Where does this term come from? Running dog.

[Bosun11 537]

Paulus, thats a bloody good post mate...

 

Skycat, i'd go with Tomo, Asanley and others, in that I don't think that there is to much in it, just simply a description of what the dog does.

[chartpolski 25,307]

I think it's quite simple; sighthounds "run" their prey down by sheer speed, hence "running dogs". If you are working a mixed pack, like the Aussies do on fox or the yanks do on coyote, the "runners" are usualy the ones that do the "coup-de-grace", after the terriers, hounds, HPR's etc, have done their work.

 

Cheers.

[skycat 6,174]

Thanks Paulus: very interesting.

 

Yup, runners, running dogs, just describes their speed and the fact that their speed is how they catch, but I still don't know where it originated: is a lurcher a lurcher throughout the UK or did they have local names in certain places? I know the term lurcher was in use back to the1700s, but when did we start using the term running dog?

[sandymere 8,263]

Likely just a colloquial form of sight-hound which is a description of how they work as in scent hound or earth dog.

[brookie 1,193]

Just wondered if anyone had any more information: that's all. I like to delve into the origins of words, phrases etc. For instance: when did plod first get called pigs?

romany travellers have referred to lurchers as running dogs . since travellers had lurchers and thats a very long time

[Country Joe 1,411]

I like the old Cumbrian lingo, and the names they gave some of their Terriers, that famous old dog Chowt faced rock is a good example.