lurcher

The lurcher is the offspring of a sight hound mated with another breed, most commonly a pastoral breed or a terrier  type of dog. Brian Plummer identifies the Norfolk lurcher as the predecessor of the modern lurcher. While not a pure breed, it is generally a cross between a sighthound and a working dog breed. Collie crosses are popular, given the working instinct of a sheepdog when mated with a sighthound gives a dog of great intelligence plus speed—prerequisites for the hunter/poacher. In the US midwest, crosses with large scent hounds are fairly common.