Lurcher is an old English term for a crossbred dog; specifically, the result of mating a sighthound with a dog of another type, typically a working breed. The term was first used with this meaning in 1668; it is considered to be derived from the verb lurch, apparently a variant form of lurk, meaning lurk or steal.[1][2][3] The tendency to "wrench" and "cut" rather than "course" was considered to be unfair and a violation of "The Law of the Leash."[4]
In England from 1389, the right to keep a dog of any kind used in hunting[5] was limited by law to those qualified by possessing lands, holdings, or income worth more than ten pounds per annum; in other words, royalty, nobility, the gentry, and the wealthy.[6] This law, though repeatedly modified, remained in force until 1831.[1]
In the nineteenth century, the word was used to describe some rough-haired regional greyhounds, which were banned from competition by coursing clubs such as Swaffham and Newmarket, due to the perception that they cut "turns" to kill instead of working the hare to gain points.[7]
Descriptionedit
A lurcher is a cross, generally between a sighthound and a working dog breed. 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.[8] In more recent times, the crossing of different sighthound breeds with each other (e.g. A greyhound with a saluki) has become more common. These dogs were traditionally called longdogs but these days "lurcher" is applied to them as well.[9]
Useedit
Lurchers were traditionally bred in England to assist poachers in hunting rabbits and hares. Around the world they are kept as sporting dogs and family pets,[10] or to compete in sports such as lure coursing and dog racing. In the United States they may compete in lure coursing events through the AKC and the UKC.[11][12] Cross-breeds are not registered and formally recognized by any major kennel club. In North America, the Canadian Kennel Club can deprive individual members of their club rights if they have been proven of crossbreeding any breed as in creating lurchers; in the USA lurchers can be registered with the North American Lurcher and Longdog Association.[13]
^lurcher, n.4. Oxford English Dictionary, online edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (subscription required).
^lurch, v.1. Oxford English Dictionary, online edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (subscription required).
^Johnson, Thomas Burgeland (2023) [1848]. The sportsman's cyclopaedia : comprising a complete elucidation of the science and practice of hunting, shooting, coursing, racing, fishing, hawking, cockfighting, and other sports and pastimes of Great Britain, interspersed with entertaining and illustrative anecdotes [LeatherBound]. p. 193.
^As stated in an act of Parliament: "None shall hunt but they which have sufficient living" in the Anglo-Norman and English of the time: null leverer, ne lerce, nautre chien pur chacer,[1] translated as "no greyhound, hound nor other dog to hunt"
^"A dictionary of the Norman or Old French language : Collected from such Acts of Parliament, Parliament rolls, journals, Acts of state, records, law books, antient historians, and manuscripts as related to this nation". 1779.
Russell, Edmund (2018). "Greyhound Nation: A Coevolutionary History of England, 1200–1900". Studies in Environment and Historyf. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781139049269. (subscription required).
Further readingedit
Arthur W. Coaten (1909). British Hunting: A Complete History of the National Sport of Great Britain and Ireland from Earliest Records. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co
E. P. Thompson (1975). Whigs and Hunters: The Origin of the Black Act London: Allen Lane
P. B. Munsche (1981). Gentlemen and Poachers: The English Game Laws, 1671–1831. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Harriet Ritvo (1987).The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press
David Cannadine (1990). The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy New Haven: Yale University Press
Roger B. Manning (1993). Hunters and Poachers: A Social and Cultural History of Unlawful Hunting in England, 1485–1640. Oxford; New York: Clarendon Press; Oxford University Press.
Emma Griffin (2007). Blood Sport: Hunting in Britain since 1066. New Haven; London: Yale University Press
Barry Lewis (2009). Hunting in Britain: From the Ice Age to the Present. Stroud, Gloucestershire: History Press
January 01, 1970
lurcher, this, article, about, type, various, ships, lurcher, crossbred, resulting, from, mating, greyhound, other, sighthound, with, another, type, such, herding, terrier, lurcher, hundreds, years, strongly, associated, with, poaching, modern, times, kept, hu. This article is about the dog type For various ships see HMS Lurcher A lurcher is a crossbred dog resulting from mating a greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type such as a herding dog or a terrier The lurcher was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching in modern times it is kept as a hunting dog or companion dog LurcherOther namesPoacher s dogOriginGreat Britain and IrelandTraitsCoatAnyColourAnyLitter sizevariableDog domestic dog Lurcher illustration from The Sportsman s Cabinet by William Taplin 1803 engraved from a painting by Philip Reinagle Contents 1 History 2 Description 3 Use 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 Further readingHistory editLurcher is an old English term for a crossbred dog specifically the result of mating a sighthound with a dog of another type typically a working breed The term was first used with this meaning in 1668 it is considered to be derived from the verb lurch apparently a variant form of lurk meaning lurk or steal 1 2 3 The tendency to wrench and cut rather than course was considered to be unfair and a violation of The Law of the Leash 4 In England from 1389 the right to keep a dog of any kind used in hunting 5 was limited by law to those qualified by possessing lands holdings or income worth more than ten pounds per annum in other words royalty nobility the gentry and the wealthy 6 This law though repeatedly modified remained in force until 1831 1 In the nineteenth century the word was used to describe some rough haired regional greyhounds which were banned from competition by coursing clubs such as Swaffham and Newmarket due to the perception that they cut turns to kill instead of working the hare to gain points 7 Description editA lurcher is a cross generally between a sighthound and a working dog breed 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 8 In more recent times the crossing of different sighthound breeds with each other e g A greyhound with a saluki has become more common These dogs were traditionally called longdogs but these days lurcher is applied to them as well 9 Use editLurchers were traditionally bred in England to assist poachers in hunting rabbits and hares Around the world they are kept as sporting dogs and family pets 10 or to compete in sports such as lure coursing and dog racing In the United States they may compete in lure coursing events through the AKC and the UKC 11 12 Cross breeds are not registered and formally recognized by any major kennel club In North America the Canadian Kennel Club can deprive individual members of their club rights if they have been proven of crossbreeding any breed as in creating lurchers in the USA lurchers can be registered with the North American Lurcher and Longdog Association 13 References edit a b Russell 2018 p 29 lurcher n 4 Oxford English Dictionary online edition Oxford Oxford University Press subscription required lurch v 1 Oxford English Dictionary online edition Oxford Oxford University Press subscription required Johnson Thomas Burgeland 2023 1848 The sportsman s cyclopaedia comprising a complete elucidation of the science and practice of hunting shooting coursing racing fishing hawking cockfighting and other sports and pastimes of Great Britain interspersed with entertaining and illustrative anecdotes LeatherBound p 193 As stated in an act of Parliament None shall hunt but they which have sufficient living in the Anglo Norman and English of the time null leverer ne lerce nautre chien pur chacer 1 translated as no greyhound hound nor other dog to hunt A dictionary of the Norman or Old French language Collected from such Acts of Parliament Parliament rolls journals Acts of state records law books antient historians and manuscripts as related to this nation 1779 Russell 2018 p 88 Plummer David Brian 1979 The Complete Lurcher a manual Woodbridge Suffolk Eng Boydell Press ISBN 0 85115 118 3 OCLC 15674881 Why Lurchers Make Great Pets PDF Galway SPCA Retrieved 31 January 2024 Drakeford J 2003 The House Lurcher Shrewsbury Swan Hill Press ISBN 978 1 904057 34 5 Lure Coursing American Kennel Club Retrieved 24 August 2022 Lure Coursing United Kennel Club UKC www ukcdogs com Retrieved 24 August 2022 Lure Coursing Amateur Whippet amp Sighthound Racing NALLA Overview Lure Coursing Amateur Whippet amp Sighthound Racing Retrieved 21 December 2015 Bibliography editRussell Edmund 2018 Greyhound Nation A Coevolutionary History of England 1200 1900 Studies in Environment and Historyf Cambridge Cambridge University Press doi 10 1017 9781139049269 subscription required Further reading editArthur W Coaten 1909 British Hunting A Complete History of the National Sport of Great Britain and Ireland from Earliest Records London Sampson Low Marston amp Co E P Thompson 1975 Whigs and Hunters The Origin of the Black Act London Allen Lane P B Munsche 1981 Gentlemen and Poachers The English Game Laws 1671 1831 Cambridge Cambridge University Press Harriet Ritvo 1987 The Animal Estate The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age Cambridge Massachusetts Harvard University Press David Cannadine 1990 The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy New Haven Yale University Press Roger B Manning 1993 Hunters and Poachers A Social and Cultural History of Unlawful Hunting in England 1485 1640 Oxford New York Clarendon Press Oxford University Press Emma Griffin 2007 Blood Sport Hunting in Britain since 1066 New Haven London Yale University Press Barry Lewis 2009 Hunting in Britain From the Ice Age to the Present Stroud Gloucestershire History Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lurcher amp oldid 1221035042, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
