Irish wolfhounds and Scottish deerhounds - not quite peas in a pod

@JudyEv (382656)
Rockingham, Australia
March 4, 2023 6:16am CST
There has been talk here recently about Irish wolfhounds and Scottish deerhounds so I thought I’d do a bit of research and try to find out what the differences are. Firstly, they have many similarities. Both are sighthounds so they hunt by sight, not by smell. Both are large, strong dogs but the wolfhound is generally a little larger. The wolfhound is expected to be 81–86 cms (32–34 inches) and should weigh around 120 pound while the deerhound can be slightly less tall and lighter. Both have harsh, rough and wiry coats. The wolfhound is more massively built than the deerhound and should give the appearance of being able to bring down and kill a wolf. The tail of the deerhound should almost reach the ground. The old wolfhounds of Ireland were believed to be extinct and the Scottish deerhound played a part in recreating the Irish breed. The latter is the regimental mascot of the Irish Guards. Weight and height measurements have been taken from the American Kennel Club standards. The photo shows two Scottish deerhounds that we came across in the far north-west of Scotland.
14 people like this
13 responses
@rebelann (117281)
• El Paso, Texas
4 Mar 23
I remember actually meeting a wolfhound back in 1985 when I worked for an veterinarian whose client was a breeder, she told me they were chiefly lazy and laid around for the most part. I figure if her hounds had seen a wolf they would have reacted differently. I only worked there for a short while.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They say that - that they're gentle and not a bit boisterous, until something runs from them.
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@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
5 Mar 23
They look like powerful dogs.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They would need to be to tackle wolves and deer.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Mar 23
@RubyHawk They do indeed. They would need to be tough and strong to tackle a wolf.
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@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
6 Mar 23
@JudyEv They look larger than wolves.
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@allknowing (153529)
• India
5 Mar 23
I know about the connection with wolves but why deerhound?
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
The deerhound was used to chase and bring down deer.
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@allknowing (153529)
• India
5 Mar 23
@JudyEv But the wolfhound never chases wolves. Right?
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
@allknowing They used to but I think wolves are extinct in Ireland now too.
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@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
4 Mar 23
I knew about the Irish wolfhound but not the Scottish deerhound, at least the name, not what type of dog it is. Fascinating dog breeds. Thanks for the information and the picture.
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@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
6 Mar 23
@JudyEv I'm sure they are difficult to tell apart.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
You're welcome. I might tell them apart if they were next to each other but not otherwise. But if I saw one in Ireland, I'd guess it was a wolfhound!
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@LindaOHio (222896)
• United States
4 Mar 23
I met an Irish Wolfhound in a pet store years ago. He/she was such a large and sweet dog.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They are very gentle and not a bit boisterous unless something runs from them. Then the instinct to chase kicks in.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Mar 23
@LindaOHio They are great company. I can imagine you'd miss them very much.
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@LindaOHio (222896)
• United States
5 Mar 23
@JudyEv I would love to have a couple of dogs again..I miss them so much.
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@Beestring (15372)
• Hong Kong
4 Mar 23
I guess both are aggressive animals. Are they?
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They are not aggressive at all from all accounts. Very gentle and laidback. The two we met were like that.
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@Beestring (15372)
• Hong Kong
5 Mar 23
@JudyEv I see.
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@RebeccasFarm (91297)
• United States
4 Mar 23
Now this is lovely to know Judy. THey are certainly lovely dogs.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They are quite similar, aren't they? I rarely see either.
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@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
4 Mar 23
I wonder how closely the recreated wolfhound is to the original.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Mar 23
I should imagine it's somewhere close. They breed for very muscular, tall dogs.
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@wolfgirl569 (136063)
• Marion, Ohio
4 Mar 23
They are huge dogs but need to be
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They'd need a certain amount of weigh to bring down a deer or wolf. Greyhounds are faster on flat land but the others better over rough terrain.
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@1creekgirl (44560)
• United States
4 Mar 23
That was very interesting!
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
Thanks. There is little difference really.
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@sallypup (69252)
• Centralia, Washington
4 Mar 23
Gorgeous dogs with such a historical heritage. A friend of mine used to have Russian wolfhounds. They were built like the deerhounds.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
I'm sure they would have been very similar. I can never get over how big they are.
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• Eugene, Oregon
5 Mar 23
@JudyEv, Beautiful dogs! I was wondering about the differences when you mentioned them the other day. Thanks for clarifying.
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They certainly look very similar.
@Ronrybs (21492)
• London, England
5 Mar 23
Knew of Wolfhounds, but didn't realise they had gone extinct. Guess once all the Irish wolves were gone they were out of a job
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@JudyEv (382656)
• Rockingham, Australia
5 Mar 23
They've more or less recreated them with is a good thing I guess.
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