Although the origin of the Deerhound is not well known, it is usually associated with the English Greyhound due to morphological similarities, it is thought that the same lineage of Harrier that originated the English Greyhound in England, gave birth to Deerhound in Scotland, due to the colder climate of the Sierra of that country, favored the evolution of a larger and more robust breed , with a rougher, wider and rougher coat.
In the Middle Ages, the Scottish Greyhound was used to hunt deer, so its English name is Deerhound, at the same time, it was the favorite dog of Scottish clan leaders, and even came to be considered the “royal dog” from Scotland. .
- The development of firearms and fences for farms.
- Has put an end to deer hunting.
- All this.
- Together with the fall of the Scottish clan system.
- Led Deerhound to an almost extinction.
- Fortunately.
- Interest in the breed resurfaced around 1800 and the Deerhound was saved by breed enthusiasts.
Currently, this dog is used exclusively as a pet and show dog, but it retains all the characteristics and hunting instincts.
Deerhound is a giant dog that has long legs and thin body, but is still a very strong dog, has an elegant and distinctive appearance and an intelligent expression, males must have a cross height of about 76 centimeters and an approximate weight of 45.5 kg.Breed standards, according to the International Federation of Cynology (FCI), do not indicate the maximum height, while females must reach a transverse height of 71 centimeters and an approximate weight of 36.5 kilograms.
The head of the Deerhound is enlarged and proportional to the body.The snout is wide and has strong teeth that close a scissor bite.The eyes of the deer are round and dark brown or brown.The ears are placed tall and dark in color, at rest the ears are bent backwards but, in activity, rise above the head but without losing the crease.The tail is broad, thick at the base and thinner at the end, the tip almost reaches the ground when it is completely relaxed.
Deerhound’s rough, hairy furry coat is 7 to 10 centimeters wide, usually bluish grey, with different shades of grey, toasted yellow, yellowish, sand red and fire red, the hair forms a certain mane, with moustache and beard.
Deerhound is a quiet dog, affectionate, sociable and gentle, both with people and with other dogs, however, it is advisable to socialize it from puppies to reduce any possibility of aggression or shyness, since it is a large and fast dog.
Although Deerhound is a loyal and brave dog, it does not serve as a guard and defense dog, as it tends to be friends with everyone.When well socialized, Scottish Lights are excellent companions for children.However, you should consider that adult Deerhounds are not as active as their offspring and need their own space that is not disturbed.
This breed of dog is usually sociable with other dogs, so this is a good option if you think you have more than one dog, however, the hunter’s instinct makes it difficult to connect with small animals, including cats and small dogs.
Deerhound cannot live in apartments as it is very large and needs a lot of exercise, especially running.To develop properly, Deerhound needs daily exercises and games and preferably lives in a large house or apartment.However, like most dogs, he needs companionship and affection, so he must live with his family and not far away in a little house in the garden for you to make your dog unhappy.In addition, because it is prone to foot calluses, it is necessary to provide you with a place to sleep.
If you’re hanging out in the wild, it’s necessary to check if your pet has fleas, ticks or insects attached to the body.The rough, hairy fur of these dogs needs much more care than other greyhounds, so it is necessary to brush regularly and, more often, at the time of the change of shelter, as well as take it to the pet shop, but the Scottish Lebrel should only bathe when it is very dirty.
Dog training is essential for this breed of dog because, being dogs so large and fast, it is necessary to control them well; In any case, the Scottish Deerhound or Lebrel are easy to train and respond well to positive training methods, but not so well when traditional methods are applied, since this training is based on punishment and ends up producing stress, anxiety and fear, so it is not a good choice.
To start education, you can start with the basic instructions for dogs and gradually increase the level of training techniques as deerhound learns, however, one thing that will be of great use if you want to train a Deerhound is the use of the clicker.
If you take good care of Deerhound, it is a dog that can reach 10 years, but still, this breed is prone to some diseases common in large dogs:
Gastric torsion is very common in this breed of dog, so it is highly recommended to feed your adult Deerhound puppy with three small rations of food a day, instead of a hearty ration, it is also important to give you water and food in higher containers.so you don’t have to drop your head completely to the ground.In addition, they should not exercise intensely immediately after eating.Finally, as mentioned above, Scottish Lamb is also prone to suffering calluses on the leg pad.