OK I have a longdog (Saluki cross Greyhound), most of the time if I say to people that I have a Lurcher and a Longdog they understand me when I say Lurcher, but look at me with a blank expression when I say Longdog, if I don't have the dogs on me at the time I have also been asked whether a Dachshund and a Lurcher get on ok. So why is it that the term Lucher is commonly used to describe both Longdogs and Lurchers, but the term Longdog seems to be rarely used? Is it now thought to be too old fashioned (even though Lurcher is too old), or have people just not heard of it and Lurcher became more popular?
I think its because a lot of lurchers are rescue or from unknow parents so often its not known what breeds went into making them. They just have that lurcher type and get called a lurcher. To be called a long dog you have to know that both sire and dam were sight hounds.
I agree , as most "lurchers" are of unknown quantity and come from rescue, most people will see them as a lurcher, regardless of size/ coat type:? As above to know a longdog one must have an idea or know what goes into the breeding. Along with the majority of the public will not have a clue what a "longdog " is!! to most a dog that looks like a lurcher will be classed as a lurcher!! or mongrel!!
I get what you mean, I do know a few people though who have brought or breed their own Longdog, and still call them Lurchers, although I have seen a few Borzoi's cross Greyhounds in rescue centres who its known what breeds they are because they are so characteristic, and beutiful
They is bootiful!! A Lurcher is a cross between a Greyhound and another breed, such as a Collie, Bull etc... or mixture of crosses, a longdog is a cross between two sighthounds.
Originally longdog was a umberalla term for any sighthound type whether pediree or cross, it then evolved to become the term aplied to sighthound cross sighthound, although some older people still use it as the former. Why that particular name, I'm not sure, my own personal theory is because of their long noses and legs but I've not heard any others, its not like Lurchers, therer a few theories about their name, that they 'lurch' at their prey (there was also a tumbler too but I havent been able to find out about them, apart from they were meant to crash into their prey or something so they would 'tumble' to the ground, but the dog would get hurt crashing at high speed, not 100% though) Another is Romany translations of the name, 'lur' meaning thieving, 'cur' mongrel, because of the poaching history, but I bet no lurcher owner could say something along them lines havent slipped their lips in aim at their dog lol.
Does that mean you think Honey's pretty? Do you know anything about the tumbler type, I've only heard about them in a small refernce to someone talking about Lurches and the name theories a few years ago. I spent a while learning bout the American Staghounds, gorgeous, powerfull coyete dogs what I learnt bout them was reading what people who live with and work them have said bout them in America. I do find the whole Lurchers and Longdogs fascinating though, how they came from being mainly smithfield (if I remember that bit right lol) collie crosses, who the people wanted a dog whose shape could be a bit hidden, and who were clever as they had to hide when people could be seen to prevent hanging for poaching, to being bred to be specilist hunters (foxes rabbits etc) or allrounders, they have to be pretty succesful and adaptable crosses. Although not highly prized I think they're amazing
My FiL, an old Devonian farmer had an expression "'E was off like a long dug" when someone moved very fast. I thought this was just an expression until I had my last Lurcher, when I started find out more about Lurchers and then Long dogs. Generally I think the term Long dog is old fashioned and few people know it where as everyone knows a Lurcher. BTW Mo is a Long dog
Noah is a Longdog, when I first had him and spoke to people I said he was a Longdog, then explained he was a saluki x greyhound....now I just call him a Lurcher...i cannot be bothered !!!!!
i only know the term from having a 'smithfield' (gets u looking into it)my clever,gentle little tea-leaf
I see what you mean, I get a bit annoyed with people always assuming mine are Greyhounds, as in the flesh I think that they look nothing like them, but like I said I thought it was obvious until I took Diesel to the Greyhound walk, and not one person reconised him as a Lurcher, but if anyone comes up to me and asks if they are Greyhounds I say no they are both crosses, he's a Lurcher, and she's a Longdog, and then if they ask for more I will explain it, I've also done the same on quite a few forums too lol. Lol, when Diesel had a few problems, and one of them showed itself by his need to steal, and being extremely distressed as he couldn't I was explaining to someone that because of what was happening he stole more then the average Lurcher (he was also young, and not mature at that point, he has only just started to mature, and I think young Lurchers are the worst for stealing lol) and I got told that Lurchers should never steal, to me its actually part of their nature growing up lol.
see i just always thought any dog that looked that 'type' of lurcher/longdog etc, was just called a lurcher since hearing chaz calling honey a longdog, i now know that a woman who walks in the park has a greyhound and a longdog... and not a greyhound and a lurcher, which i used to think
