Content
- Deerhound: origin
- Deerhound: physical characteristics
- Deerhound: personality
- Deerhound: care
- Deerhound: education
- Deerhound: health
O Deerhound or Scottish Lébrel is a giant greyhound dog, similar to the English Greyhound but taller, stronger and with a coarse and broad coat. Despite not being a well-known dog breed, it is one of the most striking for its peculiar appearance and noble personality.
Deerhounds were formerly used to hunt deer and today still retain their hunting instincts. Although they are very kind to other dogs and people, they tend to want to pick up dogs and smaller animals such as cats. If you are interested in adopting a Scottish Deerhound or Lèbrel, read on and learn all about this breed of dog.
Source- Europe
- UK
- Group X
- Slender
- toy
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
- 15-35
- 35-45
- 45-55
- 55-70
- 70-80
- more than 80
- 1-3
- 3-10
- 10-25
- 25-45
- 45-100
- 8-10
- 10-12
- 12-14
- 15-20
- Low
- Average
- High
- Sociable
- very faithful
- Tender
- Quiet
- Kids
- floors
- Houses
- hiking
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Long
- Hard
- thick
Deerhound: origin
Although the origin of the Deerhound is not well known, it is usually associated with the Greyhound due to morphological similarities. It is believed that the same Harrier line that originated the English Greyhound in England, gave rise to the Deerhound in Scotland, due to the cooler climate of the highlands of that country, favored the evolution of a breed. larger and more robust, with a wider, coarser coat.
In the Middle Ages, the Scottish Lébrel was employed to hunt deer. That's why its English name is Deerhound. At the same time, it was the favorite dog of Scottish clan chiefs, even being considered as the "royal dogl" from Scotland.
The development of firearms and farm fences ended deer hunting. All of that, plus the fall of the Scottish clan system, brought the Deerhound almost to extinction. Luckily, interest in the breed resurfaced around 1800 and the Deerhound was saved by some passionate about the breed.
Currently, this dog is used exclusively as a companion and exhibition dog, but it still retains all its hunting characteristics and instincts.
Deerhound: physical characteristics
O Deerhound it's a giant dog with long legs and a thin body, but it's still a very strong dog. It has an elegant, distinguished bearing and an intelligent expression. Male Deerhounds should have a cross height of about 76 centimeters and an approximate weight of 45.5 kilograms. Breed standards, according to the Federation of International Cinology (FCI), do not indicate a maximum height. On the other hand, females must reach a height at the cross of 71 centimeters and an approximate weight of 36.5 kilos.
The Deerhound's head is enlarged and proportional to the body. The muzzle is broad and has strong teeth that close a scissor bite. The Deerhound's eyes are round and dark brown or brown in color. The ears are set high and dark in color, when at rest the ears are bent back, but when active they are raised over the head but without losing the fold. The tail is wide, thick at the base and thinner at the end, the tip almost reaching the ground when completely relaxed.
The Deerhound's shaggy, coarse coat is between three and four inches wide. They are usually bluish gray in color, in different shades of grey, brownish yellow, yellowish, sand red and fire red. The fur forms a certain mane, with a mustache and beard.
Deerhound: personality
the deerhound is a dog calm, affectionate, sociable and kind, both with people and with other dogs. Still, they should be socialized from puppies to reduce any possibility of aggression or shyness, since it is a big and fast dog.
Although the Deerhound is a loyal and brave dog, it doesn't serve as a guard and defense dog because it tends to be friends with everyone. When well socialized, Scottish Lébreles make excellent companions for children. However, you should consider that adult Deerhounds are not as active as puppies and need their own space that they are not disturbed.
This breed of dog tends to be sociable with other dogs, so it's a good option if you're thinking of having more than one dog. Still, the hunting instinct makes it difficult to relate to smaller animals, including small cats and dogs.
Deerhound: care
The Deerhound is not suitable for apartment living because it is too big and needs a lot of exercise, especially running. To develop correctly, the Deerhound needs daily exercises and games and preferably live in a large house or apartment. However, like most dogs, he needs companionship and affection, so he should live with the family and not far away in a house in the garden so you will make your dog unhappy. Also, because he is prone to getting calluses on his feet, it is necessary to provide a padded place for him to sleep.
If you take it for a walk in nature for some time, it is necessary to check if your pet has any fleas, ticks or insects stuck on its body.The rough, shaggy coat of these dogs needs much more care than the coat of other greyhounds, so it is necessary to brush regularly and more often at the time of coat change, as well as taking it to the pet shop. But it is only necessary to bathe the Scottish Lébrel when it is really dirty.
Deerhound: education
Canine training is essential for this breed of dog as, because they are so big and fast, it is necessary to control them well. In any case, Deerhounds or Scottish Lébrel are easy to train and respond well to positive training methods, but not so well when traditional methods are applied, as this training is based on punishment and ends up producing stress, anxiety and fear. to the dog, therefore, it is not a good option.
To start education, you can start with the basic dog commands and gradually increase the level of training techniques as the Deerhound learns. Still, one thing that will come in handy if you want to train a Deerhound is the use of the clicker.
Deerhound: health
If you take good care of the Deerhound, it's a dog that can reach 10 years of age. But, even so, this breed is prone to suffer some common diseases in large dogs:
- Hip dysplasia;
- Gastric torsion;
- Bone cancer.
Gastric torsion is very common in this breed of dog, so it is highly recommended to feed your adult Deerhound dog with three small portions of food a day, rather than a large portion. It's also important to give water and food in higher containers so that he doesn't have to lower his head all the way to the floor. Also, do not exercise strenuously right after eating. Finally, as mentioned earlier, the Scottish Lébrel is also prone to getting calluses on the footpads.