Who am I?

Someone asked me this on Facebook a while ago when I posted as “Lurcher Link Rescue” and it’s been pointed out to me that, although some of the Lurcher Link stalwarts are well aware of who I am and how Lurcher Link came about, some of the new comers may not know.

So… my friend Kez and I used to volunteer for a lost dog organisation called Lurcher Search UK in the late 1990s and through this we became aware just how bleak life was for unwanted / stolen / lost Lurchers who were picked up as strays. There were a few Greyhound and Lurcher rescues around, but no dedicated Lurcher rescues. So we had a few chats about how we could go about setting one up, but as both of us were mums with young children, it was a bit of a pipe dream.

A few years later my family moved to where we still live now, where there was a disused workshop on the premises which we thought could be used as a small kennel space for one or two Lurchers in need, if any ever came our way. In the meantime Kez and her friends had been having a chat too and we were kindly offered a substantial donation to set up the rescue by one of their contacts. So, Lurcher Link officially came into being in December 2003.

I started up an online forum ( https://www.lurcherlink.org/llink/forum/index.php ) to post details of dogs needing homes and for like minded Lurcher folk to be able to have a chin wag. It’s still going, but the traffic has slowed down quite a bit since Facebook came on the scene. All the details of the Lurcher Link dogs needing homes and other people’s dogs needing rehoming can still be found on there though, as well as a fantastic Lurcher FAQ with some wonderful bits of advice from people who have lived with Lurchers for years.

As Lurcher Link grew, we took in more and more dogs until it became obvious that we needed to have a purpose built kennels to meet the dogs’ needs and to make my life simpler. At that time I was running the rescue, raising my family, working part time and looking after my disabled mum, so time was precious. With some serious fundraising and large donations from a few wonderful people, the kennel building came into being and the new occupants moved in. We soon found out though that however much kennel space you have, it’s never enough and there’s always one more dog needing help. So our house became the overflow for any young pups, elderly, or poorly dogs in need of TLC and we created a network of foster homes from volunteers.

A few years later, I was diagnosed with a debilitating illness called Sarcoidosis (an auto-immune condition) and degenerative arthritis in my spine and knees, which was affecting my ability to carry out the day to day physical tasks needed to look after the dogs. So, Lurcher Link took on a part time kennel hand, Kieron, and paid for him to do an apprenticeship in Animal Care with a local college whilst working for us. My son, Luke, covered the shifts that Kieron didn’t do and all went well, with me being freed up to catch up with the admin side of things.

This continued for a few years until Kieron left to pursue a carer in reptile care and we then welcomed Tamzin (Tammy) on to our team. Tammy is doing a part time degree at Durham University, so she and Luke split the kennel care between them, with Charlotte (my daughter) covering any emergencies and looking after a dog we have in our isolation facility, who really doesn’t like other dogs. Charlotte also set up and tailored our new CRM system to our needs when we realised that Lurcher Link really had to move with the times and become more compliant and make better use of online resources. This has been quite a steep learning curve for me as I’m of the note pad and pen era, but with tuition from Charlotte and Tammy, I’m getting there!

Sorry for the radio silence...

..but we’ve all just been cracking on with the mad influx of dogs needing to come in due to people going back to work after Lock Down and now people are giving them up because they can’t afford to keep them any more.

I have NEVER known rescue to be so desperate as it is at the moment. I dread answering the phone as I know I’ll be saying “I’m sorry we have no room” to yet another person who’s at their wits end trying to find somewhere to take their dog. …And STILL people are breeding them purely to make money out of cute puppies , then finding out the hard way that people don’t want to buy them any more.

We are perpetually finding ourselves in a “bottle neck” situation where we take in a couple of needy cases and then nothing gets rehomed for weeks, so we can’t bring anything else in. We are crying out for foster homes but they need to be sensible, not people who are out at work all day / have kittens / no fences / young children because unless it’s a dog we’ve assessed already, we don’t know what they’re going to be like in a home environment.

Lots of small rescues are closing down as they can’t cope with the stress involved or afford the running costs and it’s going to be horrendous over the winter months when we’ll need to have heating too. Thank goodness our kennels is well insulated and keeps itself fairly warm,

The food we use here has gone up about £5 a 15kg bag now (we use 3 a week) and the rice and pasta I normally use to make up our “lurcher’s stew” has at least tripled in price, even for the cheapest brands so I’m trying them on different vegetables (such as swede) as well as the carrots and celery they get added it, to try and pad it out a bit more.

Anyway… on the positive side…. we have finally had enough of working in the damp, mouldy, collapsing office outside and are replacing it with a new, insulated temporary building. I’ll do a separate post about that - but it’s also going to include an isolation kennel which is for emergencies only (I keep telling myself that!) and a walk in storage facility for the “stuff” which is currently taking over our conservatory - donated bedding / coats / leads/ tins…all of which we do need and does come in handy to pass on to people taking on a new or foster dog , but takes up a lot of space. We can can also use the building as a “meet and greet” space when it’s too wet to stand around out in the paddock.

So…that’s what we’ve been up to over the summer months :)

Easter Sunday at Askern April 2022

Sadly, I couldn’t get to Askern for the Easter Sunday Fun Show and Races, but I think Zetta summed it up nicely : Thanks so much to Deb Storey and Mr Pikes for running such a brilliant fundraiser for us at Askern yesterday. Deb put it all together in record breaking time and made it look easy! There was everything - racing, stalls, a show, an egg and spoon race and an amazing raffle. You name it, Deb had it covered.

Thank you to our amazing judges, Terry Smith and Deborah Ann, to Hannah Smith for all her help with the showing, to the stall holders who brought lots of lovely stuff to buy (hope you did well), to everyone who sponsored a race or a class - your generosity is amazing - and to everyone who donated a raffle prize - the prizes were fantastic and there was about a billion of them. Thanks also to the lads who ambushed everyone who came through the gate and sold them raffle tickets and to everyone else who leant a hand, stepped in to give people breaks and were generally up beat, helpful and positive - thank you all xxx

Last but by no means least, thank you to everyone who came to run and show their dogs. It wouldn't work without you! Some of you made long journeys to be there, so thank you so much for making the effort. The races were fast and furious and safe, the showing was full of beautiful hounds and waggy tails and expert and not so expert biscuit catchers, and thank you to everyone who forked out maaaany two quids to have a go at everything! There were some big shows on this weekend, and to those of you who chose us instead of them because it was for a good cause, we really do appreciate it. It was lovely to see you.

Over £1100 was raised for Luncher Link and I think everyone had a pretty fab time, judging from some of the photos that’ve been posted. Some raced, some larked about and some took part in the showing and the weather was great.

Thank you all so much on behalf of the Lurcher Link dogs

LL Rupert with his haul of trophies

“I believe I can fly……”

Hairy Lurchers

Lots of Lurchers

And some not so Lurchery dogs

Racing Photography courtesy of Dave Midgely of Coalcroft.com

https://www.coalcroft.com/p/98786fvc/lurcher-link-askern-apr-22

Here’s to the next one…………………

Lurcher behaviours explained for the uninitiated.......

……Shared on Lurcher Link Rescue Chat by Kayleigh Newman

1. Bitey face.

Whilst this may look like you’re about to say goodbye to your face by way of headbutting a belt sander, it is actually just air nipping. Be prepared to move out of the way of Speilberg’s "Jaws" quicker than The Flash before you loose the tip of your nose. Also don't confuse this between actual biting.

2. The bottom jaw quiver.

Whilst often misinterpreted for anxiousness or being cold, what you have is in fact a lurcher. It shakes, so you put heaps of blankets on, make them a cuppa, cuddle them. This leads to more jaw wobbling because they are in fact so content whilst your wondering what the f*** is wrong with them and if you need to seek an emergency vet consultation.

3. Zoomies.

Whilst assessing your maniac for ADHD and wondering when / if they are going stop, remember this is completely normal behaviour -they are prone to just yelling "Suprise mother f***er!!!!" as they jump on top of you, landing their bony legs in your crotch, cleavage, face, and fatty parts before p***ing off all over again. They are sighthounds, but this doesn’t stop them from just bowling straight at you, going for the strike at the Hollywood Bowl.

4. Yelling and feigning a limp.

Of course lurchers are dramatic. You’re going for a bath? "SING THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE IN A MURDEROUS TONE". Trimming those claws? Close your windows and doors or the neighbour’s going to call the RSPCA and a SWAT team for the apparent murder that's taking place in your bathroom. Step on a crumb? Make sure your vet is patient, you have a healthy heart and a good sense of humour or you will get a heart attack when it turns out your lurcher is fine, but you got the bill for xrays, sedation, blood checks and a Michelin star chef for the stay because none of the store-bought peasant food was good enough. (Always seek advice from your vet if there is a genuine concern.)

Enjoy!

Photo by Melissa Tullett

So many dogs..................

It seems never ending at the mo, people ringing, emailing , texting, PM-ing that they desperately NEED to find another home for their (invariably teenage hoolie) Lurcher as they “can’t cope with him any more and they’ve tried EVERYTHING!!! “

These are the pups bought from back yard breeders during lockdown when folk thought it would be lovely to have a puppy while they were stuck at home……which means the pups were also stuck at home - no puppy classes, very little social interaction with other dogs etc etc. People got a Lurcher pup because they were relatively cheap compared to the thousands of pounds being asked for pedigree dogs during Covid…. because they’re “lovely family dogs”, “sleep around the house all day” “are good with other dogs”…. only if they’ve had training and exercise, they’re not born to be sociable, lazy snoozers :(

And just WHY should anyone else want to take on an almost fully grown dog with behavioural issues, that’s probably not been neutered (so will cost £££ to do) when they could get “this year’s model”of a pup with none of those hang-ups installed in it yet? Yes a “home in the countryside” sounds wonderful, but guess what….they’re very few and far between!! A dog that lives in a rural environment has to be better behaved than an urban one anyway as it has to be livestock friendly as well and sociable with other dogs / people.!

Our kennels is pretty rammed with antisocial, badly trained young dogs at the mo and overflowing into our house, which my family are heartily sick of. We can’t go out to a shop without someone staying downstairs with the dogs to stop the anxious barking. We can’t watch any tv programs (or adverts) with animals (even cartoon ones!) or the exocet Saluki x hurls herself at the tv which is above the fire and sets all the other dogs off barking! We can’t have visitors (could be a plus point!) and going away for a couple of days is like planning a military manoeuvre.

Yes we work with these dogs and try to rehabilitate them but it would be so much easier if the original owners had done the basic training principles and they wouldn’t have to languish in kennels taking up space that we desperately need for other dogs to come in, causing a bottle neck. We need foster homes willing to take on these young dogs and work with them, get them socialised, teach them manners etc etc………. please if you can help, get in touch : kaye@lurcherlink.org

Lucky Jim has now found a lovely home

How to prepare your dog for you going back to work, post Covid.

A lot of people have been working from home over the last year or so, or shielding, having to spend the majority of their time indoors. This could all be about to change now the rules are being altered and this may affect your dog, especially if he’s come to live with you during lock down, so he's never known anything else. Most dogs are happiest when their “family” are around and this is going to be a huge change for them. Unfortunately, we're already seeing dogs being given up to rescue because they can't cope with being left.

Even if you're still mostly at home, it's still important that you teach your dog to feel comfortable with being left for short periods, so that they won't get stressed if you need to leave them for any reason. Ideally you should start doing this when a dog is still a pup, so it just becomes normal to them, but obviously if you're taking on an adult rescue dog, this can be more of a challenge.

It is completely normal for a newly adopted dog (or a pup) to want to follow you everywhere (yes even to the loo!), and become anxious when you leave the room. This is because he's in a totally strange environment and is feeling lost and alone. Imagine if you took a 2 year old child away from its family home and put it into a new place with unfamiliar people (Kindergarten with no Mum / Dad??) ...it takes time and a bit of effort to get them to feel comfortable with their new surroundings.

If he's going to be an only dog, let him follow you around to begin with, you can start training with simple one word commands at this time too......”come”, “sit” etc with lots of praise when he does it. This clingy behaviour will start to decrease after a while once your dog starts to feel more at home, but it's a good idea to ensure you can spend time at home with him for a few weeks settling him in. If there’s another dog in the home, he may settle down more quickly as long as the other dog accepts him and isn’t anxious at being left too.

You'll suddenly notice that he's not following you everywhere and is happily chomping on a chew in front of the fire or snoozing on the sofa whilst you nip into the kitchen...now is the time to start gradually extending these periods. If he pops his head round the door to see what you're up to, just talk to him in a quiet, relaxed manner and try to “ignore” him whilst you get on with whatever it is you're doing. If he starts whining at you, see if he needs to go out for a pee and then take him back to the place you'd left him snoozing, with a command of “lie down” or similar, give him a chew / filled Kong / a favourite toy and encourage him to stay there again. It will be a “three steps forward, two steps back” process to start off with, but you'll get there once he's convinced you're not about to escape out of the window and abandon him.

If you're going to use a crate for him as a safe place indoors, now is a good time to familiarise him with it by setting it up in a quiet spot and putting toys and treats in it, even feed him in it, but leave the door open for a few days. Then, once he's OK with being in it, you could shut the door whilst he's eating his chew / food and then open it again after a few minutes, gradually building up the time until he's happy to stay in there whilst you're busy in another room / outside etc. You may need to warn your neighbours that there could be some noise to start off with.

If you chose not to use a crate, you may need to set up some special “enrichment” objects for him around the house. These can be things like a “destruction box” which is basically a cardboard box filled with loosely wrapped small treats in newspaper or packing paper that your dog can rip up to keep him occupied (think “pass the parcel” games for kiddies) ; Kongs filled with food that'll take a while to get out (such as creamy cheese from a tube and bits of kibble, sandwich paste from a jar, peanut butter (the dog kind!) - all of which can be frozen and that'll take even longer to work through!) : snuffle mats which can be used to hide small treats in: you can get special dog toys which act as a food puzzle and you can use old loo roll tubes stuffed with scrunched up paper and treats. Ring the changes too, or he might get bored with the same thing every day.

The key to getting your dog used to being left is to gradually increase the amount of time alone as long as he's comfortable with it. Start by leaving him for a couple of minutes and if, when you come back, he's busy with his toy/ treat, leave for a little longer but try to return as he's finishing with it. You can practise this every day, several times a day, slowly increasing the time you're gone but try to return before he starts showing signs of stress at being left such as panting/ barking / howling/ whining/ being destructive / toileting indoors.

If you have a web cam it can make this much easier, especially if you have one that you can “talk to” the dog to reassure him, as you can watch his behaviour when you're out. If it seems he's quite happy with your absence, you could try leaving it a bit longer before you return.

However, if your dog becomes really distressed at being left, you'll need to reduce the time and begin again gradually increasing the time and possibly doing more things to help him chill, such as leaving a radio on for him (we have Radio 2 on all the time in our kitchen, so the dogs downstairs are used to a continuous background chatter) and this will also help to mask any noises from outside such as people shouting, cars back firing etc. Sometimes a loudly ticking clock will help too as it seems to comfort the dogs – maybe back to mum's heartbeat in the womb???

Sometimes it's better for the dog to have the run of the house (or at least downstairs) rather than be shut in one room as they can panic because they don't know what's happening in the rest of the house. You can always use a stair gate to block off your stairs if you don't want the dog upstairs.

Paradoxically, some dogs prefer to be left in a small secure place of their own, such as a crate but each dog will be different and just because that's what you did with your last dog, it doesn't mean this one will be OK with it. Sometimes, with adult rescue dogs, we don't know their history and it could be they've had a bad experience with being shut into a windowless room or similar, so you'll have to watch and observe.

When you do go out of the house, try to keep it low key and don't make a big announcement. If your dog seems really stressed by you putting on a coat / hat / shoes, try putting them on at random times and sit and watch TV, make a cuppa etc, so he doesn't associate it with you leaving. Ditto with your keys – pick them up, make a noise, put them back down again and don't go anywhere.

When you come back in, don't make a big fuss either, just a casual greeting and IF he's done anything destructive or messy whilst you've been out, DON'T TELL HIM OFF. I know it's just a natural thing for you to do, but he won't connect the fact he's done something an hour or so ago with you being cross. He'll be so relieved you've come home and if you tell him off, it will stress him out each time you come home, creating a vicious cycle. Just quietly clear it up, once he's been out for a pee and you can praise him for that, giving him a small treat to keep him busy.

You can always moan to us at Lurcher Link, through the forum or on FB and will get loads of advice and “me too” stories to help you cope. We've all been there and even though it feels like it's a hopeless task and you're all on your own, you're not, so take out your frustration on us, not the dog. I can guarantee in a couple of years you'll look back on this period and you'll know it was worth the struggle.

Dog Theft

Whilst there’s always been a problem with dog theft, it’s very obvious that it’s increased a vast amount recently. There’s probably a myriad of reasons for this, but that doesn’t stop the heartache of losing your dog - the “not knowing” is the worst bit. To use I word I hate, at least if you know the dog’s been killed, you have “closure”.

I was quite shocked to hear that there’s a 250% rise in dog thefts and that 54% of dog thefts nowadays happen from the owner’s garden. There are also reports of people masquerading as RSPCA inspectors and claiming they need to take a dog away with them as it matches the report of a stolen dog!

Please guys - be paranoid!!! Don’t leave your dog unattended if you go out with it (eg tied up outside a shop) , don’t allow people to fuss and take photos of it ( they may be looking at the address tag) and in the case of Lurchers, never boast about how fast your dog can run / how many xxxxxx it catches, etc etc!

Neuter your dogs so they can’t be used for breeding, make sure they’re microchipped and/or tattooed (with NDTR) and their details are kept up to date. Even dogs that can’t be bred from can be used as bait dogs for dog fighting gangs though - and no dog deserves that fate so please keep them safe.

This article is worth a read:

https://groomarts.com/blogs/2021/dog-theft-awareness-how-to-keep-your-dog-safe-during-lockdown-and-beyond

This poor Galga was rescued after being used as a bait dog

Requests for Rehoming Dogs

Maybe I’m being cynical, but I feel we’re getting more “random” requests about rehoming now because people want “ a dog” rather than a LURCHER and are finding it difficult to get a pup through other means.

I’m aware there’s a lot of back yard breeders who are charging extortionate prices for crossbreed “designer” dogs and a lot of these dogs have no proper health checks or care in their breeding, leading to all sorts of health problems. So I DO understand why people are approaching rescues, but we have a duty of care to the dogs in our charge, which is why it can seem like we’re asking a lot of questions.

This is why I’m making this post - just to ensure folk know what it entails to adopt a Lurcher:

Do not underestimate the commitment involved if you adopt any dog. You are promising to give them a loving, supportive home for the rest of their lives. This means loving and accepting them unconditionally, through the good and the bad times, the happy and infuriating . If you cannot say you won’t give up on them, then please think again about adoption. Bouncing back and forward to new homes and kennels can affect the dog’s mental health and we try very hard not to let this happen - hence all the background questions.

Dogs cost money: food, Insurance, vet bills and any medical issues that may arise. Can you realistically afford it on a regular basis?

Lurchers are generally social animals - if you intend to leave your dog alone at home for more than 4 hours a day, then you should really consider whether having a dog is suitable for you. We do get some older dogs in that are used to being left all day etc, but they may not adapt quickly to the same routine in a new home…they will take time to settle in. Puppies certainly should not be left alone for long as they need companionship and tutoring to become a well rounded dog.

Most Lurchers can jump if they want to. This is why we suggest that any hedges, walls and fences to your property are 6 feet in height with no gaps. If yours aren’t, we will suggest ways of raising them and blocking any holes at the bottom of hedges. Just because your old dog never got out, doesn’t mean a new one won’t try to!

All dogs need time to settle into a new home - we normally reckon on about 3 weeks for a “normal dog” until they feel “relaxed” - some really unsocialised cases can take far longer. .Even if they are clean in a foster home, there still may be “ accidents” with house training, until they get used to a new routine. You need to be patient and to take them outside more often to start with, giving a “command” such as “ Go Pee” and praise them when they do. They’ll have had many changes recently, please give them time to adjust to their new life.

Also if you want a dog who can be let off-lead with little supervision, please consider a different breed. Although Lurchers are rather beautiful when in full flight, they can run a long distance in a very short time especially if chasing something. In a secure environment this isn’t usually a problem (unless they run into something/one), but I’ve noticed a real rise in lost / stolen Lurchers this year and some of those have sadly been involved in RTA's. Please be sensible and consider whether it’s safe to let your sighthound off the lead in each environment - you can hire securely fenced dog fields nowadays for a safe blast around.

Each type of Lurcher has it’s own characteristics depending on the cross, giving them their own distinct charm, but there are some fairly typical traits for each type, for example, Salukis have a reputation for being “aloof” (think cats) , the bull x’s are usually very people oriented but don’t like being left much, Beddie x’s are fiesty terriers under that fluff! It really does depend on the mix but with any Lurcher you should always expect to have to share your sofa and food. They tend to have “ selective hearing” and you’ll have some “exciting” walks - especially if they see rabbits, squirrels etc, so if you don’t want to live life on the edge with your dog, reconsider getting a Lurcher!

If that’s not put you off - fill in our pre-adoption questionnaire :

https://www.lurcher-link.org/preadoption-questionnaire

and we’ll have a chat.

K

McDuff and Ralph (rehomed)

Lurchery Knits Feedback

Just thought I’d share some feedback photos from “happy customers” of my lockdown knitting efforts…..I’m doing this as I’m “shielding” due to being a vulnerable person and it’s a way to keep busy and fundraise for LL.

If you’d like anything along these lines making, give me a shout : kaye@lurcherlink.org or have a nosey in our shop: https://www.lurcher-link.org/shop

Rehoming Guidelines during lock down

This is the official guidance for rescues at the moment - as we are a small rescue, we don’t have the staff to do transportation and as I’m “clinically extremely vulnerable”, I’m not allowed to do it myself as I’m shielding. So basically, we’re closed for rehomings at the moment.

Happy New Year folks

I hope we’ve all managed to see the New Year in sensibly and safely and not too many of you had to put up with a barrage of fireworks. Unfortunately there are a LOT of dogs being reported missing due to fireworks scaring them, so please do keep an eye out on your local social media sites just in case you come across a “stray” whilst out with your own dogs. It’s not a bad idea to take a spare slip lead out with you anyway, just in case.

Just to remind people - if you do come across a stray dog and you end up having to take it home because none of the services that deal with the situation are open - it is an offence to take in a dog and keep it. It’s basically theft and all found dogs have to be reported to the local dog warden, who will then tell you what’s the correct procedure for your area. If you can get the dog scanned for a microchip - local vets do it for free and there are a lot of scanning groups in local areas who will come out and do it for you - and there’s a microchip, this must be reported to the chip company that the dog’s registered with. There could be some family desperate for news of their missing dog.

I’d also like to warn people that there are a LOT of dogs being stolen at the mo -groups taking them to sell on / breed from / get a ransom for. People are being mugged out on walks and their dogs stolen, as well as dogs being taken out of gardens/ cars/ outside shops. Please. if you make just ONE NY’s resolution let it be to KEEP YOUR DOG SAFE. Make sure their microchip details are up to date with your current address and phone number. and make sure they’re wearing a securely fitting collar with ID tag (that’s actually a legal requirement!) and take some photos of your dog, so you have an up to date image. You can also register your dog with some organisations such as Dog Lost, so if it does go missing, they’ll have all the details of the dog stored already.

https://www.doglost.co.uk/barkout.php

There’s some horrible people out there, just wanting to make some money from people’s pets - so let’s make it as difficult as possible for them.

Xmas comes early for the LL dogs

We had a surprise delivery from one of Santa’s little helpers today- a car load of Xmas shoeboxes for the dogs at LL HQ and some very posh gifts bags with goodies in them too.

So we’re now fully stocked with sardines and all sorts of lovely treats plus some new blankets if it gets chilly.

Thank you so much to the Sighthound Social Club members who’ve kindly donated things to the shoebox appeal and to the volunteers who’ve helped to distribute them - especially Elf Chauffeur Andy :D

Old friends, new arrivals

I had a lovely surprise email about one of our rehomed hounds from 11 years ago…the gorgeous “ Ollie” who is living a life of luxury in London with his human “staff” . He’s much loved and admired wherever he goes, with good reason - he’s such a handsome chap.

Ollie living the life

It looks like all the puppies have homes to go to now, plus a “reserve” list in case anyone should have to drop out. It’s been hard work trying to do homechecks on people with Covid restrictions in place, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to our volunteers who’ve gone above and beyond with virtual homechecks, outside visits and photos of fencing etc. You all deserve a medal

Puppies update

I’m happy to say that the pups seem to be thriving, even though Mum has decided she’s had enough of them and is keeping out of the way for most of the time. They’ve got their eye open now and are starting to lap, so hopefully it’s all systems go. We were a little concerned about the smallest one, Marcus, as he didn’t seem to be feeding as much, but some timely intervention by the foster folks with supplementary bottles seems to have given him a boost.

We had a puppy naming raffle and the people who chose the winning numbers were allowed to pick a name for a pup…this is what we ended up with :

Girls: 1 Molly

2 Lucy

3 Dottie

4 Rosie

5 Maggie

6 Habeeti

Boys: 1 Marcus

2 Jax

3 Arthur

Every pup has already been reserved, without even advertising them, which is fantastic. Our wonderful volunteers have been busy doing virtual homechecks and keeping tabs on who’s having which pup…so exciting !!

New arrivals....

We rehomed the lovely Luna a few weeks ago, knowing she’d had her first season just before she was surrendered to rescue and couldn’t be spayed for three months. Imagine everyone’s surprise when she was pronounced in pup last week and gave birth to 9 puppies a couple of days later!!!

Luckily her new owners have adapted to the situation ( they said “what else are we going to do in 4 weeks lock down?” ) and we already have people expressing an interest in rehoming a pup when they’re old enough.

Hey ho - life is full of surprises :D

Advice to people thinking of getting a Lurcher

I saw a very sensible piece of advice to potential Lurcher owners on Arundawn Rescue’s FB pages the other day and thought “ they’re going through the same thing as us, trying to convince potential new owners that Lurchers are not cute dogs which lie around on the sofa all day”. Yes, they can be lazy - but that’s normally after they’ve had a good run. Yes, they can live with cats and small furries - but they were originally bred to hunt and that instinct is still in them. Yes ,they can be friendly with other dogs, but only if they’ve been socialised properly as pups.

Please, please, please folks - do your research on Lurchers, but not only on “Lurchers” as a generic type of dog, but on the various crosses which can make up a Lurcher. A saluki x is going to behave in a totally different way to a Bedlington x and if you’re going to take a dog into your life, you need to know what you’re taking on!

And that’s without all the “Lurcher x’s” as people try to pass off their unwanted, long legged Mongrels of indeterminate parentage. There’s nowt wrong with a good old fashioned mongrel as long as you don’t expect it to be something it’s not. I admit I have little faith in most of these DNA tests people are wasting their money on as they seem to detect breeds of dogs which no sane Lurcherman would entertain including in a Lurcher’s breeding. However, 20 odd years ago, I remember people scoffing at Bull x Lurchers and now they’re one of the most common types (in rescue anyway!) - but that’s the thing with Lurchers, they’re adaptable “tools” for whatever people want to do with them. I’ve seen saluki x’s doing Obedience and Agility,; Bull x’s doing Scentwork - “horses for courses”.

There are various forums / groups on the Internet which you can join and seek advice (everyone wants to talk about their dogs!!) and I’d recommend reading every book you can find about Lurchers, whether you intend to “work” your dog or not - it helps you understand how they tick.

Also - I’ve come to realise that because of Covid 19, the prices of puppies - both pedigree and crossbreed- have skyrocketed because people want a “ Lockdown Puppy”. I’ve heard of prices from £900 for a “Whippet x” to over £3k for a pedigree Whippet and I’m sure there’s worse. So people are looking at rescue dogs as a cheaper alternative. I’m being asked on a daily basis for dogs which are xxx coated / xxx colour/ good with kids/ cats/ goats/ chickers : under 22 ins tall etc, etc. You cannot come to rescue with a shopping list. We take in other people’s rejects. Sometimes we have some history for them, if they’re found straying, we don’t. Some of the dogs we take in need months and months of work to make them fit to rehome and my only concerns are finding the RIGHT home for the dogs in our care. We don’t rehome dogs on looks, but on their temperament and needs. So If I think a dog you’ve “fallen in love with” isn’t suitable, I will tell you and try to find one which is better suited.

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This is from Arundawn Rescue ( https://www.arundawndogrescue.co.uk/ ) :

Please note that lurchers are NOT all 'couch potatoes' needing little exercise and lying around on sofas with legs in the air! We are getting many applications which are sadly unsuitable for lurchers as there seems to be a belief that these fabulous 'running dogs' are lazy. (The internet plays a big part in this) Whilst an older lurcher often becomes a home loving and comfort seeking companion, a younger one will generally thrive on good exercise, free running, socialisation and stimulation. There are so very many 'varieties' of lurcher from straight sighthound crosses to any sighthound cross with any other dog that we really cannot and should not generalise, however many of the lurchers arrving in rescue are Saluki crosses and these crosses are generally high energy, have great stamina and resiance, play hard and fast, are not for the 'faint hearted', love their human company but also love their independence and more ... They make fantastic friends and loyal companions but need time and training - they rarely come 'ready made'!

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Just to make a point - I know these dogs’ breeding, but to look at them, how many people would guess what they are???

This is a BULL x Lurcher

This is a SALUKI / Grey x Bull

This is a DEERHOUND x

Special Sighthound Sundays Scarf Offer

Sighthound Sundays has teamed up with greyhound Long Boi Duggan to to keep you stylish, cozy and on-brand with a very special Nordic inspired scarf!

Friends of Lurcher Link Rescue will receive a special 5% discount on scarf orders placed using our special link or by simply entering LLR during checkout. 

What’s more, proceeds from each LLR sale will go to support the hounds in our care this winter. 

Pre-orders are open until 18th October at a special price of £16 plus shipping, then are available for £19 and will be fulfilled from mid November. 

https://sighthoundsundays.com/collections/frontpage/products/2020-nordic-scarves?discount=llr

Gearing up for Christmas

I know, it’s not even Halloween yet… but wheels are turning at LL to get ready for Christmas time. Our 2021 Calendars are now ready to buy as well as our latest batch of Christmas cards, drawn by our own LL members.

https://www.lurcher-link.org/shop/2020-lurcher-link-calendar

https://www.lurcher-link.org/shop/nxs0dj6t8fx24jdlo8e8u6cesdh0sx

I’m knitting as if it’s going out of fashion and we have a bunch of little Christmas themed “recyclable” gift bags

https://www.lurcher-link.org/shop/hand-knitted-christmas-gift-bags-small

and there’s various cosy snoods to keep your hounds’ necks warm on these chilly days, plus snuggly scarves and hats to keep your ears warm when walking the dogs.

https://www.lurcher-link.org/shop

There will be other odds and ends added to the shop page from time to time, so keep an eye on it!

If you want to buy a bit of this and one of those, your best bet is to get in touch with me (kaye@lurcherlink.org) or Sue ( sue.lehuray@hotmail.co.uk) and ask how much the combined P&P will be plus you can pay by BACS that way :)

2021 Calendar

Mixed pack of cards

Knitted gift bags

Warm and snuggly cream ombre hat

Snoods to keep your dogs’ neck cosy

Advice for people in quarantine who have dogs

I’ve been sent this link from UK Gov, giving advice for people that are quarantining and unable to walk their own dog:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-people-with-animals#dogs

Seems pretty sensible advice. As always, if you have any problems finding someone to help out with your dog during these strange times, it’s worth asking on the LL Facebook or Twitter groups to see if anyone can help.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/930736200340168 and @LurcherLink

Hope, Harley and Harvey

I’m so pleased to be able to report that not only have our poorly pups all pulled through (even though Hope was in and out of the vets on drips several times!) but they’ve now all got new homes to go to.

Hope is now “Trudie” and has gone to live with one of our long-term LL members who desperately needed something to cheer her up after a sudden bereavement. I know she’ll be loved to bits and we’ll get regular “pupdates” on her progress.

The other 2 are both going to homes with other dogs, so they’ll not be lonely missing their siblings. I’d just like to say a tremendous THANK YOU to Sue, Rob and family who have looked after these little urchins and have literally saved their lives. Thank you also to all the vet staff who’ve been involved in taking care of them. Plus, of course a HUGE “THANK YOU” to everyone who’s contributed to their vet bills by taking part in our on-line fundraisers.

This could so easily have ended in tragedy, but thanks to peoples’ commitment, we have 3 healthy pups looking forward to the rest of their lives.

Trudie putting her best foot forward

Harvey and Harley exploring the big dogs’ water bowl - even though theirs is by their feet!