Scottish Deerhound

History

The Scottish Deerhound, most commonly referred to as the "Deerhound", originated in the 1600s and is believed to be of the Greyhound decent. Born and bred in Scottland, this breed was used to hunt deer which comes as no surprise when seeing their name. Shortly after they became known, this breed turned into a Royal breed, and only those of Royal lines were allowed to own one. Queen Victoria and Sir Walter Scott are among those who were permitted to have these dogs. Due to this rule, the Deerhound almost became extinct until two men in the 1800s decided to start breeding them. After this breed came back in population, once again they were faced with unfortunate hardship as during World War II this breed became food for humans who were starving. Today, Deerhounds as well as families all over are thankful to have this breed as companions safe within our homes and living among us.

Appearance

Both males and females measure 28-32 inches in height and weigh 75-110 pounds. Built tall and lean, the Deerhound is sure to turn heads with their unique appearance. Four long, skinny legs hold up a small and thin body frame. Their head has a severe wedge shape that goes straight into an intense scissor bite. Their coat is a medium length, wired hair coat that is available in shades of blue, black, grey and even yellow. Typically seen in a "salt and pepper" color combination. Two large, round eyes are typically hazel or black in color while their two large ears are set high however are folded back onto their head. Their tail is very long and firm and is carried low, pointing straight at the ground and in some cases, touching the ground.

Temperament

The Deerhound is an excellent choice for any calm family who would enjoy a canine companion. Wonderful with older children and the elderly, this breed is calm, loving and gentle. The Deerhound requires positive reinforcement training methods only as well as a calm and friendly owner. This breed is not a guard dog due to their great nature of loving everyone. Not recommended for households with non canine pets, the Deerhound generally dogs well with other dogs he or she is raised along side of. This breed is suited for both apartment and country living situations as long as he or she is receiving enough physical activity daily.

Grooming

The Deerhound requires daily brushing and regular trips to the groomer to be trimmed and cared for properly. This breed is an average shedder.

Special Notes

The Deerhound is prone to bloat, so be sure to allow an hour of rest before a walk or play time after eating. Please fully educate yourself about this breed prior to adding one to your family to ensure this is the correct breed for you so you are able to make a life long commitment to your new pup! All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2017. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders.