Dogs have different needs that are particular to their age and breed. Caring for Scottish Deerhounds is quite challenging, mainly because its health relies greatly on the amount of exercise it gets.
If you have a Scottish Deerhound puppy as a pet and you have no active companion for it, then you have to be prepared to be its surrogate companion. Start exercising it with walks when it is at 6-8 weeks. You will be surprised to note that it can walk for more than a mile by the time it reaches 12 weeks and become absolutely tireless when it reaches 6 months.
You have to know that the more exercise your puppy gets, the better it eats and the healthier it becomes. This means unrestricted physical activity for your Scottish Deerhound puppy all day long, provided it has sufficient space to run around. It will be ideal if you have a big, fenced yard for your puppy to roam around in, and don't forget to provide a doggy door. If your puppy is able to move around at will, it will develop stronger bones and muscles, which will in turn contribute to its fitness and overall health.
You have to ensure that your Deerhound sleeps indoors at night. If it awakens and sniffs about when inside the house, show it to the door. This is part of the housebreaking process for your puppy.
As your Scottish Deerhound ages, its hyperactivity lessens. This means that you have to be the one to make sure that it will get the proper exercise it requires for its age. When it gets to around three to five years old, you will find it sprawled on your couch most of the time and it will only get up if you put on your outdoor gear. Remember, though, that if your Scottish Deerhound does not get enough exercise, its rear muscles will weaken and it will have difficulty getting up from lying position. If this happens, sooner or later your Scottish Deerhound is bound to meet its untimely demise. Your Scottish Deerhound's need for exercise might lessen as it reaches 9 or 10 years old, but you will still have to make sure that it gets the daily walks needed to maintain its health. The exercise time for this dog breed will lessen to only 30 minutes per day as it ages further.
As a puppy, an adult and even an elderly, a Scottish Deerhound is basically maintenance-free when it comes to grooming because it sheds very little. You will only have to trim its hair occasionally and brush it at least once a week. It will also be best if you brush its teeth twice a week with a toothpaste and toothbrush that are specially designed for dogs.
Always remember to feed your Scottish Deerhound several small meals instead of one large one per day. You should also take care not to exercise it after a meal to prevent it from bloating.
You might also like to research on what else you can do to take care of your dog at a particular time of its life. This is so that you would be able to give it the best care from when it is a puppy until it ages.
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