After the sad demise of dear (very) old Nelson in September, we’ll be getting a new dog in the New Year. It’ll be a rescue, and MrsIHN has been scouring the local rescue centre websites for, well, months.

There seem to be tonnes of staffies, lurchers and greyhounds. I know staffies get an undeserved bad rep, when they’re generally soft as sh1te. Greyhounds I know are really docile and don’t really need a lot of exercise. Lurchers I don’t really know anything about.

I know that breed traits are just that, traits, and all dogs are individual, but what we’d be looking for is a dog that:

– is generally calm and good natured around people and other dogs
– doesn’t need loads of regular exercise (like, say, a collie), but will still do longish walks now and then. It’ll get 40-60 minutes each evening and a quick 15/20 minutes in the morning and lunchtime, and we’ll go for a proper walk for a few hours a couple of times a month.
– will be happy on it’s own for a morning/afternoon and possibly a bit longer every so often

How do staffies, greyhounds and lurchers measure up to that list?

No dog myself but my brother has 2 retired Greyhounds, the laziest dogs you will ever come across.
Quite happy to spend most of the day sleeping,
Very docile and neither bothered by fireworks etc, in fact 1 seems to like a lot of noise, we think it takes him back to the track 😏

However be aware they are very tall and have no problem helping themselves to food left on worktops and tables …

Lurchers are generally lovely dogs and from a temperament perspective rather like greyhounds, and similarly rather bone idle if left to their own devices.

However be aware they are very tall and have no problem helping themselves to food left on worktops and tables …

Yeah, the size is potential concern, not necessarily from a food-nicking perspective, more from the fact that we like going away on the campervan, and I can imagine a greyhound or lurcher is going to take up a fair bit of space…

staffies are lovely really. they do sometimes have issues with cats though. i’ve had a few and they are fine on long walks and are very friendly in the house. sometimes can be protective of children etc so worth looking out for that.

Badger

This is Badger; half collie, half lurcher (with the lurcher being a greyhound/bull mastif/terrier mix we think). He’s only 11 months old so has a bit of growing up to do, but he’s shaping up to be an awesome hound. Such a docile, affectionate, fun loving, slightly bonkers chap, and clever with it. Really enjoying his company ☺️☺️☺️😂

Fill yer boots with this lot…… Dogs Galore

A good rescue should be able to match you up with the dog that is right for you. Out of the three, I’d go for a Staffie, great wee dogs.

What are staffies like with being left tommy? Reading around it seems they’re prone to separation anxiety

I have had two Staffies, both lovely dogs, the first one didn’t like other dogs, the second one loved everything on gods green earth bar squirrels.

Both super obedient but that took a lot of work which was fun. Both were cool with cats.

we have a collie lurcher and although very old now at 16 has never been lazy or especially docile. In his prime 30km bike days were no problem and he still wants to be out as much as possible. He comes to work with us every day but is happy in his van space on his own. He doesn’t get left very often but will manage half a day ok. Definitely not a couch potato, it’s all about being out.

He’s not aggressive but will fight his corner like any dog – but he’s not childproof like a Lab. He also chases cats but is generally very intelligent and has full recall. 100% trustworthy otherwise.

From an ownership point of view he has been very healthy his whole life – only issue was a snapped tendon when he fell in a rabbit hole when sprinting after a rabbit, not uncommon for lurchers. The collie aspect gives good stamina, the long dog (deerhound) part gives speed so a good mix. It is completely possible to get a bad combination though!

Friends have a much more greyhound/whippet based lurcher and that is a weapon. Not a great deal of stamina but will take down anything it sees. It can’t be off the lead much but is a lovely dog nonetheless. I think our lad is a better mix, but the truth is you are never going to really know until you know.

Sorry to hear about Nelson.

The problem (or good thing) about Lurchers is that there are so many different mixes and varieties that it depends on the individual dog.

I’ve got an 11 year old Beddy x Greyhound that likes a lot of exercise and also is quite happy snoozing away.She’s also very happy left at home to the point where sometimes you feel like you’re interrupting her snoozing when you come home. A Greyhound or a Lurcher without the terrier mix might not be as energetic

We’ve got Albert the lurcher. He was a rescue that we brought home nearly 7 years ago now. Not sure if his exact heritage but he’s clearly got a lot of deerhound in him. Possibly cross with greyhound (which would make him a long-dog not a lurcher)
Pluses:
Soft as a brush around people. Just wants to lie next to you on the settee and be stroked. Happy with one decent walk a day plus a quick round the block. He looks gorgeous and strangers come up to us in the street to say how much they like him. He is a complete tart and sucks up to them for attention.
Minuses: He chases everything. Cats. Squirrels. Pigeons. Badgers. Rabbits. Definitely not safe around sheep or deer. Probably frightened of cows and horses. Seems to want to wind up certain other breeds. Black labs. Chocolate labs. Spaniels. Little dogs in general. When he meets another lurcher he is different. They can sense one of tgeur kind and will have a 20 minute chase with no danger of either dog getting g aggressive. He will flew the garden on his own if we let him, run over the road to the woods to chase badgers and only come back when he is good and ready. He sometimes does this at midnight when we get in from the pub. He can be very stubborn and plant his feet if he doesn’t want to go in a particular direction.
He’s been awesome and has change our lives for the better immeasurably

Not an expert but just got a lovely beagle/jack russel cross from a dog home, they had all sorts as well as the breeds you mentioned. My next door neighbour’s stsffie not up for super long walks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoJB08AlATz/

Sorry to hear about Nelson. Staffies in the family for nearly 60 years. Sky was a rescue at 5. Fine being left all day (a dog flap into secure back garden helped), fine with other dogs but was a bit defensive to start which was understandable given upheaval of re-homing.

Docrobster – Sounds a lot like mine

Two Staffies here, both lovely around people, one can get a bit over excited around people so we have to watch that, generally fine around other dogs but if the other dog kicks off……
Both respond well to commands, just takes consistency and time. Sheep safe if you come across one unexpectedly (again with training). Don’t like cats but fine with our ferrets.
Walk wise they get 30-45mins in the morning and 60 mins+ in the evening. Longer walks at the weekend 5-10 miles and occasional single track rides but both are getting older so we ration the rides and keep them to 8-10 miles.

We also fostered a Lurcher Staffie cross for 8 months. Lovely dog but no sense of personal space, would spread herself across the entire sofa and was occasionally found on the kitchen worktop. She also had separation issues which resulted in some pricey destruction when I forgot to remove things from tables and kitchen surfaces. We managed to train her to heel, come and leave sheep alone but failed with sit. She loved playing with other dogs and would run herself into the ground chasing our dog walkers dog who was much younger.

It can be difficult to generalise about dogs in my experience….

We had a Stafford from puppy to when he died at 17, fantastic dog, great with people, kids and chickens, but an absolute bastard with other dogs. We also had an American Bulldog – great with other dogs but a bastard with people. Friend had a rescue greyhound- shits all over the house and scratches holes in doors, another has a lurcher and it is lazy but very nice.

We now have an Airedale……once he passes if I get my way we will get a cat and no more dogs.

Kea, the best dog in the world.

Walked twice a day off lead. Happy to sleep the other 23hours. Or she will walk further than me if she’s asked. Easy to train, but if it runs away it gets chased. Great with kids and other dogs. She used to be black and white but is 10 years old now. Only problem with lurchers is they cut easily as they are so thin skinned.

Lurchers are brilliant. Same as others, ours sleeps pretty much the whole time then has about 30 minutes per day where she’s an excitable loon (used to be longer, but she’s nearing on 14, so isn’t quite as speedy as she used to be). She’s something like an Alsatian-greyhound cross – the physique of a greyhound with the ears and fur of a GSD. She’s a rescue, suspected as bred for hare coursing, and was very scared of men and white vans for a little while, and still hates most other dogs. Absolutely loves people though, and is brilliant to have around.

We’ve a Staffie X Boxer (along with a spaniel X Boxer) and I really love the cross – he’s daft as a brush like a Boxer, yet affectionate and protective like a Staff. Bit leggier and more athletic than a pure Staffie as well. He did have separation anxiety to start with, which was understandable given that he got bounced about rescue/foster homes but his big brother looks after him and he’s OK now. Is great with people, but doesn’t speak Dog very well so other dogs tend to think he’s a bit much! Terrier instinct means he wants to chase everything but his recall is superb and his overwhelming desire to please means he obeys. Reactive on a lead but we have horses so he has 7 acres of fenced yard for him to run around as he sees fit for at least 2 hours a day. Sleeps the rest, and if you’re on a sofa then he has to be cuddling you.

I really agree that it’s difficult to generalise dog breeds. I’ve known same breeds of dogs show such wildly different personality traits, it’s like they aren’t the same breed. We had a rescue staffy x lab for 14 years – great trail dog and with other dogs, didn’t like children or fireworks, no separation anxiety, soft as fudge.

We went a year dog-less before getting another (and in that time did voluntary dog walking at a local little rescue and got to know a few of the ‘inmates’) and that doggo that came to live with us was a so-called bull lurcher (greyhound x staffy with very possibly a bit of collie).

She’s honestly like no dog I or Onzadog have owned before. Super smart, crazy fast and agile, a bit reserved at times but getting more cuddly, very very quiet when the previous dog would have borked and borked and borked (not even realising what he was borking at!) and she only makes a noise when she’s feeling playful. She loves children, balls and doing zoomies,couldn’t give a rats @rse about fireworks and supposedly had separation anxiety (was cited as one of the reasons why she was surrended to the rescue) but given the right mix of exercise/mental stimulation/boundaries/training we’ve given her she’s never shown a sign of it with us.

I would say go and meet individual dogs and see what their personalities are and how they’d fit in with your lives – there’s definitely a rescue pupper out there for everyone 🙂

Look at the personality of the dog – you’ll find one that fits well. My sister has a 7 month old Lab that is very hard work – lovely dog, but in your face all the time. Walked 4 times a day at least (they have someone walk him in the middle of the day).

You’ll just have to factor in the odd issue with rescue animals (we have cats as we are out all day). We’ve got a moggie cat that’s 12 years, a rescue thats 18 months and two pedigrees that are 6 months. The rescue is a real character, exceptionally smart (lived wild for 8 months before we got him), has no teeth now (cat flu), but loves the kittens – he acts like big brother. He’s also not allowed ‘out’ due to his cat flu, but we also don’t let the pedigrees out (had one that got run over) and they have a big cat run outside that they can get out into (so get outside).

yeah go for a staffie – like children but couldn’t quite eat a whole one

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-4656517

Whold country is full of doggiots

FFS – it’s the owners, not the dogs that are at fault.. Horrible thing to happen, but it’s this sort of thing that makes people think BSL is a good thing (when essentially it’s racial profiling).

It’s not all the owners. Invariably it’s either an illegal breed or a Staffie when kids are attacked. I don’t think a breed that’s predisposed to attack other dogs can ever be trusted around small children.

Don’t confuse likelihood with severity.

Staffies are no more likely to “savage” you than any other breed, they just do a more effective job of it, like most large strong breeds would.

They’re a popular dog with those who might perhaps be less inclinded to invest the effort that a dog really deserves and needs so you hear more sensationalism in the media.

I totally agree that a dog that can’t adjust to fit into society has no place there. But too many dogs are not given the help and guidance needed so they can make the adaptations.

If dog ownership isn’t time consuming and hard work (but very rewarding), you’re probably doing it wrong.

I don’t think a breed that’s predisposed to attack other dogs can ever be trusted around small children.

Apart from, in the case of Staffies, they were specifically bred to be safe around children. The original breeders wanted a fighting dog which could also live in a house with their families.

The above is true. Not a specific breeding intent, but Staffordshire potters in small houses lived closely with their dog(s). No aggression was tolerated towards people, especially children, so dogs that did, were dispatched.

They’re also known as Nanny dogs.

@MrGrim
Very similar looking dog

View this post on Instagram

#albertthelurcher

A post shared by Rob Farmer (@docrobster) on Dec 15, 2018 at 4:06am PST

Docrobster, looks like a Bedlington cross of some sort.

Hmm we don’t think bedlington. Much too big. The council rescue website had him listed as a bedlington cross though.
Most people who meet him think deerhoundXgreyhound.