Deerhound

These large sized, shaggy coated sighthounds have a very athletic appearance. They are often described as resembling a shaggy coated greyhound.
Shaggy haired hounds have been known to exist in Scotland since before the 16th century. It is thought that short-coated hounds were introduced to Britain before the Roman invasion. When these hunting dogs were used in the Scottish Highlands they were at a disadvantage because of their short coats.
These hounds were then probably crossed with native hairy-coated dogs to get the Deerhound. They were used, in packs, by the Scottish Chieftans to hunt deer and had to be strong enough to pull a stag to the ground. The Deerhound is a gentle, intelligent, friendly dog. They get on well with children but do not make particularly good guard dogs; they are not known to bark a lot.
Most Deerhounds still have a very strong instinct to hunt so early introduction to other household pets, especially cats, is necessary. Sadly few live to a ripe old age.