OwenDale Deerhound Lurchers

What is a Sighthound?

A Sighthound is a dog that hunts primarily by sight (rather than by scent) and speed. The following breeds are the most common Sighthounds: Irish Wolfhound, Scottish Deerhound, Greyhound, Whippet, Saluki, Russian Borzoi, Italian Greyhound; other Sighthounds are the Ibizan, Pharaoh Hound, Sloughi, and Rhodesian Ridgeback.

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What is a Lurcher? 

Any dog crossed with a Sighthound is a Lurcher. Thus, a Lurcher is a cross breed not a purebred dog.

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What are the advantages of a Lurcher?

They are relatively quiet, calm, low energy dogs (although the pups are active), and are friendly and love people. However, their characteristics depend on the cross. We think our dogs get their sedate side from the Greyhound blood and their fun loving, silliness from their Deerhound ancestry.

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What are the disadvantages of a Lurcher?

They might not be easily trained to come when called; if they run a lot, it might be difficult to keep weight on them; they need to have room and time for at least one daily run.

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How big do they get?

The size depends totally on the particular cross. For example, a Whippet crossed with a like size dog would be on the small to medium size. My Lurchers range from 55 to 90 pounds.

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What are the feeding needs of a Lurcher?

I feed each Lurchers a 1/2 pound of ground beef daily plus "free choice" kibble. Treats in the form of dog biscuits and beef jerky during the day for good measure.

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What are the grooming needs of a Lurcher?

The grooming needs depends on the particular Lurcher cross. Two of my Deerhound Lurchers have broken coats with short coarse hair requiring very little combing. The others have longer "silken" coats that can look rather scruffy without a quick comb.

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Where can I get a Lurcher?

There are only a few Lurcher breeders in America, but there are quite a few in England. I would happily talk with you about importing a British dog. If however, you would like an American born Deerhound Lurcher, please contact Hal about future litters.

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Where can I compete with my Lurcher?

In America, only purebred AKC (American Kennel Club) dogs compete in conformation classes. The AKC also offers lure coursing. In Britain, there are dog shows specifically for Lurchers. These shows offer conformation classes and lure coursing trials. Since Lurchers are not a breed, they cannot be shown for conformation at dog shows in the U.S. There are some lure coursing competitions open to mix breed dogs, but they must be neutered. However, there are a variety of agility classes open to cross breed dogs.

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What is Lure Coursing?

A competition in which two or three dogs chase a mechanically operated lure over a assigned course (see Related Links below).