A cross between two sighthounds like a greyhound and deerhound are another kind of lurcher, often called longdogs.
Apparently the origin of the lurcher comes from the fact that commoners were not allowed to own greyhounds, only nobility had the privilege of owing and hunting with pure breed sighthounds.
These dogs were bred originally in Ireland and England by the gypsies. The name lurcher is said to come from the Romany word “lur” that means “thief”.
The purpose of breeding a lurcher, was to obtain a dog that retained the speed of the greyhound for rabbit coursing but didn’t look too closely like a pure breed dog, because owning a greyhound for a commoner automatically made him a poacher, subject to harsh punishments.
Often the lurchers have a rough coat that clearly differentiate them from the greyhounds and has the extra bonus of offering protection.
The lurchers with a border collie in their pedigree, often display sheep herding abilities to boot.
This type of dog due to its mixed background, is very heterogeneous, but the most common trait seems to be their gentle and affectionate nature that now makes of them very popular family dogs.
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So, as the greyhound was the dog of the nobility, the lurcher became the hunting, multipurpose and companion dog of the commoners.
