Breed Priorities – Otterhound

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290 – April, 2024

By Nikki Riggsbee

The Otterhound traces its roots back to medieval England. They were initially developed as hunting dogs to catch otters in rivers, ponds, streams. The otters were valued for their fur, meat, and oil and also competed with people for fish. Otterhounds were so successful that otters nearly went extinct and hunting them is now against the law.

The first mention of Otterhounds in written records dates back to the reign of Henry II in the 12th century. Further development occurred in the 1700s and 1800s to improve scenting ability, endurance, tracking, and swimming. Otterhounds resembling the current breed were found in the North-West of England in the first half of the 19th century. Later there were some outcrosses to French Griffons and later to a Griffon Nivernais and a Grand Griffon/Vendéen/Bloodhound cross.

In an early twentieth century book on dogs, an Otterhound needed the following to do its job: “a Bulldog’s courage, a Newfoundland’s strength in water, a Pointer’s nose, a Retriever’s sagacity, the stamina of a Foxhound, the patience of a Beagle, and the intelligence of a Collie.” Otterhound hunting and packs were never as popular as fox hunting and Foxhounds in Great Britain, but what there was, unfortunately was decimated by World War II. Only a couple of packs survived, and they lost their jobs when otter hunting was banned in Great Britain in the later twentieth century.

In 2022, Otterhounds ranked 176th out of 199 breeds in AKC’s registration statistics. It is listed as a Vulnerable Native Breed by the UK Kennel Club, the most endangered of their native breeds. The Otterhound Club of America describes the current breed as “wonderful family companions, good with kids and animals, [who] adapt to their environment and surroundings remarkably well.” It is another undiscovered, wonderful breed looking to be found by those wanting a fun-loving, large breed.

We found thirty-four Otterhound experts to invite to take a survey on their breed’s priorities in breed conformation. Twenty-seven people agreed to do so. Twenty-four completed (or mostly completed) surveys were returned. The survey participants have been in the breed for an average of over thirty years. Five of these are breeder-judges who average about nineteen years being approved to judge the breed. Most of the judges have judged their national specialty and other specialties, and several others have judged breed sweepstakes.

Otterhound Virtues

The experts were asked to prioritize a list of characteristics taken from the AKC Otterhound standard. The list below is in sequence by the average of the experts’ ranks, with 1 being the most important.

Click here to read the complete article
290 – April, 2024

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