128 BRITISH DOGS 



requires a very strong neck to hold a stag. The nape of the neck should be 

 very prominent where the head is set on, and the throat should be clean-cut 

 at the angle and prominent. The shoulders should be well sloped, the blades 

 well back and not too much width between them. Loaded and straight shoulders 

 are very bad faults. 



Stern. Stern should be tolerably long, tapering, and reaching to within 

 i^in. of the ground, and about i^in. below the hocks. When the dog is still, 

 dropped perfectly straight down, or curved. When in motion it should be 

 curved when excited, in no case to be lifted out of the line of the back. It 

 should be well covered with hair, on the inside thick and wiry, underside 

 longer, and towards the end a slight fringe not objectionable. A curl or ring 

 tail very undesirable. 



Eyes. The eyes should be dark, generally they are dark brown or hazel. 

 A very light eye is not liked. The eye is moderately full, with a soft look in 

 repose, but a keen, far-away look when the dog is roused. The rims of the 

 eyelids should be black. 



Body. The body and general formation is that of a Greyhound of larger size 

 and bone. Chest deep rather than broad, but not too narrow and flat-sided. 

 The loin well arched and drooping to the tail. A straight back is not desirable, 

 this formation being unsuitable for going up-hill, and very unsightly. 



Legs and Feet. The legs should be broad and flat, a good broad fore arm and 

 elbow being desirable. Fore legs, of course, as straight as possible. Feet close 

 and compact, with -well-arched toes. The hindquarters drooping, and as broad 

 and powerful as possible, the hips being set wide apart. The hind legs should 

 be well bent at the stifle, with great length from the hip to the hock, which 

 should be broad and flat. Cow hocks, weak pasterns, straight stifles, and splay 

 feet very bad faults. 



Coat. The hair on the body, neck, and quarters should be harsh and wiry, 

 and about 3in. or 4in. long ; that on the head, breast, and belly is much 

 softer. There should be a slight hairy fringe on the inside of the fore and hind 

 legs, but nothing approaching " the feather" of a Collie. The Deerhound should 

 be a shaggy dog, but not overcoated. A woolly coat is bad. Some good strains 

 have a slight mixture of silky coat with the hard, which is preferable to a woolly 

 coat, but the proper coat is a thick, close-lying, ragged coat, harsh or crisp 

 to the touch. 



Colour. Colour is much a matter of fancy. But there is no manner of doubt 

 that the dark blue-grey is the most preferred. Next come the darker and 

 lighter greys or brindles, the darkest being generally preferred. Yellow and 

 sandy-red or red-fawn, especially with black points i.e. ears and muzzles are 

 also in equal estimation, this being the colour of the oldest known strains, the 

 McNeil and the Chesthill Menzies. White is condemned by all the old 

 authorities, but a white chest and white toes, occurring as they do in a great 

 many of the darkest-coloured dogs, are not so greatly objected to, but the less the 

 better, as the Deerhound is a self-coloured clog. A white blaze on the head 

 or a white collar should entirely disqualify. In other cases, though passable, 

 yet an attempt should be made to get rid of white markings. The less white 

 the better, but a slight white tip to the stern occurs in the best strains. 



Height of Dogs. From 28in. to 3oin., or even more if there be symmetry 

 without coarseness, but which is rare. 



Height of Bitches. From 26in. upwards. There can be no objection to 

 a bitch being large, unless too coarse, as even at her greatest height she does 

 not approach that of the dog, and, therefore, could not have l>een too big for 

 work, as over-big dogs are. Besides, a big bitch is good for breeding and 

 keeping up the size. 



Weight. From 85lb. to io5lb. in dogs ; from 65!!). to 8olb. in bitches. 



