How to Groom a Scottish Deerhound

The Scottish Deerhound is similar in general appearance to the Greyhound, but is larger and more muscular in stature. The coat of this dog is roughly 3 to 4 inches long, and Scottish Deerhounds also have a beard, mustache and mane. The coat is made up of coarse, wiry hair. This breed requires a full grooming every 8 to 10 weeks.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Slicker brush
• Natural bristle brush
• Scissors
• Thinning shears
• Cotton balls

1. Brush the coat with a slicker brush first and then a natural bristle brush. The wiry texture of the hair makes for easy grooming. Scottish Deerhounds are average shedders.

2. Trim stray hairs on the backs of the legs using scissors. You don't need to be overly vigorous with this, just neaten it to look natural but well-maintained.

3. Trim the head and ears either with a hand stripping knife (used mostly for show dog's coats) or with thinning shears and scissors. Leave the beard full and square shaped.

4. Remove the whiskers if desired. This is purely a matter of taste with this breed.

5. Use cotton balls to prevent water from getting in to the ears while bathing. Bathe and dry your Scottish Deerhound.

Tips & Warnings

• The Scottish Deerhound has a coat of gray, blue-gray (the most preferred color for this breed), fawn or brindle hair. Some may appear white around the chest area and on the feet and tail.
• The life expectancy of these dogs is generally under 10 years of age.
• Scottish Deerhounds are closely related to Greyhounds, which is apparent from their general appearance, but breeders developed the breed in Scotland expressly for the purpose of hunting deer. The cold and unforgiving climate of Scotland helped the animal develop it's protective, crisp coat.
• Scottish Deerhounds are susceptible to bloating, so it's better to feed them two or three small meals a day rather than one large one. Don't let them exercise immediately following a meal.