Life Span:	approximately 11 years of age.
Litter Size:	4-7 puppies per litter
Group:	Hound
Recognized By:	CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR
Color:	dark blue gray, dark and light gray, brindles, yellow, sandy red and fawn colors. They should have black ears and muzzles
Hair Length:	Medium
Size:	Extra Large
Shedding:	Moderate Shed
Male Height:	30-32 inches
Male Weight:	From 85 to 115 lbs
Female Height:	28 inches and up
Female Weight:	may be 75 to 95 lbs
Living Area:	Scottish Deerhounds are large dogs. However, they can live in an apartment so long as they are given plenty of exercise. When they are indoors, they are docile and quiet, due to their elegant and polite nature. So, you're not likely to find them underfoot, even if you live in a small place. However, it is critical for their health and happiness that they be given lots of exercise outdoors. The ideal place for a Scottish Deerhound would be a farm with acres and acres free for roaming and tracking, completely out of danger from traffic.

About this Breed

The Scottish Deerhound is a fairly unfamiliar breed to most Americans. In fact, the American Kennel Club places this dog breed near the very bottom of the list in terms of numbers of dogs registered in the This is a large and graceful dog that is gentle and sweet. These dogs make wonderful hunting dogs or family pets, but they must be given plenty of exercise. They are very intelligent dogs and can learn coursing and agility exercises quite easily. These dogs do very well with children, particularly when the dog is older. Young Scottish Deerhounds often do not know their strength and size and may inadvertently hurt a little one. They bark very little, and have a somewhat unusual howl sound. The Scottish Deerhound can spend lots of time running around outside and needs to be able to run off energy. In fact, younger Deerhounds may be destructive if they don't get a sufficient amount of exercise. They are fast runners with an agile gait and can run quite a fair distance. It's important to watch your Scottish Deerhound whenever he's running off leash, as he may become interested in his run and stray too far. The Scottish Deerhound is built very much like the Greyhound, only larger in size and bone structure. They should have a chest that is deep rather than broad. The Scottish Deerhound's head should be broadest at the ears and narrow slightly around the eyes. The muzzle should be pointed, with level lips and teeth. The head should be long with a flat skull. The nose should generally be black and the dog should have a mustache of silky hair and a beard. Their ears should be high set and fold back like those of a greyhound. The ears should be soft, glossy, small and dark in color, regardless of the color of the rest of the body. The Deerhound's tail should be long enough to reach within 1 1/2 inches of the ground and should be well covered in hair. Their eyes should be dark with black rims. The Deerhound's legs should be broad and flat with very straight forelegs. Their feet should be close and compact, and their hindquarters broad and drooping.