Scottish Deerhound vs Perro Cimarron - Breed Comparison

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.

The Perro Cimarron, also known as the Uruguayan Cimarron is a molosser type dog which originated in Uruguay. The dog is believed to have descending from European dogs which were brought to the country by early colonizers.

These dogs are the official mascot of the National Army of Uruguay. The dog is also recognized in Uruguay as well as by the Federation Cynologique Internationale. The dog was exported to the United States and then recognized by the United Kennel Club in the category Guardian Dog.

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 Perro Cimarron is a large dog standing at between 58 to 61cm and weighing 38 to 45kg, both males and females.

He is a muscular dog with the coat being short and smooth and in a pale fawnish color or brindle and with a black face.

The Uruguayan Cimarron is a multi-purpose working dog but today he is mainly a family companion. This large mastiff type dog is muscular and athletic. He has a large head, the ears are high set and floppy but sometimes they are still cropped and made erect. The tail is thick, low set and reaches to the hock. He has a black nose, brown eyes and a black mask.

Temperament:

Strong, alert, self confident and brave, the Perro Cimarron may not have a particularly friendly face but he loves his human family and is loyal to them. He is calm and cool but even so, he will need to be trained and socialized and then he becomes calm around different people and in different situations. He is a dog that can get on well with children and pets in the home.

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 Uruguayan Cimarron is not looked upon as a pet for the first time dog owner. He is strong willed, stubborn, somewhat aggressive and independent and will require a strong, firm, consistent owner.

He will make a loyal, affectionate pet for the person who takes time to socialize and train him. He also makes a good watchdog.

The way any dog breed is brought up will determine how he turns out, and if this particular dog is brought up the right way and given the right amount of care and exercise he needs, he can make as good a pet as any other dog breed.

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.

Most dogs, when they are well cared for, don’t get sick often. The Cimarrón is a robust kind of dog but even so he can get any one of the many common dog illnesses there are such as hip dysplasia, bloat, dental disease, cancer, obesity and others.

Urinary Tract Infection:

This infection can make your dog restless and you will notice your dog trying to wee often but unable to. It can be terrible watching your dog battling, and you will need to get your pet to the vet soon.

Parasites:

Your dog can pick up parasites anywhere such as ticks ad fleas. There are also internal parasites such as tape- and heartworms. They can bring your pet down, making him lethargic and nauseous, so it is best to research canine parasites so you can know what steps to take to protect your dog.

Skin Problems:

Don’t for one minute think that skin problems are a minor ailment. The pain and itching can drive your dog to despair. The skin can be red, inflamed and oozing. There are so many things that can cause your pet to get a skin allergy and you will need to get him to the vet to get some kind of relief for him.

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

Exercise:

As a high energy, intelligent dog, the Cimarron Uruguayo needs plenty of exercise. He won’t be content to sit around and will be frustrated and even destructive if he doesn’t receive lots of attention and exercise. Daily walks will be imperative as well as other forms of physical and mental stimulation.

Grooming:

Your Uruguayan Cimarron is a low maintenance dog because of the short coat which will still require brushing twice a week as he does shed quite a bit. Other forms of grooming include nail clipping, checking the ears and teeth as both of these can become seriously infected if not checked and attended to.

Diet:

If you have a Uruguayan Cimarron dog as a pet, you will need to be looking at the best food for him as he is large and energetic. There are some excellent commercially manufactured dog foods on the market and you want to be sure that you read the ingredients list so that the food can benefit your pet.

It’s never a good idea to just go on and on feeding your pet kibble. A break every now and again can do your pet the world of good. Some home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots and spinach will delight your dog when added into his kibble occasionally. He loves the tasty simplicity of such a diet and will never have to worry about digestive problems.

For such a dog, some raw meat added in from time to time will also do him good. Make sure he always has access to fresh, cool water.