Scottish Deerhound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison

Scottish Deerhound vs Cretan Hound - Breed ComparisonScottish Deerhound is originated from United Kingdom but Cretan Hound is originated from Greece. Scottish Deerhound may grow 13 cm / 6 inches higher than Cretan Hound. Scottish Deerhound may weigh 20 kg / 45 pounds more than Cretan Hound. Scottish Deerhound may live 5 years less than Cretan Hound. Scottish Deerhound may have more litter size than Cretan Hound. Scottish Deerhound requires Low maintenance. But Cretan Hound requires Moderate maintenance

History

scottish deerhound - historyThe 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.

cretan hound - historyAlthough the Cretan Hound or the Kritikos Lagonikos is recognized in both Greece and Germany, the hunting dog breed is from the island of Crete, Greece. The dog’s history goes back thousands of years. It is an ancient breed and some believe it is one of the oldest hunting breeds in Europe.

The Cretan Hound has been bred as a working dog, combining sight and scent to track down their prey. Today it is still a rare dog breed that you won’t easily find outside of Crete.

Greece kennels recognize this dog as well as some European kennels, but it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Description

scottish deerhound puppy - descriptionThe 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.

cretan hound puppy - descriptionKnown for its extraordinary scent abilities as well as its speed, this dog has always been used as a hare hunter because of these skills.

It’s a slender dog of medium to large size and stands at about 60-68cm in height and weighs between 20 – 30kg. It is lean, strong, muscular and swift with a body that is inclined to be longer than tall.

He is slightly heavier than other scenthounds and his ribs aren’t seen. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears drop down, are folded back or can be semi-erect. The eyes are dark and the tail is long and curves upwards with longer hair being found on the tail.

The coat is short and smooth, and coat colors of the dog are varied and can be fawn, sandy, grey, white, black or brindle, and it can be tri-colored too.

Temperament:

The Cretan Hound is alert to sight, sound and scent and when it senses prey, the tail moves in a circular way and the dog becomes rigid for a while before he is off on the hunt.

He is a gentle, intelligent dog, reserved around strangers but making an excellent family pet as he gets on well with all his human family members as well as pets in the house. With good training and socialization, the dog becomes more relaxed around strangers.

He isn’t an aggressive dog, and while he is alert to sounds and smells, he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

Characteristics

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

2.Special talents - speed and distance.

3.Adaptability - some but needs space to run.

scottish deerhound dog - characteristics4.Learning ability – intelligent but hunting and running instincts overcome all else.

cretan hound dog - characteristicsThe Cretan Hound is an energetic, curious dog, but when it comes to being a family pet, he is affectionate and gentle.

He is a reserved dog around strangers. He likes to be busy and will love his walks and games with his human family members. He is smart so is readily trained and he likes to be obedient and to please.

The Cretan Hound will live in harmony with other dogs in the home and they’re also patient and good around disciplined children who have learned to respect animals.

Provide your Cretan Hound with his fair share of love and attention and he will go out of his way to be a loyal and loving family friend.

Health Problems

scottish deerhound puppies - health problemsThe 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.

cretan hound puppies - health problemsThe Cretan Hound is a healthy, robust dog breed, but even so, he can suffer from some common health problems that other dogs are also susceptible to. Some of these are hip dysplasia , cancer, ear infections, bloat and cherry eye.

Remember that if you don’t want your dog to have puppies, they can actually benefit health-wise from being spayed or neutered. Doing this for your pet can prevent a number of health issues later on down the line.

Make sure too, that your puppy receives his vaccinations in a timely fashion so as to avoid terrible, life threatening illnesses such as parvo and rabies.

Caring The Pet

scottish deerhound dogs - caring1.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

cretan hound dogs - caringYou’re certainly not going to have to do too much grooming with the Cretan Hound as he is a low maintenance breed.

The dog is a short haired breed and an average shedder, so a good brush twice a week will keep the coat free of loose hairs and maintain the condition of the hair.

As with all dogs, the nails as well as the ears must be checked and attended to. The veterinarian can advise you on how to keep his ears clean and free of infection, as prodding around without knowing can damage his ears.

Exercise:

This Cretan Hound has high activity needs. He is energetic and also hard-working, and you’ll need to be taking him on long walks and providing him with some highly energetic playing sessions. Throw ball for him and take him with you when you go jogging or cycling.

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Hound dog
Origin:
United Kingdom
Greece
Height Male:
76 - 81 cm
29 - 32 inches
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
Height Female:
71 - 76 cm
27 - 30 inches
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
Weight Male:
39 - 50 kg
85 - 111 pounds
20 - 30 kg
44 - 67 pounds
Weight Female:
34 - 43 kg
74 - 95 pounds
20 - 30 kg
44 - 67 pounds
Life Span:
8 - 9 Years
12 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
14 - 15
3 - 7
Size:
Giant dog
Medium dog
Other Names:
Deerhound
Kritikos Lagonikos, Kressa Kyon, Ntopio
Colors Available:
gray, brindle, red, Blue, fawn, yellow
grey, Fawn, sandy, tri-colored , white, black or brindle
Coat:
wiry
Short and smooth
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Docile, Friendly, Gentle, Sweet
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Docile, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Quiet, Responsive, Social
Grooming:
Low maintenance
Moderate maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Scottish Deerhound vs Irish Wolfhound - Breed Comparison
  2. Scottish Deerhound vs Francais Blanc et Orange - Breed Comparison
  3. Scottish Deerhound vs Billy - Breed Comparison
  4. Scottish Deerhound vs American Staghound - Breed Comparison
  5. Scottish Deerhound vs Great Dane - Breed Comparison
  6. Scottish Deerhound vs Bernese Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison
  7. Scottish Deerhound vs English Mastiff - Breed Comparison
  8. Scottish Deerhound vs Newfoundland Dog - Breed Comparison
  9. Scottish Deerhound vs Neapolitan Mastiff - Breed Comparison
  10. Scottish Deerhound vs Anatolian Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  11. Scottish Deerhound vs American Mastiff - Breed Comparison
  12. Scottish Deerhound vs Leonberger - Breed Comparison
  13. Scottish Deerhound vs Alaunt - Breed Comparison
  14. Scottish Deerhound vs Bully Kutta - Breed Comparison
  15. Scottish Deerhound vs Alangu Mastiff - Breed Comparison
  16. Scottish Deerhound vs Mountain Burmese - Breed Comparison
  17. Scottish Deerhound vs Gaddi Kutta - Breed Comparison
  18. Scottish Deerhound vs Pyrenean Mastiff - Breed Comparison
  19. Scottish Deerhound vs Bisben - Breed Comparison
  20. Scottish Deerhound vs American Molossus - Breed Comparison
  21. Scottish Deerhound vs Moscow Watchdog - Breed Comparison
  22. Pharaoh Hound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  23. Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  24. Hungarian Vizsla vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  25. Redbone Coonhound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  26. Norwegian Elkhound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  27. Santal Hound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  28. English Coonhound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  29. Podenco Canario vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  30. Dunker vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  31. Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  32. Podenco Andaluz vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  33. Podenco Galego vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  34. English Foxhound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  35. Estonian Hound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  36. Grand Griffon Vendeen vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  37. Hamiltonstovare vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  38. Kanni vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  39. Lithuanian Hound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  40. Hungarian Hound vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  41. Hygenhund vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  42. Norrbottenspets vs Cretan Hound - Breed Comparison
  43. Cretan Hound vs Basset Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Cretan Hound vs Basenji - Breed Comparison
  45. Cretan Hound vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  46. Cretan Hound vs Bluetick Coonhound - Breed Comparison

View/Compare Breeds

Popular Dog Breeds