The lurcher is not a pure breed but usually a cross between a sighthound and another breed which is usually a terrier or a pastoral dog. Collie crosses with lurchers are very popular as the speed of a sighthound mixed with the working instinct of a sheepdog makes a dog of great speed and intelligence. Crosses with scent hounds are relatively common in the Midwest of the USA but crosses with cat beds certainly are not! The temperament of lurchers depends upon the parental influences. Lurchers which have dominantly sighthound genetics are often lazy and are wonderful at spotting things.
The etymology of the word ‘lurcher’ has two possible origins. It could be from Middle English, deriving from the word ‘lorchen’ which means ‘to lurk’ or from ‘lurken’. It could also be from the Romany words for ‘lur’ meaning ‘thief’ and ‘cur’ meaning a combined dog breed. It is believed that the English and Scottish governments banned commoners from owning sighthounds in the 14th and 15th centuries, such as Scottish Deerhounds, greyhounds, and Irish Wolfhounds. As a consequence, lurchers were bred to avoid legal complications. This has not been historically verified however.
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