Why Lurchers Over Pure Greyhounds?

[shealy1 71]

A good saluki greyhound cross your wanting mate a dont fancy running a collie cross in the heat of the desert sack that

[Brigzy 1,298]

I've never had a running dog in my life, so I don't know much about them other than what I've read online, and we all know how reliable random comments online can be! So I came to this page hoping to find some experts on the subject. While out hunting rabbits and rock squirrels in the desert with my pet mink, we see a lot of hares. This species of hare is called a "black tailed jack rabbit" even though they are really hares, not rabbits. I would love to have a dog to run on these hares, but I don't know where to begin.

 

I hear lots about you guys using lurchers, and a few people using pure grey hounds, and was curious about the reasons for mixing greyhounds with other breeds for hunting. I asked someone online, who claimed to be experienced, if Pharaoh hounds were anywhere close to as fast as grey hounds and they said,

 

"Nowhere near close to a greyhound, nothing is, not even lurchers, but apparently they can catch rabbits and are bred for that terrain."

 

I wasn't all that surprised to hear that greyhounds are ridiculously faster than pharaoh hounds, but I was shocked to here that lurchers are "Nowhere near close" to being as fast as a pure greyhound!

 

So my question is, why cross a greyhound with something else if it makes them that much slower? Also what kind of dogs are the best to cross with greyhounds, and why?

 

Also, I've heard about a Middle Eastern dog called a "Saluki" and I hear they are supposed to be just under a greyhound in speed, but with more endurance. Do any of you know much about Salukis?

 

There are Coursing Clubs in the 'states; some run pure breeds, (greyhounds, salukis, whippets, etc), and others that run cross breeds, (lurchers, staghounds, etc). You'd be better talking to them.

[roybo 2,873]

Heart is the biggest attribute of any working dog,and then the tools to het the job done,the better the tools the less they have to rely on the heart.

But to catch Jack rabbits I'd import British isles bred dog bred for hares.

Save you a lot of work trying to get where they was 30 or 40 years ago,why reinvent what's already there

[shaaark 10,744]

I would think a Galgo would be suitable

[Dewclaw69 484]

Rob2350 you buy your own admission don't know anything about salukis , so why comment about possible qualities they may or may not have? Yes they are sight hounds but if raised as a worker they will hunt up just as a lurcher and most of them have good noses and a good one will take any quarry.

neither did I slate or knock the saluki. I was helping the OP understand reasons for adding other breeds to sighthounds to make a lurcher. and the saluki is a sighthound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 22, 2014 by robs5230

[Maximus Ferret 2,063]

Heart is the biggest attribute of any working dog,and then the tools to het the job done,the better the tools the less they have to rely on the heart.

But to catch Jack rabbits I'd import British isles bred dog bred for hares.

Save you a lot of work trying to get where they was 30 or 40 years ago,why reinvent what's already there

Different terrain and climate. I thought of British coursing dogs first but maybe a line of salukis or saluki bred that are already doing it in the States might be better.

Something like the hounds that dirtwinger runs http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/311998-hunting-hares-from-horseback-with-falcon-and-sighthounds/

Edited October 22, 2014 by Maximus Ferret

[flynndog 543]

Id go with a good saluki type from over the states from working stock a good saluki can catch on any land and has a brain and uses it. Thats why you see them boxing off, and stopping hares and keeping them out of cover etc

[Ggib 370]

Well minkenry you certainly asked on the right forum, there's boys who live for their coursing and although I don't coarse I do enjoy reading about their days out, the sight of a grey at full speed is an awesome sight, but I'd say the advice of the sal grey mix would be the way to go.

[charlie boy 85]

how to you raise a greyhound to be a lurcher , I might buy a cat and raise it to be a grizzly bear

Edited October 22, 2014 by charlie boy

[lurcherman 887 13,122]

:/

Edited October 22, 2014 by kev1987

[roybo 2,873]

 

Heart is the biggest attribute of any working dog,and then the tools to het the job done,the better the tools the less they have to rely on the heart.

But to catch Jack rabbits I'd import British isles bred dog bred for hares.

Save you a lot of work trying to get where they was 30 or 40 years ago,why reinvent what's already there

 

Different terrain and climate. I thought of British coursing dogs first but maybe a line of salukis or saluki bred that are already doing it in the States might be better.

Something like the hounds that dirtwinger runs http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/311998-hunting-hares-from-horseback-with-falcon-and-sighthounds/

The ones there look to have collie in them ,so a lurcher really,so maybe a coursing dog of British or American roots would do. ,raised from a pup they wouldn't know any different,I think even the Arabs will a Bob or 2 for British bred coursing dogs and their climate is quite different

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

how to you raise a greyhound to be a lurcher , I might buy a cat and raise it to be a grizzly bear

Give your head a wobble.

[lurcherman 887 13,122]

You been out gareth

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

You been out gareth

Out where my old china?

[nothernlite 18,080]

Talk to Dan the desperate man about his stag hounds and a beddy whippet what you want lol