Scottish deerhound

Growing Scottish deerhound, covered with gray, rough, shaggy hair. A pleasant, non-aggressive companion with a moderate temperament, hardly dominant. Scottish Greyhound is intelligent, likes to have something to do, otherwise, it can become destructive.

Nature

Scottish Greyhound (original name: deerhound) is a dog with a magnificent appearance, strong and elegant. She has a cheerful, cheerful nature and a nice disposition. He is full of dignity, he never behaves suspiciously or maliciously.

I need close contact with people. The guardian gives a lot of affection, but is not imposed by her presence. He is a patient and tolerant dog, able to adapt to the lifestyle of every family. He easily makes contact with the environment, is gentle and friendly.

At home, he behaves calmly and usually rests. His greyhound nature makes himself felt during walks. He loves races and playing with dogs. He is not aggressive, which is why his relations with other pets are good. He likes the company and feels great when he is not the only pet in the family.

Skills

Deerhound is the type of athlete, an active dog, requiring a lot of movement. He’s doing great on the race track. It is not as fast as a greyhound, but it successfully starts in the pursuit of an artificial hare.

Another competition is the so-called coursings, where a randomly selected pair of dogs start. They take place in the open, and the lure pretends to escape the real hare. There may be natural obstacles along the route that dogs must avoid. The speed, fierce pursuit, dexterity, endurance and cooperation with a second dog are assessed.

Scottish deerhound. Training and education

Deerhound is obedient and quite easy to arrange. He is eager to learn and can be trained in general obedience. However, you must remember that, like all greyhounds, he is independent and has his own opinion. We do not expect rapid progress. He will learn more slowly than representatives of commonly trained races. Science should not hurt him and cannot be forced.

Like every greyhound, it has the so-called life wisdom. He is smart and intelligent. He developed the ability to make the right decisions and the ability to cope with various situations.

Who is this race for?

A Scottish Greyhound with all its advantages can be a great family dog. It works both in everyday life and in sports competition.

Scottish deerhound. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• sometimes independent and stubborn
• needs a lot of traffic
• has a strong hunting instinct
• expensive to maintain

Advantages

• attached to owner
• run out, at home he is calm and does not impose
• relatively easy to arrange (for greyhounds)

Scottish deerhound. Health

Health problems encountered in the race include heart disease, cancer, and enlargement and torsion of the stomach. Deerhounds live to be around 10 years old.

Feeding

The choice of the right feed depends on the individual needs of each animal and the tastes of the owner. Let’s just remember that, like dogs of all large breeds, deerhounds are threatened by stomach enlargement or twist. The daily portion of food should be divided into at least two meals, and the bowl should be raised.

Care

Scottish deerhound is easy to maintain. You can comb his rough hair twice a week. Before shows, light trimming is recommended to emphasize the silhouette of the dog. If we have no experience, let’s do this treatment in a specialized salon.

Scottish deerhound. History

Scottish deerhound is a representative of one of the oldest breeds. A favorite companion of the Scottish nobility, it was used for hunting deer, fallow deer and deer. Today it is a valued family dog.

Irish settlers, who came to Scotland around 600 BC, brought not only cattle but also their dogs. Archaeological research shows that already in the Neolithic times there was a dog form, reminiscent of today’s deerhound. From historical records it can be concluded that the Scottish Greyhound in a type similar to the modern one appeared in the Middle Ages.

Over the next centuries, Scottish and English aristocracy hunted with rough-haired greyhounds, called rough greyhounds. There were two varieties: the smaller one, used for the pursuit of hares and the larger – for hunting deer and roe deer.

From 1526, references to Scottish dogs used by hunters began to appear in the literature. They were known under various names: rough greyhound, irish greyhound, scottish staghound, fleet-hound, scotch greyhound, highland greyhound and highland wolfdog. The name deerhound appeared only at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Leaders of the finest Scottish clans valued and guarded these quadrupeds. In 1594, King James VI gave the King of Denmark several dogs. Hunting was then the privilege of the well-born, only the nobility could breed and possess greyhounds.

In the 18th century, the deerhound population significantly decreased. In Scotland, the rule of the great clans ended and the lands were occupied by the English. The division of old family goods, cutting down forests and exchanging them for sheep pastures, as well as the use of firearms during hunting caused that greyhound farming lost its importance. They were kept in castles as decoration and souvenir after years of splendor.

National consciousness awoke in the Scots in the nineteenth century. Sir Walter Scott has largely contributed to this. In his historical novels he wrote about the former power and heritage, to which he also included a Scottish greyhound. Sam was the owner of the bitch Maida, whose offspring at that time belonged to the best representatives of the breed. In 1831, one of the first enthusiasts of Archibald M “Neill, Lord of Colonsay, started breeding. Queen Victoria of England and her husband Prince Albert also became interested in the breed.

Until the mid-nineteenth century, no standard was in force and no exhibitions took place. After 1862, when Captain Graham reconstructed the Irish Wolfhound, two theories emerged about the origin of deerhounds.

The first one assumed that the breed was created as a result of crossing large mastiff or dog with a rough-haired greyhound. The second said that the wolfhound and deerhound are two varieties of the same breed and have a common ancestor. It was not possible to determine which of the theses is more reliable. There are supporters and opponents of each of them.

The Scottish Greyhound was first shown at an exhibition in Birmingham in 1860. In 1870 a breeding book was opened, and in 1886 a breeding club was established. In 1892, the first model was approved.

Then two types of greyhounds emerged, existing until modern times. Old type, so-called heavy and young – light. The former is sometimes called “working” and brings together animals similar to those of the second half of the nineteenth century, not shown at exhibitions. Second – it meets the requirements of the current standard.

In Poland, the first Scottish deerhound greyhound appeared in 1987. She was a gray-brown brindle bitch from “of Baskerville” kennel. Ewa Staszyk brought her to the “Wind Composition” kennel. In 1992, an excellent representative of the blue-gray MORITZ von der Oelmuhle breed came from Germany. Currently, the population of deerhounds in our country is still few, and the breed is considered rare.

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Scottish Greyhound – Scottish deerhound – group X FCI, section 2, reference number 164

• Country of origin: Great Britain
• Size: male at least 76 cm, female at least 71 cm.
• General appearance: A large dog, of general build in the type of greyhound, but with a rough coat, larger sizes and a stronger bone. His attitude suggests a combination of speed, strength and endurance.
• Coat: shaggy, but not too much. A woolen coat is not allowed. The correct coat is thick, close-fitting and jagged, sharp or stiff to the touch. Torso and limb hair sharp and rough, about 7-10 cm long. A softer coat on the head, sternum and belly. Small tassels on the inside of the limbs.
• Color: dark blue-gray, darker and lighter shades of gray, brindle, sandy-red or red-fawn with dark markings. White markings on the chest, fingers and tip of the tail are allowed.
• Lifespan: 9-11 years
• Head: long, skull rather flat, widest between ears, tapering slightly towards the eyes. Slight rise above the eyes, slight stop. Nose slightly humped, black. A black mask is desirable for light-colored dogs. A large mustache and a small beard. Scissor bite.
• Eyes: dark brown or hazel. Moderately convex, with a gentle and attentive look.
• Ears: Set on high, at rest bent backward. When the dog is excited erect, but without losing a break. Soft and smooth to the touch, the smaller the better, without long hair and fringes. Black or dark.
• Body: Chest rather deep than long, not excessively narrow or flat. Loin arched, sloping towards the tail. Flat backline undesirable.
• Forequarters: Shoulders well set and not too wide apart. Straight, broad forearms and elbows are desirable.
• HINDQUARTERS: Well angulated, with long lower legs, hips wide apart.
• Tail: Long, thick at the root, tapering towards the tip, reaching almost to the ground. At rest, abandoned straight or with a slight bend. In motion, but never above the topline. From the top, covered with thick, rough hair, from the bottom longer. Small fringes at the end are not a defect.

Interesting facts

The Scottish deerhound was one of the breeds that contributed to the restoration of the Irish Wolfhound in the late nineteenth century.