Lurcher

Lurcher

Long Haired Lurcher
Origin	Ireland
Breed status	Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major kennel club.
Traits Coat Any Color Any Litter size variable Life span 12-15 years
Notes	Lurchers may be registered with the North American Lurcher and Longdog Association (NALLA)
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The lurcher is the offspring of a sight hound mated with another breed, most commonly a pastoral breed or a terrier type of dog. Brian Plummer identifies the Norfolk lurcher as the predecessor of the modern lurcher. While not a pure breed, it is generally a cross between a sighthound and a working dog breed.Collie crosses are popular, given the working instinct of a sheepdog when mated with a sighthound gives a dog of great intelligence plus speed—prerequisites for the hunter/poacher. In the US midwest, crosses with large scent hounds are fairly common.

Many meanings of the word 'lurcher' have been suggested: from the Romani words lur meaning thief and "cur" meaning a mixed dog breed, or from Middle English, from lorchen, to lurk, perhaps from lurken. Indeed the archaic meaning of the word lurcher is a prowler, swindler, or petty thief.

A lurcher is a mating between a working dog, usually a British herding breed, and a greyhound. The greyhound is usually the mother for 3 reasons:

Temperament is also variable, again dependent on parental influence. As could be expected, lurchers with dominant sighthound attributes have similar temperaments—often fairly lazy with a good eye—however, accordingly, others are influenced by their other, often more tractable, biddable, and slower parent. As with all dogs, temperament will be modified by socialising the puppy.

It is fabled that in the 14th, 15th and early 16th century the English and Scottish governments banned commoners from owning sight-hounds, such as Irish wolfhounds, Scottish deerhounds, and greyhounds, though no documentation from the time can be found to verify this. It is thought that lurchers may have been bred to avoid legal complications during this time. Generally, the aim of the cross is to produce a sighthound with more intelligence, a canny animal suitable for poaching rabbits, hares, and game birds. Over time, poachers and hunters discovered breeding of certain breeds with sight-hounds produced a dog better suited to this purpose, given the lurcher's combination of speed and intelligence.