by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: November 04, 2009

The American Staghound, also known as just the Staghound, is a dog that has come from the land of Scotland, interestingly enough. They have been bred by combining the Greyhound and the Scottish Deerhound. Since the 1700s, however, when the dogs were brought over to America, Staghounds have been mated with Staghounds rather than with either of these other two breeds.

Another point of interest about this dog is that it is not really even recognized as a breed of its own. They do not belong to any of the kennel clubs and cannot be registered, due to this fact. The hunters that own and care for these dogs are happy with the current status quo regarding the lack of true breed, as they want to keep the American Staghound as a working companion and prevent them from becoming show dogs that are bred for the purpose of living life in the spotlight, rather than in the woods.

Their original purpose was the pursuit and hunting of game to be used for food and fur, however, it was eventually realized that they could be used for pursuing the extremely fast coyote, as well, which no other dog had ever done before. The speed of the American Staghound comes from its Greyhound bloodlines and the Scottish Deerhound genetics gives them amazing noses and rough, warm coats. They are technically considered to be in the sighthound category and will give chase to anything that they see moving, even as young pups.

The American Staghound is typically between 24 and 30 inches tall, when measured from the ground to the withers, with males almost always being taller than females. Their weight ranges between 45 and 90 pounds, again with males being larger than females. They should be well-proportioned, deep chested, and muscled in appearance, but not look heavy in build. The legs are usually fairly long and the tail is held in the downward position, being tapered but not extremely thick even at the base. The ears are set rather high on the head, and held in the drop position. The eyes are alert and keen in expression, as well as being very sensitive-looking. The nose is black, and the muzzle on the slightly long side of average in length.

The coat of the American Staghound can be smooth, rough, or a little of both. Remember, this is a dog that is desired for the work that it does, not for its incredible beauty. Their grooming is fairly easy, but must be maintained regularly. They need a thorough brushing a couple of times per week with a stiff brush to ensure that there is no matting, nothing

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