Best Lurcher Dog Food and Other Advice!

hattoncracker

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of arranging to take two lurchers from a Dog Rescue (happy clappy excitedness!!!)

I'm just wondering if I could get some kind of advice as to what would be best to feed them? They're gonna be house pets, not working dogs, so I'm looking for advice on that kinda stuff, and also what beds would be good and comfy for them, (even though I've a feeling they'll be sleeping in mine!). Just the basics, as I want to do this right!

Any advice for an adoptive lurcher parent would be good! I could use google but I've seen what wonderful advice you guys can give on here! I'm absolutely ecstatic that I'm finally in a position to adopt!

Thank you in advance!

aonb

There are greyhound and lurcher owners on here, so you will get lots of advice!
How old are the dogs?
Male/female?
The important thing is to settle them in calmly and gently, any new foods will have to be introduced slowly and gradually.
Do you have an enclosed garden?

hattoncracker

aonb wrote: »

There are greyhound and lurcher owners on here, so you will get lots of advice!
How old are the dogs?
Male/female?
The important thing is to settle them in calmly and gently, any new foods will have to be introduced slowly and gradually.
Do you have an enclosed garden?

Yes I do! we are arranging for a home visit ASAP. A boy and a girl, bull lurchers, girl is 2, boy is 4, both neutered! From what I've read, you should give them their regular food, and do the change gradually, right?

aonb

wow two lurchers at once - you will certainly have your hands full. I love Lurchers - I fostered one last year - such a gentle dog - he is doing great in his forever home.

With any dog it is very important to introduce any new food or change of food gradually. The people at the rescue will tell you what they are eating, and you can continue with that - and gradually change to something different/better if you choose.

I fed the lurcher I had boiled chicken/brown bread/rice. Ive seen him lately and he is looking a bit thin but he is very active and a bit anxious type, but adores his new owner.

There is a current thread on here - talking about keeping a Whippet warm at night - have a look on there, bedding is discussed. I havent used it but Vet Bedding is very popular on here. Since they have such fine coats, and are quite 'angular' a cosy soft bed of any kind will be popular (though most photos of greys and lurchers on here, always strangely seems to show them on a sofa or human bed ;-) ) They do like their creature comforts!

Hope all goes well - let us see some photos as soon as they are settled

hattoncracker

aonb wrote: »

wow two lurchers at once - you will certainly have your hands full. I love Lurchers - I fostered one last year - such a gentle dog - he is doing great in his forever home.

With any dog it is very important to introduce any new food or change of food gradually. The people at the rescue will tell you what they are eating, and you can continue with that - and gradually change to something different/better if you choose.

I fed the lurcher I had boiled chicken/brown bread/rice. Ive seen him lately and he is looking a bit thin but he is very active and a bit anxious type, but adores his new owner.

There is a current thread on here - talking about keeping a Whippet warm at night - have a look on there, bedding is discussed. I havent used it but Vet Bedding is very popular on here. Since they have such fine coats, and are quite 'angular' a cosy soft bed of any kind will be popular (though most photos of greys and lurchers on here, always strangely seems to show them on a sofa or human bed ;-) ) They do like their creature comforts!

Hope all goes well - let us see some photos as soon as they are settled

Oh I will! I've been in contact with the rescue for a while, explained my home situation and what I was looking for, so they said they'd contact me when they had a pair that would suit. I only got the email on Friday so I haven't met them yet, but they're beautiful in the pics! I think I feel like some people do when there is a baby on the way! :-) one of them was found by the rescue covered in scars, the poor love.

If they're happy on the food they're on, I won't change it. I have a friend who's a qualified dog nutritionist so I'll ask her when I'm getting them! I travel regularly up north so if it's cheaper I can buy it up there in bulk! Beds are just something I am thinking about! Although I'm not sure I should be too worried coz I've a funny feeling they won't be used all the time!

Mince Pie

Hi there, I'm a lurcher mammy and trust me you won't regret bringing one of them into your life. Unless you are particularly fond of your sofa because trust me, it won't be "your" sofa for much longer. Lol
Although they don't mind you sitting on it with them if you are willing to provide your lap as a nice pillow.

Now, I'm open to being told I'm wrong here but when I got my darling I was told to give her low protein food, at around 18-19%. Burns is this amount but I get the pet shops brand which is the same. I believe raw food will be much lower again but I won't pretend to know much about raw food diet other than I will give mine raw food as and when I have it.

You will need a house collar so they can have their tags on it at all time (they are very fast if they do escape) and their walking collar which are thicker than normal collars as they lave long necks.

Lurchers also have a reputation for being very stealthy thieves. I know mine has nicked food right in front of my face without me seeing.

Shoes, for the love of god make sure you put all shoes away, mine ate my two most favourite pairs when I first got her and also used to find socks around the house after a good chew. She doesn't do it anymore but believe me there were tears. Mine.

Most of all they just want lots of love and it sounds to me like they are going to an awesome home where they are going to get it. I cried for the first week I got mine lurcher love cos I was so happy.

Oh and work the recall big time, I trained mine to come back to the dog whistle cos they can do some distance and where I used to walk her was farmland (in the UK with the enviable roaming rights) and she could easily be two fields away in a corn field chasing rabbits but would always come back to the whistle.

Inexile

For bedding I would get a couple of duvets - single ones are great as they will fit in the washing machine - and put them into old covers or get some cheap from a second hand store or penneys. I find my greys also love the plastic tub beds . They are really too small for them but greys, and most lurchers curl up small. So if you put the duvet or any soft bedding into the tubs they will be happy out. Of course they will also adore your sofa and bed but you may not want them on there.

I assume the rescue you are getting them from will know what their temperament is like with other dogs, especially small ones but if they are new in I would recommend that you get some muzzles and use them while out walking until you judge them properly for yourself. They may also need to be fed separately - I always separate my dogs out when feeding as some of them can be very possessive about their food.

Raised food bowls are also a good idea. You can get proper stands but I use an upturned basket or one of those JML stools for my lot. It should probably be a bit higher but have been using them for about 4 years and have no problem

The rescue should supply the food or reimburse you for it. However rescues have limited budgets so they can supply the best! If you wish and can afford it add a bit of oily fish to the food. They will love it and it will help their coats. A sprinkling of porridge oats is also good.

Good luck with the dogs . I hope you enjoy fostering them.

Mince Pie

Forgot about the raised bowls so good point inexile. You just forget all the prep you made for them when you've had them for so long.

Rafloution

Nothing to add other than echo the above, fantastic dogs and you will quickly realise what the fuss is all about.

Kudos on them being rescues too. Good luck

Inexile

I would agreed with Mince Pie re the low protein food. A lot of the cheaper foods are actually low protein . I would suggest that you could go up to the mid 20s protein wise.

I would also recommend martingale collars - again the rescue should supply the collars or at least a fishtail collar. Regular dog collars are no use on hounds due to their neck shape.

I know Greys are the magpies of the dog world and some lurchers are the same so keep shoes, shoes and even underwear away from them - also anything that's a soft fabric - scarfs etc. They just love those things.

Its actually illegal to allow a greyhound or greyhound cross off lead in a public area so while you are fostering I would not let them off unless you are in an enclosed space. I have never, ever allowed my grey off lead outside the home - but I do have a large garden so she is not deprived. Unless you adopt the dogs I would not let them loose as the rescue will ultimately have to bear the responsibility if the dogs cause a problem if off lead.

Sorry to end on a sour note !

Mince Pie

I thought they were being adopted not fostered?

hattoncracker

They are being adopted, so they will be all mine!

They are in foster now and already have lived with each other and other dogs! They're apparently very lazy, but I'll be asking all the other behaviour questions when I go to meet them!

Why are raised bowls a good thing as opposed to normal?

Mince Pie

hattoncracker wrote: »

They are being adopted, so they will be all mine!

They are in foster now and already have lived with each other and other dogs! They're apparently very lazy, but I'll be asking all the other behaviour questions when I go to meet them!

Why are raised bowls a good thing as opposed to normal?

The reason the bowls have to be raised is because they are tall dogs with long necks so it can cause problems for them to swallow if the bowl is on the floor.

Lurchers/greyhounds sleep a lot but they are like meat powered rockets when out for a run. Amazing to watch them flat out. Mine likes to run at me and skim past while looking up laughing and I was covered in bruises cos I made the mistake of jumping out of her way.
Now I hold my nerve and buzz of her mentalness.

Inexile

Mince Pie wrote: »

I thought they were being adopted not fostered?

My mistake. Not sure why I thought OP was fostering.

Just makes this thread even better

Mince Pie

Collars that you will need, I have one of these for her house collar http://www.collarsrus.co.uk/#/overhead/4570702067

and this kind of shape for lead walking.
http://www.collarsrus.co.uk/#/leather/4570702056

Also you will probably need to get them a coat when walking in this cold weather. As Lurchers are built for speed not for comfort so can get cold very easily.

http://www.collarsrus.co.uk/#/single-fleece-polo/4570665438

borderlinemeath

Although I love the look of collars on greys and lurchers, I would still get a harness for walking rather than just using a collar. I have only met one lurcher that didn't pull a bit on the lead and would just always prefer to use the harness rather than put pressure on the neck.

And a question for grey/lurcher owners, why is it that there are fantastic prints and patterns for greys and lurcher collars that you just don't get in a regular pet shop?

Mince Pie

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Although I love the look of collars on greys and lurchers, I would still get a harness for walking rather than just using a collar. I have only met one lurcher that didn't pull a bit on the lead and would just always prefer to use the harness rather than put pressure on the neck.

And a question for grey/lurcher owners, why is it that there are fantastic prints and patterns for greys and lurcher collars that you just don't get in a regular pet shop?

Yes we can get great prints for our lurcher babies but only online. I've yet to see any lurcher specific collars in any pet shops.
The martingale collars are suitable for all dogs and they come in lovely prints on the website linked earlier.

ra0044

its great to see another person adopting sight hounds you really wont regret it. They really are great no nonsense dogs with great personalities.

I asked all the same questions a year or so ago when we adopted our whippet after having had " normal dogs " before.

I started a thread last week looking for ways of keeping our whippet warm at night and stopping him waking us up to put his blanket back on and got some great ideas for tunnels and pj's for him. Sight hounds definately feel the the cold so good blankets/duvets are great for them to wrap themselves up in. On Thursday we got a greyhound to foster for a couple of weeks and now they both cuddle up together and share a bed and we have had no problems with getting up at night so hopefully your two will do the same.

I feed ours on Gain Greyhound 20 which is specifically for non training greyhounds and is 20% protein. The greyhound was on this when we got him aswell and both are thriving well on it.

There is nothing to say that you cant let greyhounds off lead in public but like all dogs they have to be kept under control at all times. I took my two to a secure field I use to let them run the other day and to watch them run together is really the most fantastic sight. I swear you can see big grins on there faces when they get to run with dogs capable of keeping up with them. Other dogs try but just can't match them and it is really funny to see our whippet circling round because the other dog is flagging in the chase and coming up behind him to overtake again.

I would deffinately recommend a soft step through harness for your lurchers. There long necks can suffer when being pulled on by a lead and collar especially if they are pulling hard after a cat etc. Never use an extending lead either as the can accelerate away from you so quickly that the sudden jerk on there necks when the lead stops unwinding can injure them or even break there neck. Let alone losing control of them in to a busy road etc.

Hope all goes well with them and good luck.

boomerang

These harnesses are perfect for greyhounds and lurchers; I use one on my greyhound Josie and it even fits over her fleece coat in the winter.

http://dog-games-shop.co.uk/harnesses-fleece-lined

They are super soft against the skin and also you can put them through the wash no problem. A bit pricey but a great investment - the ones I have are still going strong after six years or more!

For sizing purposes, Josie wears a size 5 and she's a petite greyhound (28kg, wears a 26-28" coat.)

Vel

I used to run a small rescue for sighthounds and I would always send on a rehoming information sheet before the dog went to its new home. I will copy and paste some excerpts below, although a lot of it has been covered by previous posters. From experience I find bull lurchers to be more people focused than dog focused and they can sometimes suffer from separation anxiety. They can a endearingly clumsy so move all precious ornaments out of the way and they can be big chewers! Along with saluki type lurchers, they are a very attractive mix for the wrong type of person so be aware that you may get stopped and asked about them by people interested in them for their potential hunting ability. I strongly recommend they are never left unsupervised in your garden when you are not home.

Extracts from rehoming sheet below:

Ok so first things first I think this is very useful for anyone bringing a new rescue sighthound http://www.grwe.com/homingWelfare_careGuidelines.asp

Helping her settle:It may take a few days for DOG to settle and they often don’t really fully settle for a number of months. Don’t bombard her with lots of attention. Give her space and time. Let her explore her new surroundings and when she is comfortable she will come to you. This is a good link in relation to preventing separation anxiety.
http://www.rspca-westhatch.co.uk/SeparationAnxiety.htm

Feeding: A good quality dry food like Burns, Beta, Red Mills etc is best and can be supplmented with things like raw egg, tinned sardines, chicken a couple of times a week. Fish oil, like cod liver oil is great for joints and coat and a handful of dry porridge oats every day in the food is recommended. You must make sure that the protein content in the food is LESS than 20% or she will be bouncing off the walls. Ideally sighthounds should be feed on raised feeders like this http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_bowls_feeders/bowl_stands/129968 but its not essential. She should not be exercised for at least 1 hour after a meal or she could develop a very serious condition called bloat which can be fatal.

Keeping DOG safe: Always secure her in another room when you open the front door. She is fast and could easily slip out between legs. Baby gates are really useful even if you don’t need them for kids! Never leave her unattended in public or in the car. Sighthounds can attract the attention of people from certain sectors of the community who are interested in them for their potential hunting ability. If you are approached by anyone suspicious asking questions, tell them that DOG has epilepsy/bad leg, that she was given up because she wouldn't hunt and that she is spayed. They are only interested in the dogs to see if they would be good hunters or to use them for breeding. If DOG is left alone at home she should always be left in the house, even if you are only popping out for a few minutes to the local shop. Make sure DOG has a tag on her collar at all times with your number on it and Spayed/Microchipped. Do not put her name or your address on it. By law she is not required to be muzzled but she is required to be on lead as per the Control of Dogs Act. This applies to all greyhounds, lurchers and whippets. Whether you choose to follow this law is up to you! However, if she is off lead it does mean that you need to be careful where that happens and who is around. Also remember that some people have the wrong impression of sighthounds and think they will be vicious towards their dogs/kids. A dog charging over to someone’s dog/kid at very high speed, even though their intention is to be friendly could be very alarming to someone and could cause problems!

Socialisation: Take extra care when introducing her to other dogs. It is best when introducing her to dogs owned by friends/family for the first time to do so on neutral territory and on lead.

Recall training: I'd recommend this lead http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_collars_dog_leads/nylon_leads/sinle_colour/146580 rather than a flexi one. This blog has some good information on recall training greyhounds and it is all applicable to lurchers also http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/2011/09/introduction-to-recalls.html I would give her a few weeks settling in before you begin any kind of intensive training No matter how frustrated she is on the end of the lead, she should not be allowed off lead in an unsecure area until her recall is perfect and even then you need to pick safe places only, away from roads etc.

Collar: Martingale collars are the best for out walking and then some people prefer them to have a house collar on inside. She should NEVER be walked in a normal collar as they can easily slip off their thin necks! Here are some recommended places to purchase a collar http://www.cascollars.com/ http://www.kitschcollars.com/ http://aroundthehounds.com/ She will also need a coat in the rain/cold weather and may need a fleece coat at night in winter. They tend to feel the cold quite a lot. If she is a puller, we have found the Freedom harness great for our greyhound. They are similarly good for spookier dogs who may be at risk of slipping their collar. http://www.freedomnopullharness.com/

We strongly recommend that you look into getting insurance for DOG. Sighthounds in the main are relatively healthy dogs but it can be better to be safe than sorry. They do have quite thin skin so the most common minor complaint that would present itself is if they were playing with another dog and the other dog nipped and ripped the skin. That said I have had sighthounds for approx 8 years and have yet to have this happen!

aonb

OP you are lucky that your dogs are already in foster care - its great to be able to see what they are like in a family situation (as opposed to a pound or a shelter) - then you get to know exactly what their personalities are like, how they cope with other dogs, cats, children etc etc - their foster family will be interested in telling you the reality about the dog too - another plus - and will be interested in matching the dog up to a suitable owner - and happy to answer all your questions.

Best of luck, and looking forward to hearing progress reports and photos!

raemie10

Vel wrote: »

I used to run a small rescue for sighthounds and I would always send on a rehoming information sheet before the dog went to its new home. I will copy and paste some excerpts below, although a lot of it has been covered by previous posters. From experience I find bull lurchers to be more people focused than dog focused and they can sometimes suffer from separation anxiety. They can a endearingly clumsy so move all precious ornaments out of the way and they can be big chewers! Along with saluki type lurchers, they are a very attractive mix for the wrong type of person so be aware that you may get stopped and asked about them by people interested in them for their potential hunting ability. I strongly recommend they are never left unsupervised in your garden when you are not home.

Extracts from rehoming sheet below:

Ok so first things first I think this is very useful for anyone bringing a new rescue sighthound http://www.grwe.com/homingWelfare_careGuidelines.asp

Helping her settle:It may take a few days for DOG to settle and they often don’t really fully settle for a number of months. Don’t bombard her with lots of attention. Give her space and time. Let her explore her new surroundings and when she is comfortable she will come to you. This is a good link in relation to preventing separation anxiety.
http://www.rspca-westhatch.co.uk/SeparationAnxiety.htm

Feeding: A good quality dry food like Burns, Beta, Red Mills etc is best and can be supplmented with things like raw egg, tinned sardines, chicken a couple of times a week. Fish oil, like cod liver oil is great for joints and coat and a handful of dry porridge oats every day in the food is recommended. You must make sure that the protein content in the food is LESS than 20% or she will be bouncing off the walls. Ideally sighthounds should be feed on raised feeders like this http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_bowls_feeders/bowl_stands/129968 but its not essential. She should not be exercised for at least 1 hour after a meal or she could develop a very serious condition called bloat which can be fatal.

Keeping DOG safe: Always secure her in another room when you open the front door. She is fast and could easily slip out between legs. Baby gates are really useful even if you don’t need them for kids! Never leave her unattended in public or in the car. Sighthounds can attract the attention of people from certain sectors of the community who are interested in them for their potential hunting ability. If you are approached by anyone suspicious asking questions, tell them that DOG has epilepsy/bad leg, that she was given up because she wouldn't hunt and that she is spayed. They are only interested in the dogs to see if they would be good hunters or to use them for breeding. If DOG is left alone at home she should always be left in the house, even if you are only popping out for a few minutes to the local shop. Make sure DOG has a tag on her collar at all times with your number on it and Spayed/Microchipped. Do not put her name or your address on it. By law she is not required to be muzzled but she is required to be on lead as per the Control of Dogs Act. This applies to all greyhounds, lurchers and whippets. Whether you choose to follow this law is up to you! However, if she is off lead it does mean that you need to be careful where that happens and who is around. Also remember that some people have the wrong impression of sighthounds and think they will be vicious towards their dogs/kids. A dog charging over to someone’s dog/kid at very high speed, even though their intention is to be friendly could be very alarming to someone and could cause problems!

Socialisation: Take extra care when introducing her to other dogs. It is best when introducing her to dogs owned by friends/family for the first time to do so on neutral territory and on lead.

Recall training: I'd recommend this lead http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dog_collars_dog_leads/nylon_leads/sinle_colour/146580 rather than a flexi one. This blog has some good information on recall training greyhounds and it is all applicable to lurchers also http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/2011/09/introduction-to-recalls.html I would give her a few weeks settling in before you begin any kind of intensive training No matter how frustrated she is on the end of the lead, she should not be allowed off lead in an unsecure area until her recall is perfect and even then you need to pick safe places only, away from roads etc.

Collar: Martingale collars are the best for out walking and then some people prefer them to have a house collar on inside. She should NEVER be walked in a normal collar as they can easily slip off their thin necks! Here are some recommended places to purchase a collar http://www.cascollars.com/ http://www.kitschcollars.com/ http://aroundthehounds.com/ She will also need a coat in the rain/cold weather and may need a fleece coat at night in winter. They tend to feel the cold quite a lot. If she is a puller, we have found the Freedom harness great for our greyhound. They are similarly good for spookier dogs who may be at risk of slipping their collar. http://www.freedomnopullharness.com/

We strongly recommend that you look into getting insurance for DOG. Sighthounds in the main are relatively healthy dogs but it can be better to be safe than sorry. They do have quite thin skin so the most common minor complaint that would present itself is if they were playing with another dog and the other dog nipped and ripped the skin. That said I have had sighthounds for approx 8 years and have yet to have this happen!

Hi, not sure if I'm allowed post on an old post..
Just wondering if you have any advice for pet insurance.
I have a rescued lurcher (Approx 2 and half years old, doubt she ever raced, was likely to be used for lamping and then abandaned when injured), seems to be in great health but is always getting nicks with brambles and things so I imagine down the line, there's a possiblility her skin is going to get torn badly...
Would prefer to be safe than sorry and would love recommendation for a reputable insurance company.
I'm based in Galway.
Thanks

Mince Pie

raemie10 wrote:

Hi, not sure if I'm allowed post on an old post.. Just wondering if you have any advice for pet insurance. I have a rescued lurcher (Approx 2 and half years old, doubt she ever raced, was likely to be used for lamping and then abandaned when injured), seems to be in great health but is always getting nicks with brambles and things so I imagine down the line, there's a possiblility her skin is going to get torn badly... Would prefer to be safe than sorry and would love recommendation for a reputable insurance company. I'm based in Galway. Thanks

From research here and around I went with Allianz. Not the cheapest but apparently the best.

raemie10

Mince Pie wrote: »

From research here and around I went with Allianz. Not the cheapest but apparently the best.

Cheers, just signed up with them there. Hopefully won't have to use them, but better to be safe than sorry