A lurcher is generally a cross between a sighthound and a working dog breed. The distinction in England between a greyhound and a lurcher was both legal and biological. Greyhounds were used to hunt legally only by the privileged upper class who could show qualification by sufficient income or estate. Anyone else with a lower income was, from 1389, prohibited from hunting with any hound whatsoever, including a lurcher . Brian Plummer identifies the Norfolk Lurcher as the predecessor of the modern lurcher.
Etymology
The word 'lurcher' is from Norman French, Middle English lurch, to lurk or remain in a place furtively. While it has been suggested the word 'lurcher' is from the Romani word for thief, the word for thief in Romani is "Chor". It is more recently related to the dog's ability to suddenly turn=lurch, to strike its usual prey, the hare. However, the archaic meaning of the word lurcher in English is a prowler, swindler, or petty thief.
History
From the late 14th century in England, to the repeal of the Game Laws in Britain of 1831, those without financial qualification were prohibited from owning and hunting with any hunting dogs, including lurchers. Generally, the aim of the cross is to produce a sighthound with more intelligence, a canny animal suitable for poaching rabbits, hares and game birds. Over time, poachers and hunters discovered that the crossing of certain breeds with sighthounds produced a dog better suited to this purpose, given the lurcher's combination of speed and intelligence.
Modern roles
Lurchers as pets
The modern lurcher has left behind its old image of disrepute, and is now regarded as an exceptional family dog. Many groups have been founded to re-home lurchers as family pets.
Amateur sports
Lurchers excel at sports such as lure coursing and dog racing, which are very popular in areas with little available hunting, or for people who dislike hunting. In the U.S., lurchers are eligible to compete in lure coursing events sanctioned by the NationalLure Coursing Club.
Recognition and registration
Because lurchers are not purebreds they are not recognized by any of the major kennel clubs although the acronym HJCK serves in some circles: Hunt Jump Catch Kill. However, the North American Lurcher and Longdog Association was created in 2007 to serve as a registering body for lurchers and longdogs in the United States and Canada.
