Lurcher | Pedigree Chums™ The Dog Bingo Game

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The Lurcher is not one breed, but a working cross, usually a sighthound mixed with a tougher or easier-to-train dog. In our family tree, the Greyhound is joined by collies or other working dogs and some old black-and-tan terrier. It was the poacher's favourite all-round dog, built to be useful rather than pure-bred. Its job is much older than its name: in 1576 John Caius wrote about the Tumbler and the Stealer, small greyhound-like dogs that caught rabbits by trickery and at night. The word lurcher, from an old word meaning to lurk or steal, was first used for a dog in 1668. Tap a circle inside to keep digging.

Lurcher

Lurcher

The Lurcher is not one breed, but a working cross, usually a sighthound mixed with a tougher or easier-to-train dog. In our family tree, the Greyhound is joined by collies or other working dogs and some old black-and-tan terrier. It was the poacher's favourite all-round dog, built to be useful rather than pure-bred. Its job is much older than its name: in 1576 John Caius wrote about the Tumbler and the Stealer, small greyhound-like dogs that caught rabbits by trickery and at night. The word lurcher, from an old word meaning to lurk or steal, was first used for a dog in 1668.

Likely life span

Learn more about the dogs that went into making the Lurcher

c. 3000 BCOld Desert coursing dogs

c. 3000 BCAncient eastern sighthounds

c. 1200 BCEarly Badger hunting dogs

c. 500 BCOld hunting dogs of the Celts

AncientCeltic Hound

c. 100Gaulish coursing Hounds

AncientCeltic Coursing Hound

AncientCeltic herdsmen's dogs

c. 400Continental Germanic herding dogs

c. 900Norse settlers dogs

MedievalEarth Dog

MedievalShepherd's Dogs

MedievalOld working collies

MedievalEarth and hunt terriers

1600sLurcher