About Lurchers...

The Lurcher is not a purebred dog but is of definite type, usually having a member of the greyhound family as one of its parents.

The Lurcher's coat can be rough or smooth and it should look like a relative of the Deerhound, Saluki or Greyhound. The Lurcher is generally an obedient dog, which makes an excellent coursing hound and hunter, and will combine this role with that of a faithful and affectionate family pet. It needs plenty of exercise and a daily brushing.

Ambrose - a doberman/greyhound cross

More About the Lurcher...

The Lurcher was bred in Ireland and Great Britain by the Irish gypsies and tinkers in the 1600s. They were used for poaching rabbits, hares and other small creatures. It is never bred to a specific standard and is often not considered a breed, as the Lurcher is more a crossbreed: usually three quarters sighthound. The most common combinations are the Greyhound/Collie and the Greyhound/Terrier.

Henna - a Greyhound/Pharoh Hound cross

The name Lurcher a is derived name from the Romany word lur, which means thief. The gypsies considered the short-haired Lurcher the most prized. The Lurcher is rarely seen outside of Great Britain and Ireland, and is still common in its native land. The Collie crosses were often not large enough to do the work the Lurcher was intended for.

Gypsies traditionally sneered at any Lurcher that was not predominantly 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 Lurch 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.

Trigger - an Afghan/Whippet cross

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.