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Deerhound

 
 

These dogs have the appearance of an athlete as well as a giant of the dog world. Their shaggy coat long legs differentiate from the smaller Greyhound and they have a majestic air to their stance.

Other Names
Scottish Deerhound, Royal Dog of Scotland
Country of Origin
Scotland
Colour
Deerhounds come in a variety of colours. The more common colours are a dark blue and grey, but there is also a brindle and yellow coat, some sandy tones and reds and fawns and some Deerhounds also have some white too.
Size
Large
Height / Weight
Dogs should measure over 76cms at the withers and ideally weigh about 45.5kgs. Bitches should ideally measure over 71cms at the withers and weigh about 36.5kgs.
Health
It is best to buy a screened puppy as breeders are working to screen out liver shunt problems. Bloat is unfortunately a frequent cause of death to be aware of in your Deerhound.
Life Span
10-13 years
Intelligence
Deerhounds are intelligent but gentle souls. They are eager to please and want to learn but respond best to calm and gentle commands.
Exercise
High
Suitability (Children)
Medium
Feeding

The Deerhound's diet should be monitored as they tend to have rapid periods of growth as a puppy. It will be best to get advice from a breeder to make sure you are feeding your dog the right amount of food. The Deerhound is a big dog and needs a fair amount of fuel so twice daily feeds with good nutrition are important to maintain their size and activity levels.

Feeding Cost
$20+ p/w
Other Cost
Excercise
The Deerhound is very athletic and requires plenty of exercise. As a puppy you will need to restrict their activities but as an adult the Deerhound loves to run free.
Ailments
It is best to buy a screened puppy as breeders are working to screen out liver shunt problems. Bloat is unfortunately a frequent cause of death to be aware of in your Deerhound.
Hair Shed
Little
Grooming

The wiry coat of the Deerhound is pretty low maintenance, but it will need regular grooming at least once a week. The coat may need to be hand plucked once or twice a year depending on its condition, if you are unsure of how to do this make sure you take your dog to a breeder.

Grooming Frequency
More than once a week
Trimming
Plucking 1-2 times a year
The shaggy hound has existed in Scotland since before the 16th century and it is believed short coated hounds were introduced to Britain before the Roman invasion. The short coated dogs were likely bred with longer coated native breeds to better enable them to deal with the harsh Scottish mountain environment, creating the Deerhound we know and love today. Scottish Chieftans would use the Deerhounds to both hunt deer in packs, relying on their strength to bring down the deer. As guns were introduced and and forests were being cut down in the 1700's some Deerhounds were kept but the breed didi not really gain popularity again until the 1830's. The breed has remained still largely the same appearance and small in number in modern times.


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