The Lurchers are quiet and gentle dogs that are born when a sighthound dog breed is crossed with another dog breed other than sighthound. They’re fun-natured and adaptive and would do well in a small apartment as well in a large house as long as they’re taken outside for enough physical activity and are given proper care.
They do have quite an indestructible prey drive, so they can’t be trusted around small animals and children. We should always have them on a leash if other animals are present and be careful not to leave them unsupervised. Other than that, they’re super loving and affectionate as well and are always there to protect their family and make sure their home is safe.
Lurcher History
The Lurcher is a unique combination of any dog of the sighthound breed and any other dog breed. The most common crosses are the terrier breeds, shepherding dogs, and hunting breeds. Even so, many accidental breedings take place between sighthounds and other breeds.
However, the intentional breeding of the Lurcher started in the Middle Ages in Great Britain as a response to the law that common people couldn’t own sighthounds. This way, people would cross sighthounds with other dog breeds to obtain offspring that wouldn’t be illegal to own. Smart! Anyhoo, this is how Lurchers came into being and gained popularity.
Lurcher Characteristics
Lurchers vary in their appearance. Generally, they have a lean and long body with powerful legs, deep chests and their coats come in many colors such as brindle, sable, cream, fawn, white, black, gray, red, silver, and blue. Their nose could be either black, brown, or blue. In addition, their eyes also come in many colors, including blue, brown, hazel, and amber.
How Big Do Lurchers Get
A Lurcher’s size really depends on which parent is more dominant in them and which parent it takes after more. Normally, a 6-month-old Lurcher, male and female, is 21.5 inches tall and weighs around 45.5 pounds. An average adult grows 22-28 inches in height and 60-70 pounds in weight.
How Long Does a Lurcher Live
The average lifespan for a Lurcher is 12-15 years. They are pretty healthy dogs and we can get them to live a full life and even tip this number up by taking proper care of them, providing them with good food and enough exercise. We just have to make sure that their daily requirements are fulfilled.
How Much Does a Lurcher Cost
The average price one would have to pay for a Lurcher is $600-$800. Annual expenses can be $300-$500 and include several items such as collar and a leash, automatic fetch machine, treats for effective training, etc. Medical expenses may be variable and include flea prevention, vaccination shots, visits to the vet, etc.
Lurcher Temperament/Personality
The Lurcher has a kind and gentle nature. It is also quite fun-loving and has a great deal of love for its family. It’s incredibly active, and almost all of its activities involve their owners having a leash because they’re most likely to run away chasing small animals. It can be a bit difficult to train, but you can always learn what to do with the help of a nice training book!
The Lurchers are so well-mannered that it makes us go “awe!”. But a plot twist here is that they occasionally like to steal food that isn’t theirs due to their fun nature! But apart from all these things, the Lurchers are sweet companions and very active pets and love to accompany their owners on runs and jogs daily.
Caring For Lurchers
The Lurcher is a very active dog and likes to tag along with its owners whenever they go out for daily jogs and runs. It is important to keep Lurchers physically and mentally challenged and active. It is essential for our Lurchers to be provided with a good diet, enough exercise, healthy challenges, and a lot of love and care.
Lurcher Nutrition
Firstly, it is necessary to consult a vet before deciding on a proper diet for our pets. Lurchers are active dogs; hence they need a well-balanced diet that contains all essential nutrients required for proper growth and development. About 2-3 cups of good quality dog food per day would be enough to keep them happy and healthy.
How to Groom a Lurcher
Our Lurcher needs to be groomed or brushed many times depending on the type of coat it inherits. If one of the parents is a Shepherd dog, the chances are that the inherited double coat will require weekly grooming because of its thickness. On the other hand, if one of the parents is a Bull Terrier, then a single, short coat will likely be inherited and will require less grooming.
Other than that, regular visits to the vet should be made to check for ear infections, and their teeth should be brushed 2-3 times a week to prevent tooth decay. In addition, nails should be clipped with clippers whenever necessary.
Lurcher Activity Levels
The Lurchers are like their ancestors, the Sighthounds, when it comes to activity requirements. They have a huge prey drive and like to participate in as many activities as they can lay their paws on! But at the same time, they are big couch potatoes in their homes. To stay fit, they require at least 45 minutes of intense physical activity.
Caring for Lurcher
Lurchers are gentle and fun-loving but also tend to kill small pets while chasing them because of their strong prey drive. So it’s advised to look after them in case small children are around. In any case, Lurchers are very affectionate and sweet dogs, and, like all pets, they like knowing that they’re loved and appreciated. So we should let them know every chance we get.
Lurcher Health
The Lurchers are generally very healthy dogs and are likely to live a full, happy life without any danger of diseases. However, it’s always best to stay safe and keep an eye out for concerns like hypothyroidism, Gastric Dilation Volvulus (GDV), eye conditions such as cataracts, lens luxation, osteosarcoma, and heatstroke.
Breeds Similar To Lurchers
- English Foxhound
- Double Doodle
- Boston Boxer
- Kuvasz
- Golden Border Retriever
- American Staffordshire
- Eskimo Chi
Best Dog Food For Lurcher
The best dog food for Lurcher is Wellness Complete Health Adult Whitefish & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food. The nutritive diet is basically a fish-based diet, and it promotes the healthy upbringing of your Lurcher. Packed with canola oil, menhaden fish meal, oatmeal, etc., the recipe features a complete health formula.
- Its vitamin D3 supplements ensure strong bones and a disease-free body.
- The recipe features a high-calorie value of 435 kcal/cup.
- Green tea extract, spearmint extract, rosemary oil, etc., make the recipe 99% organic.
Best Puppy Food For Lurcher
The best puppy food for Lurcher is Purina ONE SmartBlend Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food. Made with ocean fish meal, the recipe features protein-rich nutrition. The grain-free recipe has a Herring meal, whitefish, salmon meal, ground potatoes, menhaden fish meal, etc.
- Its 34% crude protein strengthens the leg muscles and helps them run.
- The prebiotic-rich puppy food keeps diseases at bay.
- Enriched with folic acid, the recipe controls stool and urine quality.
Best Dog Bed For Lurcher
The best dog bed for Lurcher is FurHaven Comfy Couch Orthopedic Bolster Dog Bed w/Removable Cover. The rectangular bed is polyester made, and its bed cover perfectly wraps the memory foam. Its water-resistant base and printed bolsters give this bed a unique look.
- It has a replaceable zipper to open and close the bed.
- Suitable for deep cleaning, the bed is 4.4 pounds in weight.
- The medical-grade bed has a faux-fur surface for comfort.
Best Dog Crate For Lurcher
The best dog crate for Lurcher is MidWest Ultima Pro Double Door Collapsible Wire Dog Crate. Its box design is strong enough to prevent the dog from breaking the crate. There are patched corners, welded points, carrying handles, food cups, etc., in the crate.
- Dogs can jump in it whenever they feel like it.
- It has small to large sizes.
- The crate is e-coated and free from corrosion.
Best Dog Harness For Lurcher
The best dog harness for Lurcher is PetSafe Deluxe Easy Walk Nylon Reflective No Pull Dog Harness. The harness is blue in color, but is the bottom strap is black, and it passes through the torso region. The comfortable and flexible harness doesn’t let the Lurcher feel too sweaty wearing it.
- There are black slides for easy adjustment.
- The all-purpose harness is stretchable, and it makes sure your Lurcher remains cozy wearing it.
- The soft harness discourages heavy-pulling and controls undesirable acts.
Sources
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