This is very important history for those judges that see the Standard as a tool for evaluating breed specimens on the basis of form following function. The Deerhound Standard already describes a modern show Deerhound so any exaggeration of the breed characteristics described in the Standard will move the Deerhound even farther from its working roots. TYPE (Point #1) is the sum of those qualities which are dis- tinctive to the breed which make the animal not a dog, but a Deerhound. Most breed standards start with General Ap- pearance but the Scottish Deerhound Club of America Deer- hound Standard follows the format of the original Hickman and Hood-Wright Deerhound Standard approved by the Deerhound Club (UK) in 1892. Head is mentioned first, but foremost in Points Arranged in Order of Importance is Type. Point # 1. A Deerhound should resemble a rough-coated Greyhound of larger size and bone. This is the General Ap- pearance missing at the beginning of this Standard. The overall first impression of a Deerhound should be that of a large Greyhound…not a giant Greyhound and not a small Irish Wolfhound. To quote G.A. Graham (Vero Shaw, 1881 p. 229) “The general appearance should be striking, elegant and aristocratic to a marked extent and nobility of carriage is a very strong feature of the breed”.
Bran (“the famous” pictured above in 1842 by Thomas Duncan) Height at shoulder: 29 inches Girth: 31 ½ inches “killed his first stag at 9 months and his last at 9 years”. Source: Vero Shaw (1879-91) The Illustrated Book of the Dog . Chapter XXXI.The Deerhound by G.A.Graham
MOVEMENT (Point #2): Almost as an afterthought, easy, active and true was added in the Points in 1914 to describe this breed’s movement. Perhaps the lapse was in recognition that the Deerhound is above all a galloping hound and trot- ting about the ring simply shows off a dog’s structure which only hints at how it may perform in the field. Deerhounds should be light on their feet, with a seemingly effortless abil- ity to bound over rough terrain.
Buskar (pictured below 1836 by Sir Edwin Landseer): Height at shoulder: 28 inches Girth at chest 32 inches Weight in running condition…85 pounds “The deer he killed that day in total weighed 308 pounds” Source: Scrope (1839) The Art of Deerstalking p.347
“easy” and “active”, Ch. Thistleglen Margot • Photo by Halvorson
Propulsion in the field comes from the rear assembly and drive from the rear, with no hint of closeness or cow hocks, is extremely important. Deerhounds, unlike Greyhounds, gallop with their head up when after deer and spring (or bound) over the terrain keeping the quarry sighted in the long thicket-like heather. Written reports from the 1800s
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