The Deerhound is one of the most ornamental of tykes, impressively stately and graphic wherever he's seen, whether it be amid the surroundings of the majestic hall, reclining at luxurious length before the open domicile in the spastic light of the log fire that flickers on polished armour and spoiled shade; out in the open, straining at the leash as he scents the dewy-eyed air, or gracefully bounding over the purple of his native hills. Grace and majesty are in his every movement and station, and indeed to the most prosaic mind there's about him the thick glamour of feudal love and poetry. 

From remote days the Scottish patricians cherished their strains of Deerhound, seeking noble sport in the Highland timbers. The red deer belonged by inexorable law to the lords of Scotland, and great drives, which frequently lasted for several days, were made to round up the herds into given neighbourhoods for the pleasure of the court, as in the reign of Queen Mary. But the organised coursing of deer by courtiers desisted during the Stuart troubles, and was left in the hands of retainers, who therefore replenished their chief's cuddy. 

 

 Head

The head should be broadest at the cognizance, tapering slightly to the eyes, with the nib tapering further substantially to the nose. The nib should be refocused, but the teeth and lips position. The head should be long, the cranium flat rather than round, with a veritably slight rise over the eyes, but with nothing approaching a stop. The cranium should be carpeted with relatively long hair which is softer than the rest of the fleece. The nose should be black ( however in some blue-fawns the colour is blue) and slightly aquiline. In the lighter-coloured tykes a black nib is preferred. There should be a good moustache of rather silky hair, and a fair beard. 

 

 Cognizance

The cognizance should be set on high, and, in repose, folded back like the Greyhound's, though raised above the head in excitement without losing the pack, and indeed, in some cases,semi-erect. The observance should be soft, lustrous, and like a mouse's fleece to the touch, and the lower it's the better. It should have no long fleece or long borderline, but there is frequently a silky, argentine fleece on the body of the observance and the tip. Whatever the general colour, the cognizance should be black or dark-coloured. 

 

 Neck and shoulders

The neck should be long that is, of the length that befits the Greyhound character of the canine. The nape of the neck should be veritably prominent where the head is set on, and the throat should be clean- cut at the angle and prominent. The shoulders should be well graded, the blades well back, with not too important range between them. 

 

 Stern

Stern should be creditably long, tapering, and reaching to within1-1/2 elevation of the ground, and about1-1/2 elevation below the hocks. When the canine is still, dropped impeccably straight down, or twisted. When in stir it should be twisted when agitated, in no case to be lifted out of the line of the reverse. It should be well covered with hair, on the inside thick and wiry, underpart longer. 

 

 Eyes

The eyes should be dark generally they're dark brown or hazel. The eye is relatively full with a soft look in repose, but a keen, far- down aspect when the canine is roused. The skirtings of the eyelids should be black. 

 

 Body The body and general conformation is that of a Greyhound of larger size and bone. Casket deep rather than broad, but not too narrow and flat-sided. The loin well arched and drooping to the tail. 


 Legs and bases

 The legs should be broad and flat, a good broad forearm and elbow being desirable. Fore- legs, of course, as straight as possible. Bases close and compact, with well-arched toes. The hind- diggings drooping, and as broad and important as possible, the hips being set wide piecemeal. The hind- legs should be well fraudulent at the stifle, with great length from the hipsterism to the hock, which should be broad and flat. 

 Cover- 

 

 The hair on the body, neck, and diggings should be harsh and wiry, and about 3 elevation or 4 elevation long; that on the head, bone, and belly is important softer. There should be a slight hairy borderline on the inside of the fore and hind- legs, but nothing approaching to the feathering of a Collie. The Deerhound should be a shaggy canine, but not over carpeted. 

Colour

 

 Colour is much a matter of fancy. But there's no manner of mistrustfulness that the dark blue-grey is the most favored. Next come the darker and lighter greys or brindles, the darkest being generally preferred. Unheroic and flaxen-red or red-fawn, especially with black points i.e., cognizance and nib are also in equal estimation. 

 Height

 

 From 28 elevation to 30 elevation, or indeed further if there be harmony without tastelessness, which, still, is rare. Height of whimpers From 26 elevation overhead. There can be no expostulation to a whine being large, unless she's too coarse, as indeed at her topmost height she doesn't approach that of the canine, and, thus, couldn't well be too big for work, asover-big tykes are.