Longdog
A long dog is any dog of sighthound type, whether pure-bred or not. It is usually a cross-breed between two sighthounds of different breeds, and is thus distinct from the lurcher, which is a cross between a sighthound and a working dog, usually a terrier or herding dog. The term may also be applied to a Greyhound or other sighthound breed. The long dog excels at running down hares, and is traditionally associated with Romani culture.History
Lurchers were originally kept to catch rabbits when driven from their burrows; In the early 1950s, myxomatosis wiped out most of the rabbits in western Europe, but did not affect the hares. Faster dogs were needed for coursing, or running down the hares. The long dogs were developed, mixing various types to get a dog with the preferred style of coursing. Coursing with purebred Greyhounds is still considered an "elite" sport.
