SPORTING ANSWERS
The lowdown on lurchers
FERRETING
Q I would like to get a lurcher puppy to help me with my ferreting. This will be my first dog, so what should I look for in a good lurcher?
A Looking for a lurcher can be difficult. You never see a trained or part-trained rabbiting dog for sale because, once trained, they are priceless to their owners. I am a staunch advocate of always looking at working strains rather than show or racing strains/owners. The type of lurcher that I like isn’t necessarily going to suit the next person, but the criteria shouldn’t be a million miles out.
Start by looking at the breeding. I am a great fan of the collie-cross lurcher because they have a bit of brain, but not too much, along with the collie’s drive and biddability. The height and conformation should be dictated by your terrain and style of ferreting. Open ground favours the slightly larger dog, whereas smaller dogs, such as whippet crosses, are ideal for hedges.
It must have good feet, not only to withstand the terrain that it will be working in, but also due to the pressure caused by running, twisting and turning at speed.
The coat is another talking point. I have had both rough- and smooth-coated dogs and I found my dogs suffered less with the smooth collie-type coat than the rough-coated.
Some people like dogs, others
