Scottish Deerhound vs Drever - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Drever dog hails from Sweden, being brought from Germany to the Scandinavian country in 1910. As a scenthound, in spite of his short legs, he was once used for hunting purposes, having a keen nose.

The dog was developed from the Westphalian Dachsbracke and then crossbred with other Swedish hounds.

By the 1940s there were two distinctive sizes of this Dachsbracke dog and the larger one was named Drever. It was in 1947 that the Drever was then recognized by the Swedish Kennel Club as a separate breed. It was also recognized by a number of other clubs and registries.

The Scottish Deerhound is considered the Royal Dog of Scotland. It is a sighthound that is large and bred to hunt large Red Deer. They are similar in appearance to the Greyhound, but they are bigger and heavier. Closely related to the Irish Wolfhound, they were used in creating it. The Scottish Deerhound is an ancient breed that is now very rare. It can trace its lineage to the 16th and 17th centuries.

The Deerhound was a favorite of hunting nobility and could not be kept by any person or household that did not have at least the rank of earl. Despite this history the Scottish Deerhound was not considered separate from the Highland Greyhound and other staghounds until the 19th century. They were bred to stalk or “course” the red deer and were used extensively for this purpose until the beginning of the 20th century. At that time there was a need for smaller, slower deer tracking dogs.

At the start of the 20th century, the land for deer hunting had grown smaller and so had the deer. Also, the invention of the rifle made the fast Deerhounds who could cover large tracks of ground in minutes, no longer a necessity for successful hunting. As the clan systems fell and the nobility rose, the Deerhounds became the dog for nobility and landowners. There were a few non-nobilities who also kept them and hunted with them. As they were less needed for hunting a few households kept them as show dogs.

In the United States and Canada, both the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound were used for hunting wolves and deer. In Australia, the Kangaroo Dog – a deerhound crossbreed, and Deerhounds were used to hunt wild boar, emu and kangaroos. The Deerhound is one of the oldest of the breeds that are Greyhound-like. The Deerhound is not as fast as the Greyhound if they are running on a smooth surface. Get them on a rough surface and the will out that Greyhound. They appear to be larger and rougher than they really are. This gives them an advantage over the lighter, smaller Greyhound.

The Deerhound was a contributor to development of the Irish Wolfhound toward the end of the 19th century.

Looking quite similar to the Beagle, the Drever is a medium sized dog which stands at about 32 – 38cm and weighing between 14 and 16kg.

He has a fairly long body but unlike the Dachshund his short legs are straight and aren’t bent. The nose of the dog is fairly large and black and the ears are quite long, much like a Beagle dog.

The eyes are bright, alert and dark and the expression on the dog’s face is amicable and gentle.

He has a short, dense coat and is looked upon as a moderate to heavy shedder. The coat can be in several colors such as brown or tan and black with white markings over the face, neck, chest and feet. He has floppy ears and a long tail carried downwards.

The Scottish Deerhound looks a lot like the Greyhound, except it is heavily boned and larger in size. The Deerhound is also different in several other ways. Instead of the Greyhound, the Scottish Deerhound is more closely related to the Irish Wolfhound than the Deerhound. The Deerhound is a large, rough coated breed. It is a very tall breed; in fact, it is the tallest of all sighthounds.

The Deerhound has a long head with a flat skull and a muzzle that tapers at the end. They have dark eyes and a scissor bite with a tail that can be either curved or straight. The hair on their tails almost touches the ground. The rest of its coat is wiry and harsh with a beard, mustache and mane. The ears are soft and can be either held semi erect or folded against their head. Their coat is gray or grey-blue today but in the past, it might have been brindle, red fawn or yellow.

The Drever dog is an easy dog to have around, not requiring any special treatment to keep him happy.

He gets on well with every member of the family as well as any pets in the home and fits easily into city- or country life.

He is an active dog however, and will require exercising to avoid him becoming frustrated.

Treat your amicable Drever with the attention he deserves and you’ll have a friendly, calm and devoted pet who wants to be your best friend.

1.Children friendliness – yes but watch out for little ones.

2.Special talents - speed and distance.

3.Adaptability - some but needs space to run.

4.Learning ability – intelligent but hunting and running instincts overcome all else.

The Drever is a dog which enjoys good health generally, and with good care he can reach 12 to 15 years of age. The Drever, similar to other dogs, may be susceptible to some common health concerns that any healthy dog can experience such as back pain, hip dysplasia, eye diseases, obesity, diabetes and others.

Veterinary care is an important part of a dog’s health – from puppyhood to the senior years. However, the frequency of visits you make to your vet with your adult dog will depend on his health.

The Scottish Deerhound does face some serious challenges on the health front. These include:

• Cardiomyopathy – heart disease.
• Osteosarcoma – Bone cancer.

• Cystinuria – recessive disorder that causes an inability for cystine to be filtered from the urine.

• Gastric Dilatation Volvulus – otherwise known as bloat and it can be life threatening if not treated quickly.

• Hypothyroidism – easily treated with medication.
• Neck pain – if no serious condition – medication can be taken.
• Factor VII deficiency.
• Stress is not handled well in this breed.

Diet:

It is important to feed your dog food that will cater to his digestion. That is why some of the best commercially manufactured foods are so good – they cater specifically for a dog’s age, his size, his activity levels and for any illnesses he may have.

In terms of activity levels, the Drever is an active dog, quite capable of chasing prey for long distances without tiring. This is why some dog foods are breed- and activity specific.

A good brand of kibble mixed with some cooked brown rice, vegetables and chicken will be excellent for your pet. Remember, if at all possible, to include some raw meat into the diet from time to time. Cool, fresh water should be available at all times.

Grooming:

Maintaining your Drever’s short, coarse coat won’t be a hassle, and you can call him a low maintenance dog. All that is essentially required is for you to give his coat a good brush twice a week. Nails will also need to be checked as well as his ears. Ignoring his ears can lead to wax build up and dirt and this can result in infection.

1.Feeding the puppy – Feed a high quality large or x large puppy dogfood at least 3-4 times a day. Do not overfeed.

2.Feeding the adult – Feed a high-quality adult large or x large dog food once or twice a day. Do not overfeed.

3.Points for Good Health - Stamina and speed.

4. Games and Exercises – The Deerhound needs plenty of exercise in a safe place where they have plenty of room to run. A small yard or life on a leash are not enough for this energetic breed. Play fetch, course running, Like the Greyhound they will be couch potatoes if you let them but that will hurt their health. Lure Coursing or hare coursing are good. Coyote hunting. Find space where they can run for the joy of running. Never force them to run – like along a bicycle