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Breeding long dogs
Lurcher breeders, owners and trainers would never forgive you for
calling their dogs mongrels. After all, a mongrel is the result
of a chance mating between two different breeds. Lurcher breeders
cross breeds on purpose, thinking carefully about the crossing,
so the offspring will have qualities that satisfy the requirements
of their owners. Lurcher fancier Jason Framingham writes in his
book Lurcher: A Lurcher is a crossbreed of dog that contains at
least one Sighthound in its ancestry.
Offspring of a mating between one sighthound and another are known
as long dogs. “Purebred” Greyhounds, Borzoi, etc., are often called
long dogs as well. According to Frank Sherdown, author of the The
Lurcher, Training and Hunting, every purebred sighthound, and every
cross between one sighthound and another, is automatically a long
dog. When a long dog - whether purebred or not - is crossed with
another breed, the result is a Lurcher. In fact, Mr. Sherdown has
the same opinion as Mr. Framingham.
Why “Lurcher”?
In his Of Pedigree Unknown, Phil Drabble disputes the idea that
the name lurcher derives from the Anglo-Saxon lorchen or lurken
(to lurk) - a reasonable assumption given their former career as
poachers’ dogs. However, the opinion of Frank Sherdown is that
the origin of the word lurcher is a mispronunciation of the French
word for hunter: chausseur. During the 11th century, English upper
class people spoke French and as today, Englishmen pronounce the
French language with a charming accent. This accent should, according
to Sherdown, be the link between chasseur and lurcher. In my opinion,
this seems a strained interpretation, but we have a third. In the
language of the Romany gypsies, the word lur means thief and the
English word for bastard or mongrel is cur. A combination of lur
and cur has become “lur cur” or lurcher, meaning a stealing bastard.
Gypsies and lurchers have had a long relationship, especially shortly
after the First World War.
I think the last one is the best explanation. Thomas Bewick wrote
in The History of Quadrupeds: “The Cur Dog is a trusty and useful
servant to the farmer and grazier; and although it is not taken
notice by naturalists as a distinct race, yet it is now so generally
used, especially in the north of England, and such great attention
is paid in breeding it, that we cannot help considering it as a
permanent kind. They are chiefly employed in driving cattle. They
bite very keenly; and as they always make their attack at the heels,
the cattle have no defence against them.”
This quote about a Cur Dog deals with a so-called 'heeler', but
great attention is paid in breeding the Cur Dog. According to Bewick,
they were generally used and in combination with the Romany word
lur; the origin of this dog's name is not only easy to explain
but credible.
A speedy gundog
We don’t know when Lurcher history began. Some say they have always
existed concurrently with Greyhounds. If this is true, we have
to go back to ancient times. Written sources aren’t available.
All we know is that around AD 1000, the first sighthounds arrived
in England as companions of the Celts. The Master of Game (written
between 1406 and 1413) has a detailed description of a Greyhound.
We also know that hunting was the exclusive privilege of kings
and aristocracy until the end of the 19th century. This doesn’t
mean that farmers didn’t hunt, but they had to be content with
other fields, less game, a job as a beater, or with the presentation
of the bag.
If you’re not allowed to hunt, becoming a poacher is an option,
whether you live in the 11th century or in the 18th. The fields
and game were owned by the large landowners, but we can't blame
poor farmers if their dogs put away a roe or a hare. Large families
had to be fed and a speedy gundog - a poacher's dog - was a precious
possession.
In the 19th century, dogs were still part of a class struggle.
After the Battle of Waterloo (1815), the Game Acts became so rigid
and merciless that lower-class people who owned a 'sporting dog'
were automatically treated as poachers and punished severely. When
caught with a rabbit and a gun, a man could be condemned to hang.
The Game Acts described in meticulous detail who was allowed to
possess a gundog and who was not. These laws still existed at the
end of the 19th century and the relation between the Game Acts
and the population had everything to do with being rich or poor.
In The Sportman's Cabinet (1803), William Taplin wrote about the
Lurcher: “We find him almost invariably in the possession of and
in constant association with poachers of the most unprincipled
and abandoned description. Some of the best-bred Lurchers are but
little inferior in speed to many well-formed greyhounds; rabbits
they kill to a certainty. The Lurcher... is of great speed, courage,
sagacity and fidelity.”
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“Lurchers, like their masters, were trained to die bravely and
to die silent. There was no greater crime than to give the game
away, either by barking or informing.” (Carson I.A. Ritchie in
The British Dog.)
Collies and other crosses
'Smithfield Collies' and ‘Smithfield Sheepdogs’ were used by cattle
breeders and drovers who travelled from one pasture to another,
or from pasture to the slaughterhouses in the cities. (The name
probably derived from the Central Smithfield Meat Markets.) These
cattle merchants, called drovers, were accompanied by their dogs
– Drover’s dogs - that not only guarded the herd, but arranged
something extra to eat by poaching. A herding dog as a poacher?
D. Brian Plummer, author of The New Complete Lurcher, tells us
that in those days, collies were often excellent hunters.
It’s very likely that the present Lurcher originates from an intentional
cross between a Greyhound and a Smithfield Collie - very clever
breeding, because several abilities came together: the swiftness,
hunting skill and stamina of the Greyhound, and the intelligence,
sagacity and willingness to work of the herding dog.
One of the first distinct types of Lurcher was the 'Norfolk Lurcher',
as-sumed to be from a Greyhound or Deerhound sire and a Smithfield
Collie dam. Today’s Norfolk Lurcher looks very different compared
to the first crossings. In recent years, more Greyhound and Deerhound
blood has been added to this type. Although other breeds have contributed
to the development of the Lurcher, the Greyhound/Collie cross is
still one of the most popular.
Whatever the cross, functionality, hunting ability and swiftness
have always been the first requirements. Until the 1950s when myxomatosis
decimated the wild rabbit population in Britain, a Lurcher was
primarily a means of providing food, but from that time on he became
more popular for coursing, and for dog sports such as agility,
flyball and obedience. Although poaching is no longer necessary
for survival, lurchers are still used for hunting rabbits. Destroying
vermin, using a Lurcher is much safer, faster and humanely than,
for example, poison.
Primitive drive
Working with a Lurcher - in agility, for example - one has to realize
that the dog’s primitive drive can be suddenly displayed. The Lurcher
in the photo jumps elegantly and seems to be a great child-lover,
but he has an odd habit: after the jump he bites his owner on her
arm. The photo seems to show that he only grasps her shirt; however
under the shirt she is wearing a thick protective layer. The owner
eventually stopped doing agility because the metal protection had
been eaten through by the dog.
In the second half of the 20th century, lurchers were adopted by
serious dog fanciers who had nothing to do with poaching or stealing
and very often, Lurchers are registered in their owners’ stud book.
Apart from being a 'poachers’ dog' and 'gypsy dog', the Lurcher
has been a war dog. During the First and Second World War, an intelligent
and brave dog was very useful as a messenger dog; Lurchers have
serviced at the front lines in France.
In England, the first show for Lurchers was organized in the
early 70s; the first time they were judged on appearance rather
than usefulness in the field. The National Lurcher & Racing Club
was founded in 1980. It’s still the only club of its kind; there
are about 1 500 members. A local club, for Lancashire and Yorkshire,
is the ‘Old English & Colonial Lurcher Club’ (www.lurcher.fsnet.co.uk).
This club and others are associated with The Association of Lurcher
Clubs.
Quotes from David Hancock, famous Lurcher breeder: “The lurcher
is, strictly speaking, the product of a collie-greyhound cross,
aimed at combining intelligence and speed, but, essentially functional,
it is bred by men who show no respect for pedigrees. And: Admiration
for purity of breeding is a modern phenomenon.”
Brains and Beauty
I would like to introduce you to various crossings. Apart from
these crossings, breeders have used other breeds, the Jack Russell
Terrier, Kerry Blue Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Irish
Terrier, Airedale Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog, Rhodesian Ridgeback
and Labrador and Golden Retriever.
Sighthounds share a number of physical aspects; build, long legs,
athletic bodies and narrow heads. A Lurcher is designed for swiftness.
Their eyesight is far better than with other dogs, but they are
not too clever, compared to other breeds.
Borzoi Lurcher: a 'stylish crossing', not only difficult to obtain,
but also quite expensive. This crossing is regarded to be the beauty
of the Lurcher group because of his noble appearance, the fine
delicate head and the silky coat. That's why this Lurcher is successful
in the show ring, but many are very difficult to train.
Bearded Collie Lurcher: the Bearded Collie has become increasingly
popular in the show ring and that's one of the reasons that the
interest of Lurcher breeders in this breed is decreased. The working
abilities of the Bearded Collies are less important than in previous
years. See also Border Collie.
Bedlington Lurcher: crossings between a Bedlington Terrier and
a Whippet and between a Greyhound and a Bedlington Terrier are
very popular. They are the best catchers of rabbits and small vermin.
Speaking about the Bedlington Terrier, we have to realize that
the old Bedlington Terrier was of a completely different type than
the one we see in the ring today. The old working Bedlington was
very similar to a crossing between a Whippet and an Otterhound.
About fifty or sixty years ago, the Bedlington was a real working
Terrier, a fiery hunter. However, in this type of crossing, the
head and the coat texture of the Bedlington Terrier are often easy
to recognize. The Bedlington cross makes a good family pet, but
requires firm handling.
Border Collie Lurcher: The Border Collie is one of the most intelligent
and hard-working dogs; no wonder the Border Collie/Lurcher cross
is popular. Border Collies contributed a lot to Lurcher breeding,
especially in the first generation. The Border Collie/Lurcher cross
is easy to train; they love agility, obedience and fly ball and
make perfect pets.
(Staffordshire) Bull Terrier Lurcher: the result of a crossing
between a Staffie and a Greyhound, Whippet or Deerhound. This is
not an easygoing dog, with its very powerful jaws. Sometimes the
temperament is wrong. Experts state that the Bull Terrier adds
very little to the Lurchers’ workability.
Deerhound Lurcher: can be a very large dog, particularly in the
first generation. The Deerhound Lurcher is not easy to train. The
coat is mostly rough-haired and it comes in various shades of grey.
The dog is known for its enormous energy and stamina, is very beautiful
to look at, but is not that clever. Experts say it has a somewhat
limited intellect. In other words brains and beauty don't go hand
in hand. To improve its intelligence, in the next generation, these
Lurchers are often crossed with Collie breeds.
German Shepherd Lurcher: a very functional crossing, mainly bred
for the pursuit of foxes. This Lurcher is very easy to train; it
must be the influence of the German Shepherd. Its general appearance
resembles the German Shepherd, but he is higher on legs and racier
in body. Experts say that he is too heavy for coursing, but the
dog makes a good family pet.
Foxhound Lurcher: In 1838, a dog fancier wrote about the crossing
between a Foxhound male and a Greyhound bitch. The speed of the
Greyhound and the nose of the Foxhound can be the ideal combination,
but in Lurcher circles this crossing has never become popular.
Greyhound Lurcher: a crossing between a purebred Greyhound and
a Lurcher with some Greyhound blood. The speed of the modern Greyhound
is considered to be a vital component in the genetic make-up of
the Lurcher. The general appearance of the Greyhound Lurcher is
very much the same as its purebred relations. The coat comes in
a large variety of colors, but the brindles are very handsome.
Overall the temperament of a Greyhound Lurcher is good.
Irish Wolfhound Lurcher: This is a huge dog, compared to other
Lurchers: three feet high. The coat colour is grey but occasionally
we see wheaten-coloured dogs, which is quite pretty. The Irish
Wolfhound Lurcher is renowned for his clumsiness; his size and
weight prevents acceleration and agility for the pursuit. It is
a typical long-distance runner with great stamina but, unfortunately,
with little brains.
Retriever/Spaniel: not a popular crossing, because a Sighthound
possesses enough hunting abilities and Retrievers and Spaniels
add no extra's.
Saluki Lurcher: a popular Lurcher at non-pedigree shows. It’s an
elegant dog with a soft, silky coat that comes in a multitude of
colors. Some of these crossings have the typical feathering and
the self-confident temperament of the Saluki. The great stamina
and the small-boned skeleton also refer to the Saluki. These Lurchers
are not always reliable with cattle, but they have a huge personality.
Whippet Lurcher: the intelligence of the Whippet is dominant in
these crossings. To be precise, the Lurcher is one of the ancestors
of the Whippet. After the Second World War, the Whippet has been
crossbred with the Greyhound and the Bedlington Terrier. Today's
Whippets are their descendants. Due to their size, the Whippet
Lurcher makes a good family dog; agility and fly ball are their
favorite sports.
Not an inferior dog
A Lurcher is not an 'inferior' dog. Many Lurcher breeders are breeding
dogs with a five or more generation pedigree of real Lurchers.
In the second half of the 20th century, Lurchers were 'adopted'
by serious dog fanciers. They gave the history of the Lurcher a
very positive twist.
Don't forget: Lurchers are regarded entirely from a functional
point of view. Coats can be long or smooth, colours can be black,
brown or white and conformation has no place. Purity of breeding
is not respected by lurcher owners who are as proud of the mixed
blood as purists are of the pedigree. (David Hancock in Old Working
Dogs.)
A breeder/exhibitor/judge and retired bookseller
and publisher, Ria Hörter is a contributing editor of “Onze Hond”,
leading dog magazine in The Netherlands. She also writes for
“The Canine Chronicle”, “Dogs in Canada”, for the Dutch Kennel
Club and the Dutch hunting magazine “De Nederlandse Jager”. She
is the president of the Welsh Springer Spaniel SpanielClub Netherlands,
Editor of the Club’s magazine and the Secretary of the Breed
Group of Gundog Breeds in The Netherlands. She is a member of
the World Dog Press Association and was a finalist the 2005 Annual
Writing Competition of the Dog Writers Association ofAmerica.
(www.riahorter.com).
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