Lurchers

[thistimelastweek]

I'm just throwing this out for information because I've often wondered.
I love lurchers. Never met one I didn't like
But how do you buy one? Where do you find one?
(Not actually looking to buy. Just curious)

Lots in our local Dog Trust shelter, plus greyhound rescue.

Do you understand what lurchers are because lots of people, even lurcher owners, don’t seem to. They are the result of a cross between a working breed and a sighthound. So I should imagine some “breeders” sell them under trendy cross breed names. But our local rescue centres always have loads. Our boy is a rescue and a lovely dog. I would get another lurcher in a heartbeat.

I currently have 2 young lurchers after our deerhound/greyhound cross died at 14.

Fab dogs.

Local rescues to me have a lot of Lurchers, we had applied for one as our second dog but we were offered our lab in the meantime and she needed to be taken in urgently directly from the council pound so we took her instead. Would 100% consider a Lurcher in the future, lovely dogs!

My XH had a rescue lurcher. It was so bad tempered. No reason, all vet checked, no.pain, no illnesses. The final straw was when my DS was 15m old, I was heavily pregnant, XH came home with lurcher and it threw itself at DS who was simply standing next to me, and had DS's face between it's jaws.

Lurcher was gone immediately.

My rescue lurcher girl is 14 now (DNA testing showed one parent staffie/boxer and other greyhound/whippet) and we've had her for 11 years. She's honestly the easiest dog we've ever had, I think I've heard her bark about 5 times in the entire time we've had her! I think this will be her last summer, she has dementia, and I can't imagine my life without her.

Oh I thought they were a cross between different sighthound breeds. Mine is definitely not any kind of working dog!

My recent ex partner has one, a rescue from being abused and abandoned by travellers. She is about 13 now and the sweetest thing. She sleeps for about 18 hours a day. Needs a sprint in the morning and evening, and then back to basket. Such a calm and affectionate dog. Will rob anything chocolaty though so it has to be stored securely but we all have flaws. :)

Cross between two sighthounds is a Longdog I think. Both lurchers and longdogs are the best!

DNA testing says my mutts parents were crosses - because her grandparents were some combination of husky, malamute, collie and greyhound....!

I have two lurchers (one is saluki x greyhound ish, one is whippet x doberman ish), both rescue. I've fostered a lot of lurcher puppies for a rescue as well so have met a big variety from those bred by 'name' lurcher breeders and surrendered due to family circs, ones seized by the police, strays - all sorts.
The cross does make a difference, and its important to remember that you are very unlikely to ever meet a lurcher who isn't bred to work. Of course the rescue ones are usually the ones who weren't good at it or displeased in some way. But they are trainable if you are consistent and use high rewards but salukis for instance are def not dogs that do things just because it pleases you.
Anyway, I love them, if you want one follow a sighthound specific charity like EGLR on social media to see the dogs as they come in and learn about their needs.

My parents also had a rescue saluki lurcher - same story as yours. Gorgeous dog, couldn't believe that people existed who loved her and didn't beat her. She arrived with a lot of scars and terrified of coming in the house.

We got ours through a working dogs group but that was 16 years ago (she passed away last year). Lovely, calm dogs.

Ours was half greyhound, quarter collie and quarter saluki.

I had a lurcher thru my twenties into my thirties he was so lovely my partner worked on farms so got him from a farmer. Twice we had travellers try to steal him luckily my partner was a huge really buff man but being coralled behind cars at a dog show by a group of men trying to steal my dog is honestly the most frightening thing that's ever happened to me. My partner saw and came charging across the field bellowing like an avenging god and they scattered.

I meant it’s a “working breed” but needn’t be literally a working dog. So lots of different breeds. That’s why there are so many variations (although the sighthound shape seems to come through every time).

I didn’t know about Longdogs! I thought that was just silly internet speak for any sighthound-based dog. The more you know!

My lurcher would have been hopeless as a working dog, no prey instinct and frightened of cats . She found a dead rabbit once and ran round with it in her mouth, thrilled 😄

Mines always being bullied by cats! We got him when he came was 10 months. He's now 7 and still flinches if there's a sudden movement so God knows what happened when he was a puppy 😥
He was rescued at about 6 months and was so timid he wasn't ready for adoption until we got him. We didn't get the full story but I suspect he wasn't fast enough or didn't have the prey instinct so wasn't worth keeping.

Yes, a cross between two sighthounds is a longdog.

I think technically a lurcher is a cross between something with brains and something with speed. Mine had the speed of a collie and the brains of a greyhound and was a great family dog, but I think it's really supposed to be the other way around.

Rescue Remedies are another charity who rehome lurches, they are near Gatwick. I had two lovely dogs from them.

Ours was huge, but thought he was a lap dog 😂.

Oh, and he used to ‘talk’, it was hilarious.

I miss him.

Ours didn’t chase anything- he was always glued to my side.

A greyhound crossed with a saluki is all speed and no brain. And a lot of prey drive.

Stunning dog when running but basically an idiot, she would come back with her skin shredded as running after a rabbit had been more important than avoiding the enormous brambles.

I thought they were a cross between sighthounds and terriers so you have refined my knowledge.
Thanks all for your lurcher tales.

My friend had 2 lurchers stolen by travellers from his garden.
They were then dumped a good distance away , one was getting on and he never found her but did get the other one back eventually.
When i had 2 i never left them in the car if i popped into a shop or tied them up outside , i just never left them unattended .
I work in a vets and i have heard a few stories of people being 'harrased' when out with lurchers.

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love your description!