The Scottish hound or deerhound, is a greyhound dog of giant size, similar to the English greyhound or greyhound but taller and stronger, and with a rough and long coat. Despite not being one of the best-known dog breeds, it is one of the most striking both for its peculiar appearance and for its noble character.
Scottish deerhounds were formerly used to hunt deer and today they still maintain their hunting instincts, so although they are very friendly with other dogs and people, they tend to wanting to catch other congeners or smaller animals, such as cats.
Therefore, if you are interested and/or want to adopt a Scottish Greyhound or Deerhound, don't miss this breed file on our site to have all the information you need to know about this type of dog.
Origin of the Scottish deerhound
Although the origin of the deerhound is not known in detail, this breed is usually associated with the greyhound, due to their morphological similarities. It is believed that the same line of sighthounds that gave rise to the greyhound in England gave rise to the deerhound in Scotland, thanks to the cooler climate in the highlands of that country, which would have favored the evolution of a larger and more robust breed with long and rough fur.
In the Middle Ages, this giant Scottish dog was used to hunt deer That's why its English name is Deerhound. At that time, it was the favorite dog of the chiefs of the Scottish clans and even came to be considered "the royal dog" of Scotland.
The development of firearms and farm fences destroyed deer hunting as before. This, coupled with the collapse of the Scottish clan system, led the deerhound to near extinction. Luckily, interest in the breed resurfaced back in the 1800s and the Scottish Deerhound was saved by a few fanciers.
Currently, this dog is found almost exclusively as a companion and show dog, but it still retains its characteristics and hunting instincts.
Physical Characteristics of the Scottish Deerhound
The Scottish deerhound is a giant dog that has long legs and a thin, but still a very strong dog. He has an elegant and distinguished bearing and an intelligent expression. Male sighthounds should measure about 76 centimeters at the withers and weigh about 45.5 kilograms. The standard dictated by the International Cinological Federation (FCI) does not indicate a maximum height. On the other hand, females must reach a height at the withers of at least 71 centimeters, and a weight of around 36.5 kilograms.
The hound's head is elongated and in proportion to the body. The snout is also long and has strong teeth that close in a scissors bite. The deerhound's eyes are moderately rounded and dark brown or hazel in color. The ears are set high and dark in color. When the Scottish deerhound or deerhound is at rest, it carries them folded backwards, but, when it is active, it carries the ears raised above the head, without losing the fold. The deerhound's tail is long, thick at its base, and tapers towards the end. The tip almost reaches the ground when hanging completely relaxed.
Scottish Hound Colors
The Rough, shaggy coat of the Scottish Deerhound is between 7 and 10 centimeters long. It is usually gray-bluish in color, with different shades of gray, fawn, yellow, sand red or fiery red. In addition, the hair forms a mane, a mustache and a beard.
Scottish Hound pup
Like any other large breed, Deerhound puppies' growth is prolonged over time. It can be maintained even up to 18-24 months of life, the first year being the period in which this will be faster. We must take this into account in order to offer them adequate food for their needs and thus avoid developmental problems.
Scottish deerhound character
The deerhound is a calm, affectionate, sociable and gentle dog, both with people and with other dogs. Even so, it should be socialized from puppyhood to reduce any possibility of aggression or shyness, as it is a very large and fast dog.
Although the deerhound is a loyal and brave dog, it does not serve as a guard and defense dog because it tends to make friends with everyone. When well socialized, sighthounds make excellent companions for children. However, we have to consider that adult deerhounds are not as active as puppies and need to have their own space where they are not disturbed.
This breed of dog is usually sociable with other dogs, so it is a good option if you plan to have more than one dog. Still, his hunting instincts make it difficult for him to get along with small animals, including cats and mini breed dogs.
Scottish deerhound care
Scottish Hounds are not suitable for living in flats because they are very large and need a lot of exercise, especially running. To develop properly, the deerhound needs to exercise and play daily, so it is preferable that he lives in a house. Like most dogs, they also need companionship and affection, which is why they need to live together with the family and not isolated in a shed in the garden. The only thing that we would achieve with this is to make the animal unhappy. Also, being prone to calluses and sores on his feet, it is necessary to provide him with a padded place to sleep.
If we take him for a walk through a field or forest, we must examine him to see if a flea, tick or other insect has gotten on him. The rough and shaggy coat of these dogs needs more care than that of other greyhounds. We must brush it regularly every two days and more frequently in times of shedding, as well as take it to the dog groomer for occasional trimming and stripping. You only have to bathe the hound when it really needs it.
Scottish deerhound education
Dog training is essential for this breed, since, being such large and fast dogs, it is necessary to be able to control them well. Anyway, deerhounds or Scottish deerhounds are easy to train They respond well to positive training methods, but not so well to traditional methods, since the punishment-based training ends up causing stress, anxiety and fear, so it is never a good option.
To begin his education we can teach him the basic commands for dogs and, little by little, increase the level of training techniques as the Scottish Hound learns everything. Likewise, an element that will be very useful if we want to train a deerhound is clicker training. If you want information on this type of training, don't miss our article on the clicker for dogs.
Scottish deerhound he alth
If we take good care of our deerhound or Scottish deerhound, it can reach 10 years of age. But even so, this breed is prone to some diseases common in large breed dogs, such as the following:
- Hip dysplasia.
- Gastric torsion.
- Bone cancer.
Gastric torsion is very common in this breed, so it is recommended to feed adult hounds three small portions of food per day, rather than one or two large portions. It is also good to give him his water and food in elevated containers so that he does not have to lower his head to the ground. Also, they should not do strenuous exercise right after eating. Also, as mentioned before, the Scottish deerhound is also prone to sores or calluses on the pads of their feet.
Where to adopt a hound?
It is not particularly easy to adopt a deerhound and it will be even more difficult if you want a puppy. You can try in kennels and shelters in your area or through the internet, since some send animals outside their province and even their country. Another option is to search for and contact associations specializing in the rescue and recovery of greyhounds
If you can't find a deerhound, you might fall in love with some other greyhound. Unfortunately, in Spain it is easy to adopt greyhounds, since thousands are abandoned every year, and there are many associations dedicated to this breed that even have to send copies abroad. Likewise, do not reject dogs without a defined breed from those who await their opportunity in protectors and shelters. There are some similar in appearance to the deerhound and with the same ability to be an excellent company.
