Lurcher vs Carolina Dog - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Carolina dog comes from wild dogs that used to run with the Paleo-Indians of North America, and today they can still be found in their wild state near the Georgia-South Carolina border.

Many scientists believe that the dog was first domesticated from the wolf thousands and thousands of years ago. Today there aren’t many records on the Carolina Dog’s history and it isn’t sure how long they lived their feral lifestyle in the American South, but it seems as though it was for hundreds of years.

You could say that the modern history of the Carolina Dog started in the 1980s. Dr. Pam Brisbin found a puppy at a dump site which looked like the Australian Dingo. Dr Brisbin and other scientists concluded that the Carolina Dog was a remnant of primitive dogs. Since those times the Carolina Dog has adapted well to being a domesticated pet.

The Lurcher is a crossbreed dog that doesn’t seem to have too much certainty around it. There are stories that Lurchers may have been bred to produce a sighthound with more intelligence for hunting.

Hunters discovered that breeding certain breeds with sight-hounds produced a dog better suited for hunting and working purpose.

A Lurcher is a sighthound, a classic working crossbreed and some of the dogs used to bring about this breed were Greyhounds, Deerhounds, Whippets, Border Collies, Bedlington Terriers and Irish Wofhounds among others. This means that the Lurcher has many different looks as well. In the UK, Lurchers have their own shows, but no registry recognizes the dog.

The Carolina dog is part of the Sighthounds Group and looks a bit like a Dingo, German Shepherd and Wolf mix. He has fairly long, pointed erect ears, a sharp wolf-like snout and a long tail that curves when raised.

The Carolina dog has been re-discovered however and when trained and socialized, they make splendid pets. It’s a medium sized dog standing at 45–61cm and weighing from 15–20kg. He is slender, muscular and athletic with a coat that is short and fairly smooth. Colors for the Carolina dog vary and he can be fawn colored, a gingerish color, black and tan and can have some white areas on the paws, chest, muzzle and tail.

Temperament:

The Carolina Dog has been a wild dog, belonging to a pack and while he isn’t aggressive, he is nervous and aloof around strangers. Good training and socialization provides him with the skills to get along well with his human family as well as with children and other pets in the home.

Because this dog has always been wild, they tend to maintain some of their wild, independent nature and they can be difficult to train and it requires firmness and patience with him, but he is an intelligent breed.

It is difficult to put a size and weight to the Lurcher, This is because of the many dogs used in his development, so that they vary in size and coat type. Generally though, he is a deep chested dog that stands roughly between 50 – 75cm and weighs 25 – 32kg.

However, because Whippet was a dog used in his development, he could be as small as a Whippet, the size of a Greyhound or Deerhound.

Generally he has a shortish coat. Colours of the coat vary greatly so you can find fawn, cream, white, grey, black, tan, silver or grey and bi-colored. The ears are usually small and can be floppy or held erect or back and the tail is usually long.

Temperament:

The Lurcher’s temperament is much like that of the sighthound – loving and calm. It is a good idea to have the Lurcher trained and socialized to help prevent both timidity or aggression.

He is an independent and intelligent dog and can be easily trained. He is a gentle dog and will get on well with children and pets in the home as he is a fairly relaxed breed with a quiet temperament, loving to spend time with his human family. Another advantage is that he is low maintenance and makes a great pet when shown love and care.

The Carolina Dog is a medium-sized dog which has managed to survive well in the wild environment. It is this life in the wilds which has made the dog to be shy and aloof around strangers.

They are skilled and intelligent and when domesticated they make extraordinary pets even though he isn’t an overly affectionate dog. It is why he requires early socialization so that he doesn’t grow up shunning humans.

With training however, the Carolina Dog becomes a well-adjusted, loving and social member of the family.

The Lurcher is a working- and hunting dog that won’t do well in the city, as he requires large spaces to run.

He is a dog that will need you to provide him with games and other activities as well as a walk every day to keep him fit and lithe. He will therefore require an owner who loves to be active and who is consistent, firm, fair, patient and kind.

With the right human family, the Lurcher is a loving, devoted dog who will make an excellent family pet.

The Carolina Dog is a fairly healthy breed. You won’t have to be rushing off to the vet often with him if you look after him well in terms of a good diet, a food amount of exercise and plenty of love and attention. In fact breeders of the Carolina Dog have noted that they haven’t seen any cases of genetically inheritable diseases with this robust dog.

However with all dogs, no matter how healthy they are, there can be problems. Problems common to domestic dogs can include skeletal and visual problems. Many dog owners have their pets tested to identify some of the potential health defects that some dogs are prone to. This can include hip dysplasia, cataracts, cancer and PRA or Progressive Retinal Atrophy.

Every dog has the potential to develop genetic health problems, but the way you feed a dog and look after it will play a huge role in his wellbeing.

Lurchers are looked upon as being a pretty healthy dog breed and they can be with you for between 10 and 15 years.

Some of the main health concerns with this dog would be bloat, ear- and eye infections or heatstroke.

Remember that if you’re getting a new puppy, you can prevent some of the major life-threatening diseases by having your puppy vaccinated.

Heat Stroke:

Dogs pant heavily when they’re hot. When the panting isn’t enough, the dog’s body temperature rises and this can be fatal for your pet.

The signs of heatstroke in dogs include vomiting, diarrhea, dullness and loss of consciousness. Being locked in a hot car, being over-exercised or left in a yard without shade and water can bring on heatstroke.

It is imperative to remove the dog from the hot place immediately and cool him down by spraying cold water gently over him while making sure no water enters the mouth or nose. Get him to the vet if you can because of shock and the fact that other problems could have developed.

Grooming:

The Carolina Dog is a seasonal shedder and the shortish coat will simply require a thorough brushing twice a week to keep him in tip top condition.

This dog, with his upright ears, isn’t prone to ear infections as other breeds, but nonetheless as part of his grooming routine, its a good idea to to check his ears inside for wax build-up and dirt. Certainly his teeth should be brushed 2 or 3 times a week with special dog toothbrush and toothpaste. This keeps the gums and teeth healthy and also avoids other diseases that come about because of dental disease.

Diet:

Whether you feed your Carolina Dog once or twice a day, you want to ensure the very best quality diet to avoid skin problems and illness. You also have to ensure your dog has 24/7 access to fresh, cool drinking water to help him with digesting his food.

There are some excellent commercially manufactured dog foods on the market which have been manufactured for certain stages of your dogs life. Add in some rice, vegetables and meat from time to time and every now and again you can give him some raw meat too.

Brush your pet’s coat at least twice a week.

The Lurcher just loves to run and be free, so this is a dog that will want a long walk every day.

Check his eyes and inside his ears for ear infection. Find out how to clean inside the ears and make sure they are kept dry.

Keep his nails clipped, as long nails can hook and cause painful injury to the paw area. Check his teeth too and brush them because dental disease is the root cause of many other diseases.

Make sure your dog has a comfy, dry, warm place to sleep.

Encourage health and longevity by giving your pet high quality food full of vitamins and minerals. If you’re going be giving him commercially manufactured food, make sure its one of the better ones. Try and add in homemade food such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables and add this to his kibble as a tasty treat. Some raw meat added in when you can afford it will also be to his advantage.