Do you have a Staffy or a Lurcher?

Staffies can be lovely dogs and fantastic companions Discogran but I would say not for someone with no experience of the breed especially if you are thinking of a rescue.
Lurchers I have no experience of.
Good luck with your search, there are lots of great dogs looking for homes, I'm sure you will find one you can give a good home to. Just take your time and don't be swayed by sob stories.

Lurchers are rather big to handle and one I wouldn't really go for if I was looking for one needing to be re-homed. Nor a Staffie for that matter unless from a puppy as you won't know the true temperament of either.

My terrier was attacked on two occasion by a Staffie.
The rescue dogs have often had very nasty owners and could be more trouble than they are worth.
Lurchers have a strong instinct to hunt, this could be problematic.
Think carefully about exercise, moulting and temperament.
If you have grandchildren make sure the dog is good around children.

discogran ask yourself why so many Staffies and Lurchers need new homes, as someone has said they really need to be puppies when you have them especially if you have youngsters around.
Greyhounds are very good rescue dogs, need no more exercise than a normal dog and have really been through hell and back. I’d go for a greyhound every time, there are 3 in our village and some friends also have 2.
Great pets and they really deserve some love.

True staffordshire bull terriers used to be called the Nannie dog because of excellent temperament. But, they have been mixed with various bull breeds, many used as fighting or status dogs. I'd be very wary of adopting a staffie from a rescue centre because of that. One of my gentle dogs was attacked by a staffie who ran out of woodland, grabbed my dog and left 11 puncture wounds in his neck. They are strong jawed.

Lurchers are beautiful, usually gentle dogs. A friend rescued one from the sight hound charity. she's a gentle soul around the house, good with grandchildren but -she's killed two cats. She is now always walked on a long line, wearing a muzzle. My sister had a lurcher who never lost her high prey urge, so again, couldn't be walked off lead.

Its good that you are considering a rescue. Have you had dogs in the past? Do you have small children visiting ? Some breeds are easier to care for than others. You could use google to read up on breed characteristics but please, beware the myths about various poodle crosses. They can be fabulous pets but, the myths include, don't shed, easy to train, always good with children -none of this is always so, plus they're from breeds who love water, bred to retrieve from water so they love swimming and mud. their coats almost always need professional grooming every 6 - 8 weeks.. I've had two fabulous poodle crosses, one of them came to me as a pup, from a reputable breeder. He presented more of a challenge for training / temperament than any rescue dog I ever had.

My rescues have all been great dogs, all mongrel/x breeds but its harder to find them these days. the shelters are full of lurchers, staffs and old German shepherds. Very sad. You'll find though that after lockdown, there will be many young dogs/puppies needing adoption. So many people decided lockdown was the ideal time to get a puppy.
best of luck

My niece has a rescue Staffie. She’s a good-natured dog but is exuberant and very strong physically. She is inadvertently hard on their home, as she runs around and swipes things off surfaces with her tail and wears out the carpet. She also jumps up onto you and her claws are rock hard!

I’m sure these are all things that could be dealt with by good training but that involves time and effort, which might not be something you can do.

Lurchers every time for me. Staffies can be lovely dogs but as one tried to kill my whippet recently they’re not on my favourite breeds list. Lurchers aren’t too good if they want a dog you can just let off a lead on walks but in the house and with people they’re wonderful: they come in all sizes and I’d go for a smaller one. I guess it depends what they’re mixed with regarding prey drive. I’ve known a few bull whippets and they seem nice: seem to take on the best characteristics of both breeds.

Over the past wo years, as a family, we have had rescue Springer Spaniels. All lovely. My younger son has 2 rescue labs, and they often act as foster parents for labs awaiting Re-homing. Their second lab stayed with them. Last week they took a former RAF dog for short-term fostering. They expected a well-trained dog. And we’re thinking of keeping him. Within 2 days this dog had terrorised humans and dogs. At one point he wouldn’t allow my son into the house. My son and his wife were bitten, requiring hospital treatment. This story didn’t end well. Who knows what this poor dog had experienced! I urge you to find out the background of any dog you adopt. Good luck. You are doing a great thing.

Over the past 20 years! Not 2

We've had two lurchers

Wonderful dogs.

DiscoGran

I Have a lurcher, a second one, from a puppy. She is 11 years old, smiles a lot and likes the sofa. Lurchers are 'gaze hounds' meaning hunt by sight, rather than smell.

Always found good natured with children, depends on child, naturally. ONLY draw back, can be thiefs!!! Do not leave food handy!

Keep on lead if unsure about sheep etc. Or on sheep country. Usually a greyhound/cross???

seriously considering a rescue one next time.

Well worth considering, very loving.

Thank you all for your input, much appreciated. It does help to hear different opinions on this. You hear good and bad about these breeds, don't you.
Our old, much loved dog was pts in January. He was a terrier cross from a rescue, we got him at 4/5 and he lived to be 14. A very gentle, funny and good boy. Very good with the little ones. He will be a hard act to follow.
Friends of ours have labradors, cockerpoos and schnauzers, all lovely in their way, but I prefer a "heinzy".
We probably will wait till the autumn, and where we live there are no shortage of rescue centres. ?

My dog is a whippet lurcher and is the easiest dog I have eaver had. She is aged about sixteen now and is still very healthy , fit, and shapely. Her coat is very low maintenance. She requires very little for walkies although when she goes out is very gentle on the lead. Never starts a fight. Never gets fat from over eating.

One problem is she is not easy to train like the more intelligent breeds , and recall off lead can be a problem. Her prey drive towards small animals is high so you could not let a lurcher live with pet guinea pigs or rabbits.

Some very tall long lurchers with a lot of greyhound in them are a lot easier to live with than independent terriers. Lurchers typically sleep most of the time and don't demand to be petted/fed/ walked/ stimulated as much as most other sorts.
Your lurcher will however be able to bark when strangers come to your door.

I love my two staffie dogs more than anything in the world.
They are older now but I have had them since small puppies.
They do not bother with other dogs too much these days although when younger they were good as gold and never have I had a days trouble with another dog owner. They have been the best dogs I have ever owned and all these people that demonize the staffie should have known mine over the years and would have a change of opinion.
My vet loves them and all the staff and I often take them in to the surgery just to say hello.

I agree 3nanny6 they are great dogs, unfortunately quite a lot of owners are not good. These are the dogs sadly who often end up in rescue centres. As a result of ill treatment they can be unpredictable and as they are so strong it makes handling difficult.
I hope you have many more happy years with your Staffies.

Thank-you Sodapop. Some staffies do end up in the wrong hands which is so sad for the dog. Happily I have watched many of the dog rescue programmes and some of the staffies are considered safe enough to be re-homed and go on to make life-long companions. Every extra year I have with my dogs is a bonus they are like family members to me now.

My DIL’s parents have a staffie and by all accounts he’s a big softie.

I know both breeds and would advise a Staffie. Lurchers need experienced and fit owners. They make lovely pets but have a strong prey instinct and can be very loud when exited.

If you go to a reputable Rescue Centre you will find lots of lovely gentle Staffies there. The reason they end up there is not because of their behaviour at all, but they tend to be bought by the wrong people for the wrong reasons and when these morons realise that owning a dog means training it, feeding it, walking it and cleaning up after it (which they hadn’t a clue about) they take the easy way out and dump it.

Don't forget that there are also a lot of greyhounds who need good homes. I understand that they don't need a lot of exercise and have lovely natures.
I hope you find a pet to suit you. You have years of fun ahead.

We have a rescue Whippet/Lurcher too and she is 11 years old now. She is great with children and anyone she meets, obedient and a good little guard dog in the house. She loves attention and my only complaint is that she can be a whinger for no reason. I've always had terriers and found Staffies to be the most loving family dog, provided they've been brought up correctly. My little Border Terrier passed away last year and I took a chance on a 4yo rescue Border, she gets on brilliant with the Whippet and is a joy to have around. As with any rescue dog, I wouldn't leave them alone with children unless they were brought up with them or you can trust them completely.

I agree Mealybug, dogs and young kids not to be left alone togerther. I'd add if only to protect the dog. Puppies aren't toys.

It's true lurchers can be difficult when out on walks as you have to have trained them from puppy or know them very well before you can let them run free. Also when running free a lurcher can knock you over when it does decide to be recalled. I suppose a Staffie can knock you over too if you are an old woman like me.

My lovely neighbours have a lovely Staffie, who has never been any bother with the dogs who live nearby, including mine. Suddenly last week it went for another neighbour's dog - blood was spilt.
I assume you are a gran. If you have young grandchildren (under 10?), please think carefully about which dog you get. Any dog is a gamble with children, but if you know something of its history and the parentage, you lessen the odds.
Good luck with your search.

Our current two rescue lurchers bring our total to having had 8 of these wonderful dogs. Loving, gentle, and extremely lazy, We think they are a brilliant breed.

Lurchers every time they are so gentle and loving dogs,visit a rescue a few times to get to know your dog before you take him/her home you will have a friend for life.
Staffies I know a few who are lovely dogs but they have been with their owners since puppies older ones in kennels I wouldn't touch as you can not judge their temperaments 100%.