Scottish Deerhounds

Scottish Deerhounds, or simply the Deerhound, is a breed of hound (a sight hound), bred to hunt the Red Deer.

Scottish Deerhounds are a large breed with an extremely friendly nature that needs considerable exercise to develop properly and to maintain its health. That does not mean it needs a large house to live in. They should have regular access to free running, in a fenced area, and should not be raised with access only to leash walking or a small yard.

Scottish Deerhounds Temperament

Young Deerhounds can be quite destructive if not given sufficient exercise, however, the average adult Deerhound (two to three years old) may spend much of the day stretched out on the floor or a couch, sleeping. They do require a stimulus and a large area to exercise properly and frequently. They are gentle and docile indoors and are generally good around company and children.

Outdoors, with room to run, they can be extremely active. They have a long powerful gait and can be extremely fast over a given piece of ground. Care must be taken to give them freedom to run in places where they are safely fenced away from traffic and other dangers, they can be enthusiastic hunters, and can quickly run far from a safe environment.

Barring major medical emergencies, a considerable number of Deerhounds can be expected to live to approximately 11 years of age The more common serious health problems in the breed include cardiomyopathy, osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and bloat.

Scottish Deerhounds History

Scottish Deerhounds are believed by some to have existed back to a time before recorded history. In appearance it was similar to the Greyhound and used for very similar purposes, both namely to hunt red deer. The environment in which it worked, Highland moor, is different to that of the Greyhound, English Forest, and likely to have contributed to the larger, rough-coated appearance of the breed.

The Deerhound was developed to hunt red deer by “coursing”, and by “deer-stalking”. In coursing deer, a single Deerhound or more likely a couple of Deerhounds, would be brought as close as possible to red deer, then slipped to run one of them down by speed, which if successful would happen within a few minutes - four minutes at the most. In deer-stalking, the Deerhound would be slipped at close range, after a red deer had been singled out and shot, in the case the deer did not fall, the intention being that the Deerhound would pull the wounded deer down as soon as possible.

Scottish Deerhounds are closely related to the Irish Wolfhound and contributed mainly to the resuscitation of that breed, and was hunted in a similar manner to other European sight hounds. The antecedents of the modern Scottish Deerhound may have been common among the Picts and Scots, and would have been used to provide part of the dietary requirements, namely hoofed game. With the eventual demise of the clan systems in Scotland, these hunting dogs became sporting animals for landowners and the nobility but when possible continued to be bred and hunted by common folk. Scottish Deerhounds made quick work of any game from a hare up and were highly regarded by the nobility and poachers alike.