Scottish Deerhound Fun Facts

Gentle, dignified and friendly – here comes the Scottish Deerhound. 

History of the Scottish Deerhound

This breed of sighthound can be traced back to before the 16th century.  The dogs went by a variety of names, including Highland Deerhound, Scotch Greyhound and Irish Wolfdog.

Until the end of the nineteenth century, the Deerhound was bred to hunt red deer using coursing and stalking. The are one of 18 native Scottish dogs.

Over time, faster and farther running hounds were no longer needed because of the development of modern rifles. Deer populations also declined. The Deerhound breed was left in the hands of enthusiasts and became a show breed rather than a working dog.

Sir Walter Scott who once owned a Deerhound called Maida described the breed as “the most perfect creature of Heaven”.

Appearance

The Scottish Deerhound is larger, heavier boned and hairier than a greyhound, but they do bear some resemblance to each other in build.

It has a height of 75 – 80 cm, and a rough coat developed for working in the damp and cold Scottish Highlands. The coat is long and harsh on the body, but softer hair appears on the beard, moustache and tummy. 

The Deerhound coat comes in several colours; Dark blue-grey, darker and lighter greys or brindles and yellows, sandy-red or red fawns with black points. 

Temperament

Friendly, eager to please and docile, the Scottish Deerhound is renowned for its gentle and dignified demeanour. They are friendly to both family and strangers and other dogs. 

Unsurprising, for a breed that was developed to chase deer, the Scottish Deerhound needs lots of exercise to maintain good health. They need long walks, runs and play involving fetching to use up some of their energy.  

However, once the exercise is done for the day, they are perfectly happy to nap on the sofa and pile affection on their humans.

Do you have a Scottish Deerhound? What do you love most about them?