[2024] American Staghound Dog Breed (Complete Guide)

American Staghound Dog Overview

The American Staghound is a relatively recent development, a cross of Scottish Deerhounds, Greyhounds, and other breeds.

He primarily hunts hares and coyotes in the American West. This is a huge dog that typically weighs between 45 and 100 pounds.

The American Staghound is not officially recognized as a breed, and there are no plans to pursue recognition from any breed registry, such as the American Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club.

The American Staghound is a top-tier all-American hunter you’ve probably never heard of. While this breed is not on the AKC’s most popular list, that does not imply it should be overlooked.

These dogs were bred specifically to be non-disabled hunters, and they are still employed for that purpose today.

American Staghounds are employed to hunt a variety of prey species, including coyotes and wolves. They’re also utilized in competitive coursing, where they’re put through their paces, and their hunting prowess is demonstrated.

American Staghounds were never developed as companion animals; they are hunting dogs.

However, some people have kept them as companion animals, and it turns out that they are both friendly and adept hunters. Bear in mind that their amazing athleticism comes at a cost.

American Staghounds require much exercise and yard space and will not thrive in a compact apartment.

American Staghound Highlights

Besides being used for hunting purpose and being aggressive, the American Staghound is very calm and gentle with the humans. They are very loyal and only need owner’s attention.

As American Staghounds have been bread for many years, they usually don’t have any genetic health problems and thus are healthy and strong.

American Staghound was bred by genetically combining the characteristics of Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound.

American Staghound prefers to stay where there is plenty of space to move around and not in an apartment.

American Staghound is known to be bold, courageous and very determined when it comes to hunting or running after its prey. They usually don’t like running after feeble animals like rabbits, but prefer strong prey like coyotes.

American Staghound Breed Features & Ratings:

Rated base on a 5 Star Scale
ENERGY LEVEL: 4 Star
EXERCISE REQUIREMENTS: 4 Star
PLAYFULNESS: 5 Star
AFFECTION LEVEL: 5 Star
FRIENDLINESS TO DOGS: 5 Star
FRIENDLINESS TO OTHER PETS: 5 Star
FRIENDLINESS TO STRANGERS: 5 Star
WATCHFULNESS: 5 Star
EASE OF TRAINING: 5 Star
GROOMING REQUIREMENTS: 5 Star
HEAT SENSITIVITY: 5 Star
VOCALITY 5 Star

American Staghound Characteristics:

Dog Breed Group: Hound Dogs
Height: Male: 26-32 inches (66-81 cm) Female: 24-29 inches (61-74 cm)
Weight: Male: 26-32 inches (66-81 cm) Female: 24-29 inches (61-74 cm)
Life Span: 10 to 12 years
Type: Crossbreed
AREA OF ORIGIN: United States
DATE OF ORIGIN: 19th Century
OTHER NAMES: Staghound
Temperament: Affectionate, Courageous, Calm, Tenacious
Activities: Swimming
Color: Black, Blue, Brindle, Brown, White, Yellow
Litter Size: 3 to 5 puppies
Puppy Prices: Unknown

American Staghound Health:

American Staghounds are a typically healthy breed of dog. They may be prone to stomach torsion as a result of their deep chest.

Due to their scarcity, it’s difficult to predict what health problems they may develop, but osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, is a prevalent concern in huge sighthound breeds.

All dogs, like people, have the potential to inherit a particular disease.

Run, do not walk, away from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on puppies, who claims that the breed is completely healthy and without known problems, or who claims that her puppies are kept separate from the rest of the home for health reasons.

A reputable breeder will be candid and forthright about the breed’s health concerns and the frequency with which they arise in her lines.

American Staghound Grooming:

American Staghounds are available in three distinct coat colors. Shag coats resemble the shaggy, unruly coat of a Scottish Deerhound.

Slick coats resemble the coat of a Greyhound; they are short and glossy. The third sort of coat is referred to as broken, and it is a combination of the first two.

Grooming requirements vary significantly based on the type of coat worn by your American Staghound. Naturally, shag-coated Staghounds require more maintenance.

They shed more and have a greater amount of stray hair that must be brushed out. Dogs with smooth coats require minimal grooming, with only an occasional brushing required.

Brush those with broken coats twice or three times a week. No matter what type of coat your Staghound has, bathing should be kept to a minimum to avoid drying out the skin.

Don’t forget about other grooming essentials, such as teeth brushing, which should be done at least twice a week; daily is preferable.

Keep the ears clean and check for infection after each cleaning. Additionally, nails require maintenance.

They should be clipped regularly to prevent them from growing too long and causing complications for your pooch.

American Staghound Exercise:

This is the point at which an American Staghound becomes a challenging dog to own.

These dogs were designed specifically for hunting, and with Greyhound and Scottish Deerhound DNA, they had excellent speed and endurance.

They also have a lot of energy, and as the owner of an American Staghound, you’ll be responsible for channeling that energy, lest it become bored and manifest itself in undesirable behaviors.

Similarly, these dogs are unsuitable for apartments and small residences.

Even if you own a home, these dogs are not suitable for apartment living unless you have a yard.

American Staghounds simply require a great deal of space and activity. Expect to spend at least an hour each day exercising your Staghound in addition to the time it spends in the yard.

American Staghound Training:

This is another way in which American Staghounds can pose a challenge to inexperienced dog owners.

If you’re looking for a dog that is eager to please its owner and is an excellent listener, you should search elsewhere. American Staghounds are renowned for their obstinacy.

To train one of these dogs, you’re going to need a pretty hard hand, and even then, you’re going to need a lot of patience.

You must establish authority, but you must never use negative reinforcement or punishment, as American Staghounds are not amenable to these tactics.

They require a great deal of positive reinforcement but also a strong hand. It’s a fine line to walk, which is why only an experienced dog owner and trainer should take on an American Staghound.

American Staghound Food and Nutrition:

American Staghounds are extraordinarily tall canines, reaching heights of up to 32 inches.

They weigh a maximum of 90 pounds, though, and hence will not consume an excessive amount of food despite their height.

Nonetheless, you can feed them large breed-specific dog food to ensure they receive the nutrients required by larger canines.

American Staghound Temperament and Personality:

American Staghound exhibits classic sighthound characteristics: he is calm, friendly but not overbearing, and enjoys chasing.

Due to his laid-back demeanor, he is neither a watchdog nor a security dog. His size and appearance, on the other hand, may deter invaders.

As with the Greyhound, he can be content with a lengthy daily walk and the occasional chance to run free in a wide, securely fenced space.

He should always be walked on a leash, as he is prone to chase squirrels, bunnies, cats, and other small, furry creatures. Confine him to your yard with a visible barrier such as a fence.

With a sighthound, an underground electrical fence that shocks the dog when it crosses is ineffective. He’ll breeze right by that without hesitation.

Not to be overlooked is the American Staghound’s height of 24 to 30 inches and chowhound appetite, which make him the ideal counter surfer. If you don’t want him to assist himself, keep food well out of reach.

Although the American Staghound is a free thinker, he may be taught the fundamentals of good dog behavior through positive reinforcement tactics, most notably food rewards.

Begin training him while he is still young and malleable, make sessions brief and enjoyable, and avoid harsh corrections.

American Staghounds are available in three coat varieties: shag, broken, and smooth. Brushing the coat on a weekly basis will keep it healthy and clear of dead hair.

To prevent infections, trim his nails as needed and keep his ears clean and dry. Dental hygiene is also critical.

This is a domesticated dog. It’s a depressed American Staghound who is confined to the backyard and receives little attention from his family.

Additionally, he will appreciate having access to furniture or plush bedding to cushion his lanky frame.

American Staghound Care/Upkeep:

American Staghounds make excellent companions, despite their primary purpose as hunters. They make excellent pets for those who develop an attachment to their dogs, but not for casual dog owners.

These dogs develop a strong dependence on their humans and crave constant attention. They despise being alone for extended periods of time.

Additionally, they are notoriously tenacious, which makes them more difficult to train, especially for an inexperienced dog owner. Staghounds in the United States are often suspicious of strangers.

Additionally, they are extremely vigilant dogs who do not miss anything. As a result, they make fantastic watch dogs.

They are, however, inadequate security dogs. They are far too even-tempered and lack the protective instincts required of guard dogs.

American Staghound Relationship with Children and Other Pets

If you have previous experience with dogs and understand how to be firm and command a dog’s respect, you can train an American Staghound to be an excellent family dog.

It will require extensive socialization and training, but with the proper effort, they may make wonderful family pets.

They’re even known to be good with children, provided the dog has been socialized and trained to act appropriately around youngsters.

As dogs with hundreds of years of hunting-specific breeding in their DNA, an American Staghound’s prey drive is quite strong. They are, nevertheless, pack animals, and they get along well with other dogs of a sufficient size.

However, little dogs can be an issue. Your American Staghound is highly inclined to chase other tiny dogs.

This could be mitigated by extensive socialization beginning at a young age. However, even if you socialize your American Staghound properly, there is no guarantee that it will be safe among tiny dogs.

They are hunters at heart, and it is for this reason that they were bred.

American Staghound Names

Rank	Boy Names	Girl Names
01	Charlie	Molly
02	Riley	Bella
03	Toby	Coco
04	Louie	Lady
05	Ollie	Lola
06	Milo	Maggie
07	Oliver	Zoey
08	Leo	Luna
09	Moose	Zoey
10	Loki	Penny

All About American Staghound

The American Staghound is a type of sighthound that is used to chase (course) a variety of targets (game).

Although it is not recognized as a breed, some “lines” have been bred together for a longer period of time than some modern recognized breeds.

The American Staghound is best visualized by combining the features of the Scottish Deerhound and the Greyhound.

This is a running dog that possesses the morphological qualities of the Greyhound prototype. Its legs are lengthy, its chest is deep, and its muscles are strong.

The Staghound has excellent vision, and some have been bred to have some scenting abilities while on the hunt. It comes in an array of colors and color patterns similar to those found on the Greyhound and Scottish Deerhound.

There are three coat types: the “shag,” which resembles the Scottish Deerhound more closely; the “slick,” which resembles the Greyhound more closely; and the “broken,” which is in between the two.

The American Staghound possesses all of the necessary physical and mental traits for pursuing its prey.

It is well-known for reaching speeds comparable to those of a Greyhound, yet unlike Greyhounds, certain examples have extraordinary endurance.

In general, American Staghounds are kind, quiet, and devoted toward their family. Due to the breed’s hunting ancestry, the American Staghound often performs poorly as guard dogs, as the breed is rarely territorial.

American Staghound History:

As European pioneers pushed west into the American frontier in the nineteenth century, their cattle frequently fell victim to wolf and coyote predation, and it was discovered that giant sighthounds were the most successful hound variety for hunting these predators.

The American Staghound evolved as a distinct breed of dog from cross breeding between different sighthound breeds found in America at the time, primarily the British Greyhound, Scottish Deerhound, and Irish Wolfhound, as well as the Russian Borzoi.

The pioneers chased these predators in the Wild West, riding on their horses and escorted by their Staghounds.

After settlement, these hunts continued as a recreational sport, but with fewer predators to hunt, deer were commonly sought as well. Deer have become the principal, if not only, target pursued by these canines in recent decades.

Different hunters in different places chose distinct crosses, with field performance in certain situations and the quarry pursued being the key factors in seeking specific qualities.

Greyhounds, Scottish Deerhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, and Borzois have historically been the most frequently utilized foundation stock; other sighthound breeds such as Whippets or Salukis have been used infrequently, if at all.

While some American Staghounds have always been and continue to be bred to pedigree parents, the majority are bred to one another, resulting in successive generations of Staghound ancestry.

The American Staghound has been referred to by a variety of names, including the “Longdog of the Prairie” and the “American Lurcher.” One version is referred to as the “Cold-Blooded Greyhound.”

These dogs are smooth-coated and resemble large Greyhounds, with Greyhounds as the dominant breed and other sighthound blood added for size.

Where to Adopt American Staghound:

Check with your local animal shelters and rescue organizations to see if any American Staghounds are in need of a forever home.

As of now, there are no available American Staghound for adoption. If interested, you can freely browse and visit the following list below:

American Staghound Breeders
American Staghound Puppies

More Dog Breeds and Further Research:

If you want to purchase a similar breed, considering taking time in reading these:

American Staghound Fun Facts:

American staghounds might have been bred for the purpose of hunting deer.
There are numerous ways to divide hounds into subcategories.
Interested individuals will sometimes see the American staghounds being referred to as a hybrid breed.
North American breeds tend to be descended from European breeds for the most part.
Other than Scottish deerhounds, American staghounds were bred using greyhounds.
It is interesting to note that American staghounds can make good companions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Are Staghounds capable of swimming?

Many American Staghounds enjoy being near water. Swimming is an excellent low-impact workout that is beneficial for joint health and strength.

What breeds are contained within a Staghound?

The Staghound is a cross between a Greyhound and a Scottish Deerhound.

Staghounds shed their hair?

American Staghounds shed the most during and after bath time, therefore brushing them well prior to bath time will assist in breaking up their hair.