Northern English Greyhound (Lancashire and Cheshire)

" In the southern parts of England, the Greyhounds are generally smooth, beautiful, high-bred dogs;— while, in some parts of the north, particularly in Lancashire and Cheshire, they are rough-haired animals, partaking much of the lurcher breed. As these counties abound in broad fences, as well as old dry marl-pits covered with briers and brushwood, the rough-haired dog is supposed to rush into and thread these places better than his smooth-haired high-bred competitor. Another advantage is, that many of these rough-haired dogs, when they lose sight, will immediately put their noses down, and pursue by the scent till they again come in view ; but they are apt to whimper in the chase when near the game, and manifest the impurity of their blood in many ways. They are not nearly so numerous at present as formerly, the smooth high-bred dog having almost uniformly been found far superior, even in the rough parts of the country just mentioned; and we have no doubt that in a few years a rough-haired mongrel (for mongrels they certainly are) will rarely be seen. It is very common in England for ill-trained dogs of this breed to run sly; that is, in place of following directly after the hare, and trusting to their speed to overtake her, they make towards the covert to which she is likely to run, and, taking the string of the bow, are sure to meet and destroy her. This is frequently the case when the Greyhound is acquainted with the country. The lower class of farmers seem to consider that it is not on a well-matched couple of dogs that the pleasure of the sport depends, but upon the number of hares they kill. "

excerpt from "BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES OF DOGS" BY CAPTAIN THOMAS BROWN, 1829