RUINATION OF LURCHERS

[wirral countryman 2,110]

During the last couple of days there have been many posts on breeding off lurchers that have either jacked or had injuries early in their life and it got me thinking about the general demise and quality of todays pups,I blame most of it on lurcher and terrier shows becoming too popular,these shows started in the 70's by the likes of the Fell and moorland,etc,were first put on as a bit of summer fun and for fundraising,charities,etc,but were soon taken over as a mainstream event for profit,the first shows were only attended by well worked dogs and were judged by good dog men (as it should be) but as time has gone by we have been taken over by untested,unworked lurchers kept in runs never seeing a field from one week to the next,these dogs that have won shows have now been bred off for over 30yrs producing a very poor gene pool,chasing a plastic bag round a few bends is in no way a test of a dog and yet people are buying dogs from this type and in some cases there are waiting lists for them,there are still some good lurchers being bred to the old standards but they are now in the minority,what next ?? pedigree lurchers LOL's

This is one for the older lads to pass comment on,atb,WM

[whippet 99 2,613]

we all know the truth - £

[darbo 4,774]

with popularity some people see a opening to make money.not a dig at whippets but with their recent popularity look how many litters are being bred nowadays.lurcher shows,books,etc all boosted the lurchers popularity in some cases working ability isnt the first thing on breeders minds.

[poacher3161 1,766]

A letter i wrote to the shooting times 30 years ago.

[danny300 2,240]

spot on W C there was a game fair last weekend in the north of ireland and the lurcher judge has never work a dog in her life and the excuse for her been giving the nod to do it as she has won a lot of races with her dogs. which is a very sad state of the way things is going. atb danny

[Guest FTBBTH]

if it doesnt work well dont breed off it! if theres no evidence of parents working, walk away!

[artful212 394]

true mate sure now theres pedigree paterdales fs its a downward spiral

[canaliculata 28]

I couldnt believe how hard it was to find a genuine breeder of lurchers, most of them weren't even keeping a pup and wanted silly money, not to mention talked rubbish about the breeding.

Now working whippets...dont get me started on this. The amount of people that have jumped on that band waggon the last 10 years.....its not about the money though....ask anybody on the whippet forum they'll tell you that, thats if they can take time away from their whelping bitches.

[KittleRox 2,147]

I can,t really see having shows in the summer has influenced the overall gene pool, reading too much into it me thinks

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Wirral Countryman,..I get yer drift,..and yes, times have indeed changed...

[brookie 1,193]

During the last couple of days there have been many posts on breeding off lurchers that have either jacked or had injuries early in their life and it got me thinking about the general demise and quality of todays pups,I blame most of it on lurcher and terrier shows becoming too popular,these shows started in the 70's by the likes of the Fell and moorland,etc,were first put on as a bit of summer fun and for fundraising,charities,etc,but were soon taken over as a mainstream event for profit,the first shows were only attended by well worked dogs and were judged by good dog men (as it should be) but as time has gone by we have been taken over by untested,unworked lurchers kept in runs never seeing a field from one week to the next,these dogs that have won shows have now been bred off for over 30yrs producing a very poor gene pool,chasing a plastic bag round a few bends is in no way a test of a dog and yet people are buying dogs from this type and in some cases there are waiting lists for them,there are still some good lurchers being bred to the old standards but they are now in the minority,what next ?? pedigree lurchers LOL's

This is one for the older lads to pass comment on,atb,WM

good post this .i agree with every thing you say .years ago there were very very good strains around the country ,all tried and tested and worked by good dog men with a good standard of expectation and fieldcraft skills .i can remember my brother and myself walking home with a few rabbits and people stopping to ask what type of dog it was walking by side of you .whats a lurcher theyd then ask back .then the shows became ever more popular towards the end of the seventies and the yuppies etc started coming on the scene with all these useless unworked crosses and these same useless owners started getting involved in the organising of the shows and the judging of them .the daft fuckers would flood the showgrounds ,you could spot em a mile away brown cords .a pair of shiny brogues check shirt and tweed jacket and cravat topped of with a wide brimmed leather hat .a handful of dogs that couldnt kill a rabbit in a phone box .and the inside of theyre van door plastered with rossettes .ive judged a couple of shows and ived always put working dogs up .ive totally ignored ,the show shit that aint ever done a days graft .theres still very good strains around the country and very good dog men that do put the work in front of theyre dogs .but they are a dying breed now .i wouldnt judge a show now if i was paid to .i think these arrogant idiots have done untold damage to the lurcher .plumber being a prime example ,

[shushycatcher 219]

During the last couple of days there have been many posts on breeding off lurchers that have either jacked or had injuries early in their life and it got me thinking about the general demise and quality of todays pups,I blame most of it on lurcher and terrier shows becoming too popular,these shows started in the 70's by the likes of the Fell and moorland,etc,were first put on as a bit of summer fun and for fundraising,charities,etc,but were soon taken over as a mainstream event for profit,the first shows were only attended by well worked dogs and were judged by good dog men (as it should be) but as time has gone by we have been taken over by untested,unworked lurchers kept in runs never seeing a field from one week to the next,these dogs that have won shows have now been bred off for over 30yrs producing a very poor gene pool,chasing a plastic bag round a few bends is in no way a test of a dog and yet people are buying dogs from this type and in some cases there are waiting lists for them,there are still some good lurchers being bred to the old standards but they are now in the minority,what next ?? pedigree lurchers LOL's

This is one for the older lads to pass comment on,atb,WM

good post this .i agree with every thing you say .years ago there were very very good strains around the country ,all tried and tested and worked by good dog men with a good standard of expectation and fieldcraft skills .i can remember my brother and myself walking home with a few rabbits and people stopping to ask what type of dog it was walking by side of you .whats a lurcher theyd then ask back .then the shows became ever more popular towards the end of the seventies and the yuppies etc started coming on the scene with all these useless unworked crosses and these same useless owners started getting involved in the organising of the shows and the judging of them .the daft fuckers would flood the showgrounds ,you could spot em a mile away brown cords .a pair of shiny brogues check shirt and tweed jacket and cravat topped of with a wide brimmed leather hat .a handful of dogs that couldnt kill a rabbit in a phone box .and the inside of theyre van door plastered with rossettes .ive judged a couple of shows and ived always put working dogs up .ive totally ignored ,the show shit that aint ever done a days graft .theres still very good strains around the country and very good dog men that do put the work in front of theyre dogs .but they are a dying breed now .i wouldnt judge a show now if i was paid to .i think these arrogant idiots have done untold damage to the lurcher .plumber being a prime example ,

well said mate,and i for one know you are not afraid to put workers up!

[Carraghs Gem 1,675]

Its easy to get caught up at shows looking at pretty lurchers and whippets and I think people get caught up in it, sure I wouldnt mind entering my pup in races when hes older, its a bit of fun, but plastic bags at end of day wont fill the freezer, neither will rossettes.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Carraghs Gem

[Maximus Ferret 2,063]

During the last couple of days there have been many posts on breeding off lurchers that have either jacked or had injuries early in their life and it got me thinking about the general demise and quality of todays pups,I blame most of it on lurcher and terrier shows becoming too popular,these shows started in the 70's by the likes of the Fell and moorland,etc,were first put on as a bit of summer fun and for fundraising,charities,etc,but were soon taken over as a mainstream event for profit,the first shows were only attended by well worked dogs and were judged by good dog men (as it should be) but as time has gone by we have been taken over by untested,unworked lurchers kept in runs never seeing a field from one week to the next,these dogs that have won shows have now been bred off for over 30yrs producing a very poor gene pool,chasing a plastic bag round a few bends is in no way a test of a dog and yet people are buying dogs from this type and in some cases there are waiting lists for them,there are still some good lurchers being bred to the old standards but they are now in the minority,what next ?? pedigree lurchers LOL's

This is one for the older lads to pass comment on,atb,WM

 

I don't go much to shows but I can't agree with you at all about this. First I don't see that the standard of working lurchers has fallen much. I've kept lurchers for almost 40 years and the standard has always been variable. There have always been poor workers and it's always been necessary to look around a bit to find a good working litter.

Secondly, people who want good working lurchers won't book a pup from a non working, show bred litter anyway (unless they're a bit thick).

If working dog people only buy their pups from working litters the show craze will have no effect at all. There are still good workers being bred. Fen dogs for coursing, lamp strains for lamping etc. Take your choice.

Buy well and train and enter well.

[KittleRox 2,147]

During the last couple of days there have been many posts on breeding off lurchers that have either jacked or had injuries early in their life and it got me thinking about the general demise and quality of todays pups,I blame most of it on lurcher and terrier shows becoming too popular,these shows started in the 70's by the likes of the Fell and moorland,etc,were first put on as a bit of summer fun and for fundraising,charities,etc,but were soon taken over as a mainstream event for profit,the first shows were only attended by well worked dogs and were judged by good dog men (as it should be) but as time has gone by we have been taken over by untested,unworked lurchers kept in runs never seeing a field from one week to the next,these dogs that have won shows have now been bred off for over 30yrs producing a very poor gene pool,chasing a plastic bag round a few bends is in no way a test of a dog and yet people are buying dogs from this type and in some cases there are waiting lists for them,there are still some good lurchers being bred to the old standards but they are now in the minority,what next ?? pedigree lurchers LOL's

This is one for the older lads to pass comment on,atb,WM

 

I don't go much to shows but I can't agree with you at all about this. First I don't see that the standard of working lurchers has fallen much. I've kept lurchers for almost 40 years and the standard has always been variable. There have always been poor workers and it's always been necessary to look around a bit to find a good working litter.

Secondly, people who want good working lurchers won't book a pup from a non working, show bred litter anyway (unless they're a bit thick).

If working dog people only buy their pups from working litters the show craze will have no effect at all. There are still good workers being bred. Fen dogs for coursing, lamp strains for lamping etc. Take your choice.

Buy well and train and enter well.

I agree