Greyhounds and Lurchers
At home we have 3 sighthounds and we think they are fantastic. Here is just a little bit of information and links to find out more about the breeds.
Lurchers
What is a lurcher?
Lurcher: A lurcher is a sighthound crossed with a breed of dog from a different "group." Traditionally, lurchers are bred to special "recipes" with certain crosses being more favourable than others among lampers and coursers. Here are some examples of the most popular types of lurchers:
Collie x Greyhound
Whippet x Collie
Bedlington x Whippet
Whippet x Terrier
Collie x Saluki
...and also crosses between these lurchers
Long dogs: These are often confused with lurchers. A long dog is a cross between two sighthounds, still bred with a specific purpose. We aren't sure if Poppy is a lurcher or a long dog. Some examples of long dogs are:
Whippet x Greyhound
Saluki x Greyhound
Deerhound x Greyhound
...and also crosses between the two.
More about lurchers: Poppy and Chip are lurchers and live at home with us, they are fantastic pets. They can be crazy, quiet, playful or reserved. Sometimes they have a very "what's in it for me?" attitude, but other times they live to please; ideal I think! They both try their paw at dog sports and are very good. Poppy is a bit more accomplished, she competed at Crufts in both agility and flyball, plus she is a div.1 flyball dog. She is my daughter's dog, but like many other lurchers, she can turn on a penny and the only agility problem being the contact points. Chip is my lurcher, we have no idea what he is but he is a stunning boy. He has just started his flyball career, he is very fast and will be a fantastic flyball dog we just have to channel his chase instinct into the ball.
Links for lurcher lovers
www.lurcher.org
www.lurcherleague2.piczo.com
www.agilitynet.com
Greyhounds
At home we have one greyhound, Kira, but before we had Tess, who was the inspiration for this website. They were both very lazy coach potatoes and contrary to popular belief they don't need much exercise. Generally you'd have to drag them off the sofa to go on anything more than two twenty minute walks in a day. All of the greyhounds we know are kind and gentle, they are fantastic with children and are so patient with them at charity collections. I understand that a number of greyhounds have become PAT dogs.
Many greyhounds are abandoned from the track every year, some are rehomed but others sadly come to worse ends. Many rescue centres work day in, day out to help with these dogs and try to find them a special home. One of these rescues is Tia Greyhound Rescue, who initially rescued Tess and Kira. For this reason we donate 10% of takings to Tia Greyhound Rescue.
Links for greyhound fans
www.sighthoundsonline.org.uk
www.tiagreyhounds.org.uk
Greyhound Gap