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)

They can be mixed with terriers, it just depends on the mix. Often they're mixed with collies around here.

Our local shelters are full of lurchers.

Yes, terriers also being working breeds!

We had a wonderful rescue lurcher from Rescue Remedies. We lost him a year ago and miss him every day.

We’re currently fostering a lurcher puppy who was found stray. He’s still very young, is sweet and beautiful and very pointy!

My mum has had lurchers. She got them from ads in the paper. One was a Bedlington x whippet. Gorgeous fuzzy girl who was an absolute cow.
DSis has a one that is half saluki. Very head strong and selectively deaf!

How they are as pets depends on their mix and personality.

There are plenty of lurchers out in rescues that need homes, and if you want a puppy then they come up often too.

Have a look at https://www.lurcher-link.org/ and their forum.

We had the most fabulous collie x lurcher (we think!) for 16 years. He was left behind by travellers and lived out of bins for weeks before latching onto us and our other dog on a walk one night. It took us the next ten nights of sitting and throwing pieces of food to win his trust and coax him close enough to get a lead on him and get him safe, and he had obviously not been well treated (scars, badly healed rib fracture etc.), but he was the most loving, trusting boy with us, although he didn't want to know anyone else. We were so relieved with nobody claimed him and he was able to stay with us. We think he was half blue merle collie, half bedlington lurcher - he was collie sized, rough coated, with a bedlington-ish head, but he moved and ran like a lurcher. I wish we'd had DNA testing available to see exactly what mix he was.

We have two and they are complete opposites to each other so it must depend on what they are "mixed" with! One has zero recall and a high prey drive but is super chilled in the house. The other is really obedient and well trained but massively highly strung. One loves people and cuddles, the other is more independent and only wants cuddles on his terms (which is usually a very strict 5 minute slot in the morning or evening 😂). But both are fab dogs and have brilliant personalities 😊

I am a massive Lurcher fan. I have had 3 saluki crosses with sheepdog types who have all been great to train and brilliant family dogs. One was a bit edgy and they could all be sensitive but they had had difficult pasts. I could take them off lead and they all had great recall. One is lying at my feet now. I have had him for 10 years and he just slotted in amazingly.
I am also on my second staffie x Lurcher. Her predecessor was one of the best dogs ever, adored by my kids and a massive character. The rescue we got her from said that she was selective with dogs but we had her for 11 years and she never had a problem with another dog ever. Her successor, who we have only had for a few months, is another massive character and unbelievably affectionate. However, her recall is very selective and her prey drive is huge so she can only be off lead in secure places.
One of the things I love about lurchers is how they are on or off so if they have had their exercise they tend to switch off really well. Even my new one is great at that. But always remember that they do tend to have high prey drives; as people say, lurchers lurch!