Scottish Deerhound

The Deerhound’s harsh coat is usually easy to care for, but some Deerhounds have a silkier, longer coat that can become quite tangled. Usually, though, all he needs is a good brushing with a pin brush or slicker brush two or three times a week. Give the coat a going over with a stainless steel Greyhound comb to make sure you didn’t miss any tangles and to comb out the hair on the face (known as furnishings) and you’re done. Only a few baths a year, when the dog is dirty, are necessary.

The Scottish Deerhound has a body like that of a greyhound but is of larger size and bone, enabling it to run at great speed using the double-suspension gallop without sacrificing strength and endurance. Its trotting gait is easy and true. Its hair is harsh and crisp, about 3 to 4 inches long on the body, ideally close-lying. Such a coat imparts a weather- (and dirt-) resistant quality, an essential asset in cold, damp climates.

The Scottish deerhound is mellow, low-key and easygoing — a gracious and well-mannered addition to the home. Outdoors, it loves to run and chase anything that moves. Indoors, it needs plenty of room to stretch on a soft surface. The deerhound is independent but willing to please; it is extremely sensitive. It is amiable toward, but often reserved with, strangers. This breed is good with children, other dogs and usually other pets, although it may give chase to strange animals.

The Scottish Deerhound has been in existence since before history was recorded. There are examples of hounds resembling the Scottish Deerhound dating back to the 1st century AD. The Scottish Deerhound is also commonly referred to as simply Deerhound. The Scottish Deerhound is a hunting breed that was utilized for hunting red deer through coursing and were kept primarily by nobility. Coursing deer is an old hunting technique that is rarely used today. This technique involved bringing the dog as close to the deer as possible and then releasing the dog to run down its prey. The Scottish Deerhound is a large boned and very fast breed, there were rarely sustained chases when coursing. The chase would typically be over within a few minutes. The Scottish Deerhound is very similar to the Greyhound as well as the Irish Wolfhound. The Scottish Deerhound was a primary contributor to the revival of the Irish Wolfhound in the 19th century. The Scottish Deerhound's hunting necessity became less and less prominent with the invention of the gun. Hunters required only a tracking dog to find the wounded animal and so the Scottish Deerhound was transitioned to a show breed kept only by breed enthusiasts.