has ever shown interest in wildlife was when we walked into a field that was literally covered in rabbits - they were everywhere, we joke that it was like that episode of Father Ted with Father Jack attracting them! Even then he didn’t notice at first. When he was younger we used to do 5 miles through the fields every day, mostly off-lead and he never once ran off after anything.

My other boy was a real wuss and actually ran away from a Chihuahua puppy, despite towering over it.

Both were interested in next door’s cat, if they saw/see him on the drive, but neither bothered to budge off their beds when he decided to come in through our living room window. Daft cat! Last year my old boy watched him sneak in the front door and up our stairs as well, without even budging, just looked a bit indignant. He gives our garden a wide berth, but the dogs are never outside alone anyway.

Both mine were rescued as young pups, I had the first from 14 weeks and the second from 10 weeks. Drop, leave and recall were the things I worked on the most and have consistently reinforced throughout their lives. When my boy was younger he did an impressive instant down, but he doesn’t move fast enough to need one these days and he’s kept on a long lead now as he’s deaf and has poor sight. I find the whistle best for recall, because it’s piercing enough to get through to them when they have the wind in their ears at 30 mph, whereas your voice can get lost on the wind.

I’ve had two. A greyhound x Dalmatian and now a bedlington x whippet. I would never have any other kind of dog. They both had/ have excellent recall. The beddy whip will stroll passed a cat not fussed. I feel that lurchers get a bit of a bad reputation re recall and in my experience it’s really undeserved. You have to put in lots of work with recall and understand that their motivations are different from many other dogs but mine are better than a lot of dogs we encounter in this respect.
They remind me more of cats than dogs in lots of ways. They’re amazing.

She is absolutely gorgeous op!