# Definition of a lurcher



## Christmas Crumpet (5 June 2009)

Am rather cross - had a family come over and see puppies last night and the lady just rang me saying that they weren't true lurchers.

I may be being stupid but the cross of greyhound/saluki/whippet x whippet/patterdale terrier is to me a lurcher.

Does anyone not agree?!!


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## Charmaine18 (5 June 2009)

The original "true" lurcher is a Border collie/greyhound, so that might have been what she meant - but I don't think many people would stick to that these days, anything with greyhound in it is normally called a lurcher.  I call my dog a lurcher and, although I've no idea of her parentage, the best guess I can give is whippet/GSD.


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

My OH has just disagreed, he said the true definition of a lurcher is a working dog x by a long dog, I on the other hand know nowt 
	
	
		
		
	


	




, he has worked them for over 20 odd years.

He also said, it has to catch rabbits


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## Christmas Crumpet (5 June 2009)

She apparently wanted a deerhound cross like her old lurcher. Although I had told her on the phone what the puppies were and she'd seen the advert she still came (4 hour round trip). 

I'd forgotten how much I hate selling animals to people!!


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

She is maybe doing what a lot of folk do, assosiating shaggy dogs as lurchers.
We have shaggies in our rescue, u could re-route her


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## Christmas Crumpet (5 June 2009)

So CALA surely my dog - whippet x patterdale terrier is def. a lurcher then.


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

OH would said, to look at the dog, he would prob say yes, but in the true sense of the word no, as terrier is not cateo gorised as working, in the sense of how they are cateogorised (crufts) a true working/herding dog.
Thats the best way I can describe what he is saying to me  
	
	
		
		
	


	




Don't shoot the messanger though  Im jsut reading it out to him, im sure others will have different opinions.


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

Off to work, but will look in later.


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## CorvusCorax (5 June 2009)

I thought a lurcher was anything crossed with a greyhound and soforth?

There was a book by EG Walsh called 'Lurchers and Longdogs' that I had on an almost permanent basis from the library - there were greys x APBTs, x GSDs, everything.
The GSD lurchers looked, erm, interesting, and were said not to have much of a working drive, which surprised me.


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

I do think anything other than a colli, is a bit of a silly cross really, but when experimenting and being stupid people put anything to anything to tests it's ability, OH has that longdogs and Lurchers book 
	
	
		
		
	


	




I always think a colli x by a long dog is classed as a lurcher, but neva the mind, there are prob a million different opinions on the matter. 
	
	
		
		
	


	




OH has always worked deerhound x colli x greyhound's types or Saluki x colli x grey, he would never work any of the bizarre x'es, and we have rescues now, so no more rabbit chasing, as he cannot choose his own, they just land as they are.


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## Oneofthepack (5 June 2009)

As others have said, the true traditional lurcher is a long dog (greyhound, whippet, saluki, deerhound, and even borzoi) crossed with a working dog, usually a collie. The definition has been muddied a bit and what we all know as lurchers now are long dogs crossed with anything else. The whippet x bedlington is a popular working lurcher too although not the original definition.

Mine are whippet x bedlington, whippet x saluki, greyhound x something bouncy and deerhound x something thick


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## FestiveSpirit (5 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
I thought a lurcher was anything crossed with a greyhound and soforth?

There was a book by EG Walsh called 'Lurchers and Longdogs' that I had on an almost permanent basis from the library - there were greys x APBTs, x GSDs, everything.
The GSD lurchers looked, erm, interesting, and were said not to have much of a working drive, which surprised me. 

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got that book Hacking_Hack, it is great  
	
	
		
		
	


	




  I always think of lurchers as looking like greyhound x deerhounds or similar... which of course are actually long dogs.... sounds like Guildford's person did exactly the same, it is a common misconception

David Hancock bred traditional lurchers but I wouldnt want anything like them, as I am a sighthound person


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## Bosworth (5 June 2009)

i suspect the were looking for something like 
this 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 a traditional gypsy lurcher


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## FestiveSpirit (5 June 2009)

Bosworth  
	
	
		
		
	


	




  I want, I want, I want  
	
	
		
		
	


	





















Is he/she yours?  What an absolutely stunning dog


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## Bosworth (5 June 2009)

Thank you Can't have for def!!!!!!! She's mine - well I bought her for my OH, his first ever dog and he's besotted. 2.5 year old Whippet X Bedlington. 1st cross. bred by a game keeper to get rabbits and rats,  and good at it.


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## Bosworth (5 June 2009)

A the other thing may be the OP's prospective purchaser didn't realise that hairy lurchers often start out as smooth coat lab look alikes

this is the same lurcher as a 6 week old puppy


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## FestiveSpirit (5 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]

Thank you Can't have for def!!!!!!! She's mine - well I bought her for my OH, his first ever dog and he's besotted. 2.5 year old Whippet X Bedlington. 1st cross. bred by a game keeper to get rabbits and rats,  and good at it.  







[/ QUOTE ]

Oh she is absolutely perfect, my ideal lurcher (or long dog  
	
	
		
		
	


	




) how fabulous she looks 
	
	
		
		
	


	












  I love the pic of her as a puppy, it reminds me when we had our lurcher pup he looked very like her as a baby then turned into a humungous donkey who looked like a deerhound/greyhound cross even though dad was a collie lurcher  
	
	
		
		
	


	





The litter was so funny, just like Lady and the Tramp - 4 fawn pups who all were like mum and had long greyhound like heads, and 4 grey pups who all had blocky collie heads like dad


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

Sheeeesh Splotchy..........whay wasn't I made aware u like shaggies....I would have palmed Merlin off onto you


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## FestiveSpirit (5 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
Sheeeesh Splotchy..........whay wasn't I made aware u like shaggies....I would have palmed Merlin off onto you 
	
	
		
		
	


	











[/ QUOTE ]

Cala  
	
	
		
		
	


	




  You had one like that and you DIDNT send it my way  
	
	
		
		
	


	





































I would prefer a smaller one, hence the Bedlington x whippet being ideal, as my two greys are quite dinky and they are easier to handle when they are smaller  
	
	
		
		
	


	




  But just PM me next time, or I can send you my mobile number


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## Bosworth (5 June 2009)

Cala, he is gorgeous!!!!!!!! How big is he to the shoulder.


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## CAYLA (5 June 2009)

I kept his brother Flint, they have been removed from a pretty bad situation, and we where looking for knowledgable homes , u would have been perfect, they are not that big really 
	
	
		
		
	


	




This is Merlins brother flint, he is a lighter cream/blue brindle, they are bedlington x's







I also had a gorgeous wheaton x, that I was desperately seeking a lovely home for, if I knew I would have posted her down, will try and find her picci, and im sure we have a little cream bedlington whippey gir 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I must check that out


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## FestiveSpirit (5 June 2009)

LOL just when I am moving to a smaller house too  
	
	
		
		
	


	




  But I can always hide one in the car when the letting agents come to visit, I am pretty sure that they dont do regular inspections


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## Thistle (5 June 2009)

Jeez, my Zak died 2 years ago, how did you get his photos


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## CorvusCorax (6 June 2009)

Thanks Splotchy, I thought I was going mad - I actually did a lot of sketches from that book - despite the fact I am a total GSD head, lurchers would be my second choice, loving all the hairies - Bosworth, CALA, you can put me on the list too!

The only reason I didn't go for a lurcher as a companion for our old girl was the weather up here.


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## Irishcobs (7 June 2009)

So one of mine is a lurcher- Collie x greyhound type. And the other is a long dog? Deerhound x bedlington greyhound?


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