# tell me everything you know about lurchers



## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Right I'm rescuing one so need a massive crash course on these dogs are they nervous do they eat certain food how much exercise. do I need a coat for him bought a special collar but can I walk him in a harness as he doesn't pull at all help guys and gals really want to get it right.


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## CockersIndie (Dec 14, 2011)

Where are you rescuing this dog from? Have they not been through what he'll need?! 

High prey drive usually, unless he's been off the lead regularly and shown to have a reliable recall you shouldn't really let him off the lead unless it's a very secure area.

If he walks nicely on the lead, a simple lurcher coat will do. Harness walking is better if he does lunges towards small flurries or excitement in general though (and we certainly have one which does).

Food thieves! They love food! And can get into bad habits of counter surfing if things are left out.

*Some* are couch potatoes and once had their walk, enjoy their home comforts. 

You'll need a very thick soft bed/ raised bed as obviously they are bony. This will prevent pressure sores.

Coats are recommended for cool weather-
Particularly as they won't be running around (kept on lead!).

What is your lurcher a mix of? We have plenty at work. One is a greyhound/collie who is VERY active, others are simply mixed of different sighthounds. The mix will determine what he will be like.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Looks like whippet/lurcher cross getting him from a rescue/kennels in Leicestershire I won't trust him offlead then for.now I've bought him a 2" thick memory foam mattress this ok will investigate a coat.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Oh also I see a lot of lurchers and greyhounds round here muzzled is this necessary are they well known for eating stuff they shouldn't whilst walking.


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## CockersIndie (Dec 14, 2011)

zedder said:


> Oh also I see a lot of lurchers and greyhounds round here muzzled is this necessary are they well known for eating stuff they shouldn't whilst walking.


We muzzle most our lurchers at work for general walks. An added precaution for rabbits etc. sorry forgot that one!


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

I got a saluki x greyhound lurcher last summer...aged 8 weeks and now 9 months.

She is a great dog. Thief, loves the rubbish bin, will nick off the kitchen side given half a chance. Can jump over or climb up or get to wherever she wants in spite of me putting obstacles in her way.

Amazing watching her really stretch out as she goes at full speed down a field. Recall is excellent until she finds something to chase....like a rabbit or pheasant.

I have cats...was a bit of a problem at first but now she knows to leave them alone....and will do as long as they don't run when she is outside.

I don't have a coat for her but she does have a thick and very comfy dog bed in her crate which is a traditional foamy bed( had several cos she rips them up when she gets bored) and inside the bed are a couple of big pieces of vet bed.

Extremely affectionate, very easy to train, easy to house train but does need a lot of stimulation.

I spend much of my time mucking out horses and feeding etc...dog comes with me and runs and plays with my other dogs or if my daughters come round and bring theirs.

I have never had this type of dog before but after having this one I would not be without one........and maybe if we didn't have the other dogs just now, I would get a couple more lurchers.

The icing on the cake for me with my lurcher is to kill rats and vermin....the dakkie has her under his wing in training.lol

well done for getting one of these dogs, I am sure you won't be disappointed.


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

My Lurcher is a whippet x , and the most sensetive dog i have ever met , he came to me via a rescue aged 13 months old and with the "baggage" from previous 3 owners !!!! poor lad had terrible SA issues , this is getting alot better most of the time, he wears a coat when the weather is cold as has such thin fur, hes a wonderfull dog , 
Looking forward to pictures of your dog OP, xx


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## x clo x (Feb 24, 2012)

I have a lurcher. I have had her over a year now and took her on when she just turned one.

I dont muzzle my lurcher (but i do work her) she has a high prey drive, but she is fine around sheep, cows and horses (training has gone into that) i needed her to be trustworthy as i spend alot of time on the farm. she can be off around all these animals and is fine, but see a rabbit and thats a different matter! (this is what she works on though!) she is fine with my own little dogs and other dogs in general no matter the size. She is fine with my cats, but others in her eyes are fair game!

I let her offlead whenever and wherever we go. It took a while to get a decent recall, she wouldnt wander off, or not come back, she just used to come so close then prat around and not let you get hold of her collar. with the lure of cooked chicken she soon stopped that!!

I walk mine on a collar and lead, and she does fine on these. i had a nice hound martingale collar made for her. I wouldnt bother with a harness. She will be getting one when i start biking with her though.

Coat wise, she hasnt got one at the minute, I am thinking of getting her one for when the weather is truly vile, but to be honest she has hardened up a bit and doesnt bother too much!

Her bed (when she isnt hogging mine!) is a double duvet folded in half and then half again, with a fleece blanket over the top. she seems to like this, its comfy and padded! although she does attempt to squeeze into the small dog beds on a regular basis!

Food wise she is fed on Raw food. i think this is the best diet for a dog, although i have used good quality kibble and wet food when i couldnt get raw. My lurcher prefers raw now though, and Im happy feeding it her. she gets a variety of tripe, pork, turkey, chicken, beef, game, rabbit, liver, kidney, hearts and then carcasses for bone meals. She also has fish and a raw egg once a week, and whatever leftovers i have left. She weighs 27kg and she gets fed 975g a day.

Exercise wise i try and get out with her as often as i can, and ideally like to do 3 miles minimum with my dogs (thats about an hour and a half a day) sometimes they get a bit shorter, sometimes longer depends on what i have on, she accepts whatever i give and is happy to lie in front of the fire.

Lurchers are scavengers, dont leave food on the sides. Roxi has recently started stealing food off the side, so now everything gets moved out of her way!!

Hope this helps you a bit!


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Yeah he's not doing well in kennels it's obvious the other dogs barking are making him worried as soon as we took him for.a.spin with ours he chilled out can I just say I've never felt so guilty as walking through those kennels makes me want to volunteer but I just don't have the time with my other dog needing me.


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

My aunt has a lurcher 'Treakle' who is a Greyhound/collie/labx (so we were told).

Treakle was a devil puppy, it was like she was feral!!!! I used to puppy sit while my aunt was at work. She almost got rehomed as it was very hard to cope with a puppy like that. Shes better now shes older though.

She is fear aggressive to un-known dogs and people especially men. She is also a bit of a hunter and has bought back dead animals to us on walks before. I think most lurchers have an energy level that is through the roof and they need a lot of exercise. Thinking about agility or another sport would be a good idea.

Lurcher/sight hound collars are the best collars for them as they are better for their necks. Like these - Handmade GREYHOUND LURCHER WHIPPET REAL LEATHER PADDED DOG PUPPY COLLAR | eBay

A coat would also be a good idea as they do feel the cold, even Treakle does and she has a thinker wire coat.

They are all very different in personalities as they can be crossed with any number of different breeds.


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

I would be very careful walking your lurcher on a harness, they can be very tricky to get a correct fit on sighthounds. A spooked sighthound can quickly back out of a poorly fitting harness (and I have yet to find one that my whippet can't back out of). As for muzzles, it would be good to get one, but I wouldn't recommend everyday use unless necessary.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

I have bought one of those ancol collars with the wide back on it this ok also what about a baskerville muzzle.


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## Sarahferret (Apr 25, 2012)

I think you might be best waiting to get the dog before buying a muzzle, again to ensure correct fit. If the dog is very whippety, I recommend getting a whippet race muzzle, available cheap off ebay.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

It's interesting how lurchers vary. I had always thought they were very prey driven and needed to be on a lead much of the time. My neighbours got a greyhound/rough collie cross (both parents were this cross too). She is a fabulous dog. Has the laid back attitude of the greyhound with the intelligence and aptitude of the collie. She's rarely on a lead and is so obedient it makes you doubt everything you have taught your dog. If they had ever bred from her I would have had one like a shot.


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## PennyH (Dec 30, 2008)

2 of my 4 dogs are lurchers and I am amazed at how similar they are - although totally different breeds!
Suki is a Saluki cross, probably greyhound. We rescued her at 10 weeks and have never met such a nervous puppy. She had been dumped at the kennels with her mum and siblings when the pups were 2 weeks old (hence we know mum was a saluki) Unfortunately, the rest of the pups died apart from her and her brother, so when we got her at 10 weeks, all she had known was living in the kennel with her brother - no house training, no sounds of normal household noises, nothing! She was absolutely terrified of everything. I thought we would never get her out of the front door.

However, a lot of time and training later, she is an amazing, loving, graceful, beautiful girl. She is still slightly highly strung and will not go to strangers, but with us she is incredibly loving. Very much a one walk a day girl - off lead, mad dash with the rest of the gang and that's it for the rest of the day. She doesn't move off her bed - except to get more comfortable - and has to be persuaded to go out in the garden at tea time to do her business! She is amazing.

She is well behaved and an absolute pleasure to own.

We also have a yorkie and a cavalier x poodle. Then last year we added Alfie to our family. He is a whippet x poodle, so a smaller, shaggy lurcher.

He absolutely adores Suki. He is now 17 months old so reaching his "terrible teens" but loves to play with her when we are out. He runs and bobs and weaves and she chases him - she can easily catch him, but she is too "posh" for hedges, so he dives into the hedges and she waits alongside until he reappears. They are amazing together and although she loves our other 2 dogs, she definitely favours him. They play together in the house too. (Zoomies!!!)

They have very similar mannerisms too - but are also very different in lots of ways. Alfie has yet to chase a rabbit - Suki was afraid of them until she turned 2 years old, so I am guessing it won't be long before Alfie discovers them too. However, all 4 dogs love rabbit poo for breakfast so whenever we walk early in the morning, they do their best to eat as much as they can before getting told to leave it!!

Suki and Alfie both have excellent recall - but we have had them both from puppies.

I would definitely buy a martingale collar for your lurcher - they are notorious for trying to pull out of collars and harnesses, but a martingale tightens if they pull back.

Suki and Alfie only wear coats when it is bucketing with rain or snow, otherwise they are "naked"! 

Alfie is a notorious counter surfer and will steal anything within reach - if he can't reach it, he will try and persuade Suki to get it for him!!!

They are brilliant dogs and I already have plans that when we win the lottery (please note I said WHEN not IF!!!!) we are buying a huge house with loads of land that will be called Lurchers' Leap - and start taking in lurchers!!!

Good luck and well done you for taking on a rescue! Keep us posted and add photos please!!! (Alfie is the one on the left, and you can see Suki's martingale collar in her picture)


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Hi pennyh he looks like your second dog the smooth fella mines very svelte at the minute though even for a whippet/lurcher I wanna stick a bit more weight on him.


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

zedder said:


> Hi pennyh he looks like your second dog the smooth fella mines very svelte at the minute though even for a whippet/lurcher I wanna stick a bit more weight on him.


shouldn't be problem...mine lives to eat and anything I either don't want her to have or something she shouldn't have.anything goes.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Great that's the exact opposite of ike my border he really isn't fussed with food at all which is awkward to say the least.


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

Penny H i love the picture of Alfie, my Lurcher Charlie is also a Whippet x Poodle, its amazing how different our dogs look , lol lol ,


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## 2Hounds (Jun 24, 2009)

Congratulations, this is a good source of info/advice for all things lurcheryLurcher Link :: Index They also have lurcher events listed and have a monthly race meet at askern track near doncaster. There's coats/muzzles/collars available in the shop if you want to support a rescue with your shopping.

I adopted a bull type lurcher Pru last November after fostering her for a year. They are prone to cuts & scrapes with thin skin especially if smooth coated. More athletic jumpers than my greyhounds (& can be bit smarter) so can get upto more mischief but also excellent in some dog sports like agility, flyball, lure coursing. Nice to live with & they appreciate home comforts.

The leather fishtail/hound collars only work if fitted correctly (right up behind ears at smallest point with a 2 finger comfort gap), i see plenty on too loose to stop a dog reversing out. Don't forget to get an ID tag to take with you .

Its worth training your dog to accept a muzzle as can be useful in some situations, even if you don't need one for walks.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Thanks 2hounds hopefully we've bought the right size then such a tiny neck on him he needs training but should be so much easier than ike as he hasn't got the same stubborn streak.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Well fetched him first thing we did was take both dogs for a long walk together seems ok walking had a few barks growls playing in the garden though lurcher not having none of it which makes ike just bark in his face to play so we're just giving them little short time together any suggestions how to ease them into it gratefully received.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Molly is a lurcher lab cross and her prey drive can be strong but manageable with continual recall work. I've found that her ezydog front clip harness is fine for short distances but we've found a fleece lined one that is better (I'll dig it out of the car when it stops raining and let you know the make). Her coat is more lurcher than lab thick so she needs a coat and I've found Equafleece to be unbeatable, we've got a t shirt and a tank top. 

Molly was highly strung when we got her but I think that's lack of general training so we've worked very hard with that. We always play impulse games like tuggy but I've never had to muzzle her, she's very affectionate. I think they're all so different apart from when they run, blimey they do go!


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2014)

zedder said:


> Well fetched him first thing we did was take both dogs for a long walk together seems ok walking had a few barks growls playing in the garden though lurcher not having none of it which makes ike just bark in his face to play so we're just giving them little short time together any suggestions how to ease them into it gratefully received.


Give them time.
Your new rescue is likely very disoriented, learning his new surroundings, his new people. Give him all the space and time he needs to settle and dont let your resident dog pester him for attention/interaction. That will come later. What your new boy needs right now is a chance to take it all in with as minimal stressors as possible.


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## LinznMilly (Jun 24, 2011)

Just seen this. Congratulations on your new addition ...

Allow me to formally welcome you to the dark side :devil: :devil: Please make yourself comfy because there is no escape. Lurchers have a way of getting under your skin and whilst at first you may think "never again" you will quickly become hooked.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

He's such a contrast to ike such an easy dog he's just happy popping around watching us and sleeping whereas ike wants to be up and going most of the time we bought a wax cotton jacket from the rescue for him and it worked he's dry could use a.warmer one though I shall keep ike away from him as much as possible.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Here he is can anybody have a look for me he's so skinny but then I don't know how big they are normally.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2014)

zedder said:


> He's such a contrast to ike such an easy dog he's just happy popping around watching us and sleeping whereas ike wants to be up and going most of the time we bought a wax cotton jacket from the rescue for him and it worked he's dry could use a.warmer one though I shall keep ike away from him as much as possible.


He may change and become more active as he settles in. There is a honeymoon period with new rescues where theyre kind of discombobulated and disoriented and theyll act very placid because of this. Dont expect this to be his normal personality/temperament. It may be, or he may be an entirely different dog. You just have to give him time to settle and in a few weeks his true temperament will begin to surface.



zedder said:


> Here he is can anybody have a look for me he's so skinny but then I don't know how big they are normally.


Honestly, he doesnt look that skinny to me in that photo. Lurchers are not meant to look like labs, its perfectly normal for a sighthound to have visible ribs.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Ok that's good news then we're booking him in to vets for a full once over make sure everything is ok he scratched his nose at the rescue so get them to look at that aswell.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

He looks a little lean to me, shouldn't be able to see the pin bones on the top of the hips IMO.

He will soon fill out a little -with a warm, happy home and good grub.

They don't want too much cover, but a little wouldn't do him any harm IMO.

Mine is saluki x grey - two skinny breeds - but still don't want to see too many bones on him, just the last 2 or 3 ribs for me.

Not all lurchers are the same - mine was a total delight from the moment we got him - and 2 years later, he still is. Totally chilled and uber friendly with man and beast - except squirrels, rabbits, rats and cats 

He has come out of himself and learned to play, etc. but he has never been any trouble 

He isn't a counter surfer either 

His only "vice" is no recall - but we live with it and he is walked on a harness and flexi-tape lead with no trouble. Only allowed off in a fenced area.


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## 2Hounds (Jun 24, 2009)

He looks sweet and bit like my friends lurcher Buddy. When laying ribs will show more than standing so not best pose to judge from, rough guide is you should see last 2/3 ribs in sighthounds though saluki types can have more prominent ribs & hip pins. On a weight chart sighthound types fall into underweight bodyshape, but have little body fat naturally to run fast so shouldn't look like the average dog.


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

I can see about 7 ribs either side and his hips feel horrible and boney but I'm sure once he's been having some good grub for a couple of weeks he'll be happy and healthy I hope.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2014)

Lurcherlad said:


> He looks a little lean to me, shouldn't be able to see the pin bones on the top of the hips IMO.
> 
> He will soon fill out a little -with a warm, happy home and good grub.
> 
> ...


A lot depends on the individual dog.
Have a silken windhound in the house right now whos hip pin bones are visible (or would be if she were wet and her coat flat) but shes in good weight.
My friend is a GH breeder and some of her dogs have visible spines past the withers, others dont. All of them have way more than 2 or 3 ribs visible, all are in fantastic shape. 
With sighthounds to me its better to look at muscle covering and quality than how many bones are visible. Theyre just built to be bony 

This link is for greyhounds, but its a good guide for sighthounds in general 
Greyhound Crossroads - How To Know If Your Greyhound Is At The Proper Weight


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## zedder (Aug 21, 2013)

Hmm do you think he trusts me yet lol


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

lurchers are lovely, aren't they? I am smitten, can't understand why I didn't go for this type years ago.


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

lilythepink said:


> lurchers are lovely, aren't they? I am smitten, can't understand why I didn't go for this type years ago.


I so agree with you, my sister has had Lurchers for awhile and one day she phoned me to tell me about 1 on Lurcher Link rescue, and as they say "the rest is history" Charlie came to live with me and hes great , here is a pic of Charlie, My "little legs" Jack and my sisters 2 dogs, my 2 are on the right of pic


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## PennyH (Dec 30, 2008)

Wow, Hazel have you joined the FB page for whippet x poodles? Your boy certainly does look like my Alfie.... Do you know how old he is? Alfie was one of 6 in a litter and the rest were all black with bits of white on them. We have found one of his brothers (Bertie) on the FB page. Would be funny if Charlie was related too - although very sad cos Alfie is still young (He was born in August 2012 so will be 2 years old this summer)
Love lurchers - and all dogs!!!


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## hazel pritchard (Jun 28, 2009)

Hi Penny , yes i am on that page , Charlie will be 3 yrs old this year, he came to me aged 13 months old via rescue, we are his 4th owners, ,


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