Lurcher - Pet forum for dogs cats and humans

echoica · #1 December 22nd, 2009, 09:57 PM

Anyone else here have a lurcher? Here's mine! Border Collie x Greyhound rescued from the SPCA. Name: Casey. Age: 1 Year.

Casey was a ninja for Halloween

DoubleRR · #2 December 27th, 2009, 01:07 PM

Don't own one, but have known of a few used for hunting. Nice dogs. Casey is a very nice mix--some are not so attractive.

hazelrunpack · #3 December 27th, 2009, 02:32 PM

She's a beauty! I love the first nap-on-the-chair pic!

So why do they call a sighthound mix a 'lurcher' do you suppose?

She looks mighty graceful to me as she's bounding across the yard in the pics!

DoubleRR · #4 December 29th, 2009, 04:47 PM

The name lurcher is derived from the Romani language word lur, which means thief.

Wikipedia gives a not bad description--scroll down to the history part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lurcher

hazelrunpack · #5 December 29th, 2009, 05:18 PM

I have trouble with wikipedia entries when my connection is lagging, so I'll have to try again tomorrow.

'thief', eh?

I can imagine! Especially for border collie crosses. BCs are just so smart!!!!

Thanks, DoubleRR!

DoubleRR · #6 December 29th, 2009, 05:41 PM

History

The lurcher was bred in Ireland and Great Britain by the Irish Gypsies and travellers in the 17th century. They were used for poaching rabbits, hares and other small creatures. The name lurcher is derived from the Romani language word lur, which means thief. The travellers considered the short-haired lurcher the most prized. The lurcher is rarely seen outside of Ireland or Great Britain, but is still common in its native lands. The collie crosses were often not large enough to do the work the lurcher was intended for.

Irish Gypsies were instrumental in developing the breed, and traditionally sneered at any lurcher that was not predominantly genetically greyhound, since these "lesser" lurchers were not as good at hunting and could not stand a full day's work of the hunt. The stringent training methods of the Gypsies are looked down upon in some lurcher circles, since the pups began working at six months old. Only the top-producing pups were kept; the rest were sold at traditional bargain rates. Today some breeding is carried out in a more systematic manner, with lurchers bred to lurchers to perpetuate the "breed's" prowess at rabbit and hare coursing - an unlikely ideal and therefore pointless exercise given that the lurcher does not breed true.

Generally, the aim of the cross is to produce a sighthound with more intelligence, a canny animal suitable for the original purpose of the lurcher, poaching. Developed in the Middle Ages, the lurcher was created because only nobility were allowed to have purebred sighthounds like Irish Wolfhounds, Scottish Deerhounds, and greyhounds, whereas crosses, or curs, had no such perceived value. Similarly, nobility owned most land and commoners were not allowed to hunt game on crown land or other noble estates.

It was important that the lurcher did not resemble too closely a sighthound, as the penalties for owning a sighthound were high, particularly given that if you owned one then by default you were considered a poacher. The original lurchers therefore were generally heavier-coated dogs who could herd sheep as well as bring home a rabbit or hare for the pot.