The versatility of the
lurcher is unsurpassed being both a hunter
and companion. Possessing the gentlest of nature
the lurcher is also a hardy dog able to gallop
across country without sustaining injury. Happy at
the foot of his master or the tail of a hare.
The lurcher is a
silent hunting dog used for hunting and running
down game. Usually a cross between a greyhound
(sometimes a whippet or saluki) and other breeds.
The lurcher is not a breed of dog but a type,
produced by customising the greyhound to the
specific needs of the lurcher owner.
Those involved with the lurcher are often
called lurcherman and the sport they pursue
lurcher work or lurchering. The type of lurcher
used by individual lurchermen varies according to
terrain and the quarry species they hunt.
For instance a
lurcherman who hunts rabbits on land where there
is plenty of cover might very well opt for a
bedlington whippet lurcher, while the lurcherman
hunting the same land for fox could very well
use a bedlington greyhound or an American pit
bull terrier, lurcher.
Lurchermen who
choose to hunt rabbits during the daytime often
enlist the help of a ferret to chase
rabbits from their subterranean refuge once their
lurcher has marked, while those who run their dogs
at night to rabbit, hare and fox use a powerful
lamp. This practice is known as lamping.
