{"id":2701,"date":"2016-08-31T12:41:50","date_gmt":"2016-08-31T12:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/?p=2701"},"modified":"2017-04-16T13:39:00","modified_gmt":"2017-04-16T13:39:00","slug":"the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/","title":{"rendered":"The Utterly True History of the Lurcher"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Do you really know the role of the<strong> lurcher<\/strong> in history? Of course you don&#8217;t. So much has been suppressed by the so-called authorities \u2013 the paramilitary division of the Kennel Club alone has twenty seven officers dedicated to thwarting recognition of the lurcher&#8217;s deserved top-dog status. Only <em>greydogtales<\/em> has the courage to tell you the truth. This, then, is what really happened, from the Book of Kells to the First World War (selected entries only)\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>(Oh, and in view of the many new enthusiasts of weird fiction, horror and weird art who have been visiting us, we should point out that this is what happens every so often on <\/em>greydogtales<em>. It&#8217;s the price you pay for getting cool features on your stuff.)<\/em><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>All dates are given as CE (Christian Era) because we can&#8217;t be bothered to work out the alternatives.<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">THE LURCHER IN HISTORY<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2703\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2703\" style=\"width: 334px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2703\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2703\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/kells\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?fit=1128%2C904\" data-orig-size=\"1128,904\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"kells\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;book of kells&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?fit=300%2C240\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?fit=474%2C380\" class=\" wp-image-2703\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?resize=334%2C267\" alt=\"book of kells\" width=\"334\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?resize=300%2C240 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?resize=768%2C615 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?resize=1024%2C821 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?w=1128 1128w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/kells.jpg?w=948 948w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2703\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">book of kells<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>c 800<\/strong><\/span> Columban monks on Iona witness the crossing of Brigit, the monastic pet greyhound, and a scruffy terrier who belongs to the man next door. To their surprise, the offspring are five loyal, extremely fast pups who are completely mad, eating illuminated manuscripts, peeing on the choir stalls and rushing around the monastery before collapsing in a heap under the east window and dozing off. Convinced that God has singled them out for some unfathomable reason, the monks draw lurchers in the Book of Kells, and make sure to put all their food on higher shelves.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>c 900<\/strong><\/span> Persian nobles, despite using the saluki for their own hunting purposes, have nothing interesting with which to breed it. They decided to wait a few centuries until someone else feels like having a go, which eventually produces the saluki x, an independent type of lurcher which is easily bored unless it can be let loose on endless sand dunes to catch antelopes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2707\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2707\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2707\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2707\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/painting-67475_960_720\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg?fit=558%2C720\" data-orig-size=\"558,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"painting-67475_960_720\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg?fit=233%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg?fit=474%2C612\" class=\"wp-image-2707\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg?resize=269%2C346\" alt=\"painting-67475_960_720\" width=\"269\" height=\"346\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg?resize=233%2C300 233w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/painting-67475_960_720.jpg?w=558 558w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 269px) 100vw, 269px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2707\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;no, this way, you daft animal&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1086<\/strong><\/span> Lurchers are as yet uncommon. <strong>William the Conqueror<\/strong> orders the clerks compiling the <em>Domesday Book<\/em> to record every lurcher used to plough more than five rods, perches, poles or other incomprehensible measure of land. The clerks ignore him, as he has obviously had one of his funny turns.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>c 1200<\/strong><\/span> With the law now saying that only nobility and others of privilege may hunt in the many Royal Forests and restricted lands, peasants are forbidden to own or work a pureblood hound designed for hunting. The peasants respond by &#8216;borrowing&#8217; any pups born as cross-breeds, secretly mating sighthounds with scruffies, and marking the beginning of the main lurcher race. The lurcher becomes an essential item for hunting game to fill the cooking pot. As they have to be kept away from the authorities, they are hidden in the home, and thus also become family companions.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1446<\/strong><\/span> <strong>Ardal O&#8217;Neill<\/strong> of Kilkenny, a travelling turf digger, becomes the first man to teach a lurcher to fetch. Local lurchers gather and sit on his head until he promises never to pass on the secret. With the knowledge lost, lurchers relax and envisage hundreds of years in which they will be able to ignore this stupid command. As they still do.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1485<\/strong><\/span> <strong>Henry Tudor<\/strong> defeats <strong>Richard III<\/strong> to end the War of the Roses. When it is pointed out that both Yorkshire and Lancashire are key strongholds for lurchers, he marries <strong>Elizabeth of York<\/strong> to consolidate the two factions and ensure that lurchers are seen as the best dogs ever, by miles.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2704\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2704\" style=\"width: 378px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2704\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2704\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/imagesclip_image004\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg?fit=492%2C323\" data-orig-size=\"492,323\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"imagesclip_image004\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;lancastrian and yorkist lurchers get to know each other&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg?fit=300%2C197\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg?fit=474%2C311\" class=\" wp-image-2704\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg?resize=378%2C248\" alt=\"lancastrian and yorkist lurchers get to know each other\" width=\"378\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg?resize=300%2C197 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/imagesclip_image004.jpg?w=492 492w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 378px) 100vw, 378px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2704\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">lancastrian and yorkist lurchers get to know each other<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1593<\/strong><\/span> <strong>William Shakespeare<\/strong> writes a draft of his planned play <em>&#8216;A Midsummer Night&#8217;s Lurcher&#8217;,<\/em> but has his manuscript stolen by rival playwright <strong>Christopher &#8216;Kit&#8217; Marlowe<\/strong> and has to start again. Marlowe is later killed in a tavern brawl in Deptford, after showing his drunken friends one too many pictures of his cats.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>c 1700<\/strong><\/span> America, in the form of the Thirteen Colonies, produces its first lurchers from the fine sighthounds and other dogs brought over by pilgrims and settlers. Local coyotes write strongly worded protests to various Governors, but are ignored. In a fit of unnecessary independence, America decides to call its lurchers &#8216;staghounds&#8217; and replace the perfectly good term dustbin with trashcan. They also drop an &#8216;i&#8217; out of aluminium for no apparent reason at all, even though aluminium has not yet been discovered.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2710\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2710\" style=\"width: 292px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2710\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2710\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/history5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg?fit=377%2C480\" data-orig-size=\"377,480\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"history5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;the abandoned attempt to set up a greydogtales franchise in the united states&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg?fit=236%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg?fit=377%2C480\" class=\" wp-image-2710\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg?resize=292%2C371\" alt=\"the abandoned attempt to set up a greydogtales franchise in the united states\" width=\"292\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg?resize=236%2C300 236w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/history5.jpg?w=377 377w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 292px) 100vw, 292px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2710\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">the abandoned attempt to set up a greydogtales franchise in the united states<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1834<\/strong><\/span> Lurchers are accidentally transported to Australia alongside convicts. Disturbed by the lack of sofas and comfy floor cushions, the lurchers construct fake pouches and try roughing it with the kangaroos. No-one notices except the native people, who describe sightings of the rare <em>mulungugangaru<\/em>, which means &#8216;surprisingly fast wallaby&#8217; in many native languages.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1887<\/strong> <\/span><strong>Queen Victoria<\/strong> famously decides that lurchers do not exist, as they seem to be entirely pleasurable and do not amuse her. All rough-coated lurchers on royal holdings are sheared annually to make them look more like greyhounds, and the resulting fur is given to the poor, who are also not amused, as they would have preferred money. This gives rise to the British tradition of Maundy Thursday, originally called Maungy (Yorkshire for sulky) Thursday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2706\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2706\" style=\"width: 306px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2706\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2706\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/royallurch\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg?fit=584%2C720\" data-orig-size=\"584,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"royallurch\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;a Balmoral lurcher waits to be sheared&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg?fit=243%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg?fit=474%2C584\" class=\" wp-image-2706\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg?resize=306%2C378\" alt=\"a Balmoral lurcher waits to be sheared\" width=\"306\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg?resize=243%2C300 243w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/royallurch.jpg?w=584 584w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2706\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">a Balmoral lurcher waits to be sheared<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1901<\/strong><\/span> <strong>Sir Arthur Conan Doyle<\/strong> writes<em> &#8216;The Hound of the Basketcases&#8217;,<\/em> in which Dr Watson decides to rescue a lurcher and chaos ensues at 221b Baker Street, including the shredding of Sherlock Holmes&#8217; Persian slippers. After early readings prove unpopular with crime fiction fans, he scraps it and writes <em>&#8216;The Hound of the Baskervilles&#8217;<\/em> instead.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2709\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2709\" style=\"width: 304px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2709\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2709\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/hound-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?fit=1615%2C2166\" data-orig-size=\"1615,2166\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Hound-3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;nope, definitely not a lurcher&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?fit=224%2C300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?fit=474%2C635\" class=\" wp-image-2709\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?resize=304%2C407\" alt=\"nope, definitely not a lurcher\" width=\"304\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?resize=224%2C300 224w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?resize=768%2C1030 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?resize=764%2C1024 764w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?w=1615 1615w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?w=948 948w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Hound-3.jpg?w=1422 1422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 304px) 100vw, 304px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2709\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">nope, definitely not a lurcher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>1914<\/strong><\/span> After intensive training by <strong>Lord Kitchener&#8217;s<\/strong> confused cousin Agatha, the British Expeditionary Force deploys lurchers as messengers during the Great War. The lurchers take one look at the state of the trenches and run away. They snuggle up together in a French barn for the remainder of the conflict, having more sense than people.<\/p>\n<p>The rest, as they say, is history. Which resulted in Django, who runs into trees. And Chilli, who doesn&#8217;t. Oh well.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2712\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2712\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/twosome\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?fit=1528%2C946\" data-orig-size=\"1528,946\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"twosome\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?fit=300%2C186\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?fit=474%2C293\" class=\" wp-image-2712 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?resize=355%2C220\" alt=\"twosome\" width=\"355\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?resize=300%2C186 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?resize=768%2C475 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?resize=1024%2C634 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?w=1528 1528w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?w=948 948w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/twosome.jpg?w=1422 1422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Next time: Something weird and wonderful, no doubt. Don&#8217;t forget to subscribe for free (top left) and receive exclusive warnings&#8230;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you really know the role of the lurcher in history? Of course you don&#8217;t. So much has been suppressed by the so-called authorities \u2013 the paramilitary division of the Kennel Club alone has twenty seven officers dedicated to thwarting recognition of the lurcher&#8217;s deserved top-dog status. Only greydogtales has the courage to tell you &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Utterly True History of the Lurcher<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":108,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[18,46],"class_list":["post-2701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-lurcher","tag-lurchers-for-beginners"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Utterly True History of the Lurcher - greydogtales<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/the-utterly-true-history-of-the-lurcher\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Utterly True History of the Lurcher - greydogtales\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Do you really know the role of the lurcher in history? Of course you don&#8217;t. So much has been suppressed by the so-called authorities \u2013 the paramilitary division of the Kennel Club alone has twenty seven officers dedicated to thwarting recognition of the lurcher&#8217;s deserved top-dog status. 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Holmes forced more of the vile Turkish tobacco into his pipe, wincing as he realised that yet again he was smoking the damnable stuff in order to keep up appearances. \u201cDespite the fact that you are secretly my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"sherlock holmes\"","block_context":{"text":"sherlock holmes","link":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/tag\/sherlock-holmes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Huty1913428","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/sherlock-holmes-basil-rathbone-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7509,"url":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/clarks-world-the-willvent-bin\/","url_meta":{"origin":2701,"position":1},"title":"CLARK\u2019S WORLD: THE WILL\u2019VEN\u2019T BIN","author":"greydogtales","date":"November 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"We\u2019re always pleased to see a new book from Alan M Clark, not only a talented author but also, as it happens, an award-winning artist. The Will\u2019ven\u2019t Bin, just out from IFD Publishing (15th October), joins his other intriguing historically-set works, this time with a Young Adult focus and science\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"alan m clark","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/EbookCover_TheWillventBin_small-200x300.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4071,"url":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/fables-disappearances-untethered-tales-gwendolyn-kiste\/","url_meta":{"origin":2701,"position":2},"title":"Fables and Disappearances: The Untethered Tales of Gwendolyn Kiste","author":"greydogtales","date":"May 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, dear listener, we have loss and identity; clarity and hope; the core of writing, style, Angela Carter and some dark, magical stories. When we thought about interviewing author Gwendolyn Kiste, we realised we wanted to burrow behind her work a bit, so we went there.\u00a0 Though we centre on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"interviews\"","block_context":{"text":"interviews","link":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/tag\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SONY DSC","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/And-Her-Smile-Will-Untether-the-Universe-Gwendolyn-300x201.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4232,"url":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/shiela-crerar-clay-corpses-psychic-investigation-girls\/","url_meta":{"origin":2701,"position":3},"title":"Shiela Crerar, Clay-Corpses &#038; Psychic Investigation for Girls","author":"greydogtales","date":"July 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cOh, you modern women! You dabble in science and medicine, you dabble in politics and law, and now you dabble in the occult. What else is there left for mere man?\u201d Today we get lost in Scotland and its folklore with Shiela Crerar, follow a plucky young woman's psychic endeavours,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"classic horror\"","block_context":{"text":"classic horror","link":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/tag\/classic-horror\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"shiela crerar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/doll-626790_960_720-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7318,"url":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/scotland-the-strange-the-eyes-of-doom\/","url_meta":{"origin":2701,"position":4},"title":"SCOTLAND THE STRANGE: THE EYES OF DOOM","author":"greydogtales","date":"January 24, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This week, in honour of Burns Night, which celebrates Scottish poet Robert Burns (25 January 1759 \u2013 21 July 1796), our greydogtales site begins a ramble through the subject of Scottish supernatural\/horror and related cultural stuff. We\u2019ll have some classic tales, new material, guest reviews of some really bad films\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"SCOTLAND THE STRANGE","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Ben_Lomond_from_Beinn_Narnain-300x163.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2701"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3935,"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2701\/revisions\/3935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}