Other names/Nicknames:
- None
Country/Date of origin:
- Scotland
- 800′s
Height:
- Females: from 28 inches
- Males: 30 to 32 inches
Weight:
- Females: 75 to 95 pounds
- Males: 85 to 110 pounds
Personality:
- Very dignified and reserved. Almost regal.
- A one-family dog.
- Merely tolerates strangers.
- Quiet and not protective enough to be a good watchdog.
History:
The Scottish Deerhound shares a history with the Irish Wolfhound, at least until the 800′s. Celtic men wanted a lighter-boned dog to chase deer up and down the mountains of Scotland. They began to breed an animal that diverged from the heavier wolfhound. It originally came in all the colors appearing in the wolfhound today, but only gray animals have been seen in the last few decades. Deerhounds were founding stock when the American Kennel Club (AKC) was organized.
Body Type:
- A rough-coursing hound, similar to the Irish Wolfhound but with a more slender build.
- Rose ears are not altered and are kept folded tightly against the neck.
- Long tail is not altered.
Coat:
- Coat is shaggy and wiry in texture.
- A pronounced mane protects the neck.
- Hair is softer on the underparts of the body and on the head, especially in the long beard.
- Several colors are allowed but only gray is seen at the present time.
- Low maintenance.
- The coat does not mat.
Health and Wellness:
- Cardiac diseases.
- Bone cancer.
- Bloat, although not as prone to it as its sister breed, the Irish Wolfhound.
- Not very long-lived.
What you should know:
- Sir Walter Scott’s favorite dog, Maida, prompted him to include Deerhounds in many of his novels.
- Relative rarity of the breed may make puppies hard to find in some parts of the country, and also expensive to purchase.
- General George Custer’s hunting companions, two deerhounds, were with him at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
