Lurchers? What are they like?

[dogsarebetter]

I *think* i would like to have some sort of Lurcher in the future. Seems like they are popular in the UK but next to unheard of here!

Isnt a lurcher basically a sight-hound mixed with a terrier? I have seen a greyhound collie mix and they called it a lurcher.
I love the look of a sight-hound, and we have considered a greyhound or whippet in the future, but i would like something with more energy. an on the go most all of the time dog that I can run with, play long games of tug, and even do some rough housing with! From what I read, that's not your typical sight-hound. I love boundless energy, and seems like sight-hounds are borderline LAZY!

How can I research the breed and contact breeders? I am having such a hard time finding breeder in the states!

[Pops2]

a sighthound crossed w/ anything other than a sighthound is a lurcher but so is lurcher to lurcher & lurcher to sighthound. each cross has something different to offer. don't discount a pure sighthound, they ARE borderline lazy but when it's time to work they leave it all on the field. lurchers aren't common here but there is a sighthound hunting subculture that can probably help you find something you might like. the downside is most will only sell to a hunting home. most of the sighthounds used in the USA are coldblood greys, stags, salukiX & borzoiX and the purebreds are used to compete in open field coursing. the majority of lurchers are bullX used as fast catchdogs foe hog hunting & kill dogs on coyote by people who own softer dogs.

[Romy]

Lurchers are any sighthound mixed with anything else. So there's a HUGE variety of coat, size, temperament, etc. with this type depending on what went into the dog. Pops has a lot of contacts with working lurchermen, so hopefully he'll stop in and comment.

In UK rescue sites I do see a lot of whippet/grey mixed with either terriers, and collies see to be another popular ingredient. The bearded colliesXgrey makes some nice looking dogs but I have no idea what the temperament or energy level is like.

I can send you a link to a sighthound forum that has sections on hunting and lurchers/staghounds, there's at least one breeder on there that works with lurchers.

ETA: Nevermind, pops got here first, lol

[dogsarebetter]

Thanks everyone!
can lurchers be cat and small dog freindly?

I am having a hard time finding our next dog.

I have rabbits in the house, but now they are in a very large room not running around the house like they used to be.

[Romy]

They can be. So can pure sighthounds. Our foster shag, Seamus, was 100% fine with our cat and house rabbit.

[Dekka]

Originally Posted by dogsarebetter

I *think* i would like to have some sort of Lurcher in the future. Seems like they are popular in the UK but next to unheard of here!

Isnt a lurcher basically a sight-hound mixed with a terrier? I have seen a greyhound collie mix and they called it a lurcher.
I love the look of a sight-hound, and we have considered a greyhound or whippet in the future, but i would like something with more energy. an on the go most all of the time dog that I can run with, play long games of tug, and even do some rough housing with! From what I read, that's not your typical sight-hound. I love boundless energy, and seems like sight-hounds are borderline LAZY!

How can I research the breed and contact breeders? I am having such a hard time finding breeder in the states!

This sounds like a whippet. Many well bred whippets raised nicely are exactly that. I find the whippets have more energy than the JRTs. Dash loves to tug.. Bounce not so much but I didn't foster it in her (I have had many JRTs who aren't big tuggers as I didn't work on it as puppies) Many whippets live with cats too.

[Jynx]

a friend of mine has a lurcher, she is a purebred whippet (mom) and purebred border collie (dad) an "oops" litter, he is a cool dog,,has no problem laying around, but he runs faster than any border collie I've seen in agility which he does)

He's pretty cool looking, very short coat like a whippet, has a whippet face, taller than a whippet, border collie coloring..

[Pops2]

Teddy Moritz writes a column for full cry magzine & is involved w/ the north american teckel club. she hunts groundhog, rabbit & coons (& the occassional fox) w/ mini dachshunds & lurchers (& hawks). lots of brits use theirs w/ ferrets to catch rabbits. obviously small animal aggression can be channelled or eliminated w/ the animals they grow up with. the biggest problem is that bigger sighthounds don't understand their size & injure small dog by accident.
i think a whippet cross would be a good choice but since we don't have a huge amount of whippetX lurchers here an accidental cross would be more likely. then it just becomes a matter of finding such accidents. OTH a pure whippet is a great choice too.

[Laurelin]

Originally Posted by Dekka

This sounds like a whippet. Many well bred whippets raised nicely are exactly that. I find the whippets have more energy than the JRTs. Dash loves to tug.. Bounce not so much but I didn't foster it in her (I have had many JRTs who aren't big tuggers as I didn't work on it as puppies) Many whippets live with cats too.

The more you talk, the more i want a longhaired whippet. I've always adored the sight hounds but most are too big for my tastes and dont fit in with my life. But the whippets really sound like they would. How big are yours?

[Dekka]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

The more you talk, the more i want a longhaired whippet. I've always adored the sight hounds but most are too big for my tastes and dont fit in with my life. But the whippets really sound like they would. How big are yours?

Bounce is tiny at about 18 inches, dash is about 20. Bounce is the original height standard for a female whippet. The LHW breeder are trying to keep the size down (many north american whippets are too large)