Unfortunately I only have one Deerhound, how I wish I had bought two as I feel for Murphy not having anyone to run and play with. Although over the years we have never had less than 4 lurchers or greyhounds at any one time, usually about 7, I can't remember them 'playing'. They used to just do their own thing when out in the fields.

When Murphy meets another dog, he is different to the other dogs we have owned in the past. Possibly my fault for not socaialising him much (more to do with the idiots out there that own dogs!) I did used to walk with a lady who had a lurcher and they used to play chase, but Murph was alot younger then. On the odd occasion he has met another dog now I worry a bit. He doesn't attack or anything like that, but I assumed he was quite dominant. He nips their bottoms (if they are girls) but does this kind of dancing around them, making alot of noise. Is this normal rough deerhound behaviour? It could be mistaken for wanting a fight.
There are also dogs out there that he does not like and growls at, not often, just the odd big one. He also had a chance to 'attack' his arch enemy once, but only went as far as the garden wall, even though the gate was open.

At shows, he completely ignores other dogs.

That's very interesting Helen, Ben also behaves like this to other dogs and I also thought that it may be because I didn't socialise him enough with other dogs when he was younger. I did try very hard to but he was very, very rough when a puppy and other owners didn't trust him with their dogs. He was only being playfully rough but I can understand why they thought the way that they did. I also think that I should have got another DH but it's too late now alas. Ben also bites the backsides of females and when I met a DH breeder who lives close recently he just wouldn't stop barking at her 3 female DH's. They gave him a look as if he was a delinquent. Interestingly he is very worried by a large older female DH and will attempt to run away if confronted by one. I suspect that he was a very naughty puppy and that they remind him of being chastised by his Mother when he was young.

According to the dog whisperer, a bright, bouncy, unneutered male dog will be taken to be dominant by other males. Ben fits that description and it sounds like Murphy does as well. Usually its the other dog that growls first at Ben after getting close and sniffing him, he will then respond in a similar way and I have to pull him away quickly in case there is trouble. Ben will also ignore other large dogs and seems quite pleased that he's on the lead and I walk quickly past them. He seems to like to avoid a conflict but will not back down if provoked.

Was Murphy attacked by dogs when he was younger. Ben was by Collies, labradors and Jack Russells and strangely those are the breeds that he's most likely to have problems with.

Summing up I suspect that there is some dominance involved and also that they like to avoid trouble if possible. I have a friend with a submisive Collie and he has no problems with it at all.

Lurch8252 wrote:



Mostly thats normal sighthound behavour, the nipping is either to instagate the chase
or it can be with bitchs, he fancy's them and the dancing and noise is just excitment,
one thing ive learned from Layla, is she changes depending on the dog,
some shes more gentle and reserved with and some she plays verry hard with,
last weekend she was playing with a friends foster dog, you would think they was trying to kill each other, there was lots of noise, snapping of teeth
pinning each other, to anyone else it would have looked like they was fighting,
but to us we know they are verry good friends.

Thanks Jane and Robb, it is always nice to hear others stories of how their dogs interact around other dogs.
We have a Border Terrier too and they play, in the house it is teeth play, you know the kind, like your two in the photo above. In the garden they play chase. In the field Murphy dive bombs him, but the terrier is in hunting mode and in no mood for this so usually gives him a nip.
I have found him to be all mouth and no trousers with other dogs, likes to have a growl, but would back down if they 'put some manners on him'. I would so love to let him go with another big dog. My friend has a border collie, who has no interest in other dogs what so ever, doesn't go near them, not even for a sniff, he is a nice dog to walk with, with Murphy as he is a good role model of how dogs should behave. I have walked him with 2 weimeranners, mother and puppy son, but won't let him off as the puppy isn't strong enough for Murphy and I am worried he will hurt him.
A few months back the terrier went for a doberman, who turned on him back, though he didn't bite him, he just showed him who was boss, Murphy was off lead and went and hid rather than get involved. He was attacked by a few dogs when he was younger, I think other dogs are intimidated by DH's size and get in first, but nothing to write home about, he has never been bitten by another dog.
If we meet a tiny puppy, or minature breed dog, he adores them. If you say the word puppy, he waggs his tail and licks you. How I wish I got 2!!
It is nice to ask questions, especially when you are relatively new to the breed, you can learn so much.

Something that I forgot to mention Helen. Ben has never got into a bad fight with other dogs, the worst that has happened is that he pins them down and holds them there. He is really harmless although other owners get very alarmed as he makes a lot of noise when he does it and I understand that it is alarming to them not knowing Deerhounds. When he was young he did get bitten by dogs involving several trips to the vet, on one occasion he had a hole in his rump approx 2 inches accross and needed a dozen or so stitches. I do think that it has made him feel very insecure when those same breeds get too close to him.

I took him for a long walk once with Cicoch and his dog Mac. At first they did have a go at each other, it was nothing serious, they were just trying to jump on each other and growling a bit. Probably an attempt to establish a pecking order. After that they just walked along with us and ignored each other.

Ben is the same with our terrier as Murphy is to yours. I do worry somtimes that he'll hurt the terrier but he seem to be tough as old boots and never suffered as much as scratch. Anyway the terrier seems to instigate play just as much as Ben.

if it is of any help my pack play fight very hard with each other see attached if it works

it did not work, it was just a short clip of my lot play fighting and the noise they make

Loki plays pretty rough with my two lurchers but its all pretty harmless. I've spoken to spring a few times about getting our dogs together in the village where i live as theres loads of space to run and i dont think you are that far away either so maybe we should sort a play date for the new year. The snow is great here for the dogs at he moment but the roads arent sadly(east herts just outside stevenage)

The roads here are bad, not so much the main ones, though that changed overnight with more snow. Yes, I am just outside Watford (Bushey, if you know it)
That would be great, it would be nice to see how they all get on.

Murphy has never had a figtht with another dog either, its just the noise that alarmed me. I feel I have denied him really, I was always told to be careful, keep them on leads etc and away from other dogs, I think it has made me go the complete opposite! I never had it with the Lurchers of the Greyhounds and we walked in parks, off lead and never an incident.

Robb, who are Bens parents?

Lurch8252 wrote:


Helen, Bens father was Rosslyn Highlander and his mother Betts of Clachan.

I'd provide a link to his pedigree on the Kilbourne site but as my other post states the site appears to be infected with a virus or similar, at least according to google.

Lurch8252 wrote:


Helen, Bens father was Rosslyn Highlander and his mother Betts of Clachan.

I'd provide a link to his pedigree on the Kilbourne site but as my other post states the site appears to be infected with a virus or similar, at least according to google.

Lurch8252 wrote:


Helen, Bens father was Rosslyn Highlander and his mother Betts of Clachan.

I'd provide a link to his pedigree on the Kilbourne site but as my other post states the site appears to be infected with a virus or similar, at least according to google.

Oops don't know how that happened, seems to have posted 3 times.

I am glad that i got Carys afetr getting Murray as they can run and indulge in some very rough play. They dont really bother with other breeds - just a quick sniff and hello and then back to their play fighting. I think that because of their unique way of playing they really need another deerhound.

Hi Houndy, any luck with Flight?

Robb, I will leave that page for a while, don't fancy a virus, my brother in law computer boff is in Wales now (near you I believe Houndy)

Yes, having 2 deerhounds (or more)is quite an experience to watch when they are playing - teeth snapping, rearing up at each other etc.

Tulla our pup has taken to biting Clunie and Cally (our rotti cross)bum. It really annoys them but as stated in another post it is just a way (I think)of trying to get the other dog to play. It was quite frightening when we first got Clunie and watching her play really roughly with Fynn our deerhound lurcher - all the jaw snapping etc, but it really just seems to be part of their play...

I think having 2 deerhounds together is definately a good idea, but not really necessary.
Our Collie is big enough to cope with Mac's boisterousness. They run around together quite happily, shouting and barking at each other in play.

The smaller dogs tend to suffer a little more, as he likes to chase them down and pounce.
Although they have learnt now that if they just stop and lie down before he gets to them he loses interest because they're not moving anymore.

The best is that now the Beddy whippet is growing up and getting some speed on him , he can outrun him and out dodge him aswell. I love to watch them running and chasing around, can stand and watch them for hours.

CiCoch wrote:


Ben has lots of fun chasing our terrier, he does get treated very roughly but has never been cut or injured by him. Also the terrier has learnt how to avoid ben as he's got wiser, mainly by rolling over and running off in the opposite direction leaving DH to have to brake and turn. Ben doesn't chase him so much now but rather waits for him to get in range and then pounces on him.