Scottish Deerhound Information

It's believed that the Scottish Deerhound existed before recorded history. Their ancestors may have been kept by the Scots and Picts and would have been used to control their animals.

The Scottish Deerhound is similar to the Greyhound and closely related to the English Greyhound> The environment where the Scottish Deerhound worked contributed to the larger, rough coated appearance of the breed. They are closely related to the Irish Wolfhound and were the main contributor of Irish Wolfhounds when they were re-created at the end of the 19th century.

The Deerhound was held at such a high esteem that the desire for exclusive ownership had endangered the continuance of the breed. As the larger animals of the chase became extinct or rare in England and southern Scotland, the Greyhound took the place of the Deerhound.

Scottish Deerhounds have an incredible sense of smell which was used while tracking. They also have great strength and speed and were able to take down the large Scottish deer that often weigh 250 pounds.

They're very quiet and dignified dogs who thrive on human companionship. They adore their family, and do very well with children. Even though they're good with kids, you have to take their size into consideration. Scottish Deerhound's are very large, and may accidentally knock over small children just by innocently brushing by them. Due to that, this isn't a wise choice for those with toddlers, but once the children become more stable on their feet and have learned proper behavior with dogs, a Scottish Deerhound would be possible.

Males should be 30-32 inches tall and weigh 85-110 pounds. Females 28+ inches and 75-95 pounds. Their coat is harsh and wiry, and can be dark blue-gray, brindle, yellow, red, or fawn.

Health concerns in the breed include Bloat, bone cancer and Hip Dysplasia.