otterhound

Otterhound

Otterhound
Country of origin	Great Britain - England
Traits
Classification & standards FCI Group 6 Section 2 #294 standard AKC Hound standard ANKC Group 4 (Hounds) standard CKC Group 2 - Hounds standard KC (UK) Hound standard NZKC Hounds standard UKC Scenthound standard

The Otterhound is an old British dog breed, with Bloodhound ancestors, and one of the ancestors of the Airedale Terrier.

Appearance

The Otterhound is a large, rough-coated hound with an imposing head. Originally bred for hunting, it has great strength and a strong body with long striding steps. This makes it able to perform prolonged hard work. Otterhounds generally weigh between 80 and 120 pounds (36 to 54 kg). They have extremely sensitive noses which make them inquisitive and perseverant in investigating scents. Consequently, they need particular supervision. They are friendly dogs with a unique bass voice which they use frequently.

Hunting

The Otterhound hunts its quarry both on land and in water and it has a combination of characteristics unique among hounds; most notably an oily, rough, double coat and substantial webbed feet.^[1]

The use of otterhounds to hunt otters by scent ceased in the Britain in 1978, after which it became illegal to kill otters, at this point otter hunts switched to hunting mink or coypu.

Health

The breed lives to between 10 and 13 years old, although at least one hound is known to have lived to be 16 years old.

The Otterhound enjoys considerable exercise, but can also be a couch potato. They can be good family dogs but need to be kept in a secure property since they can jump fences up to 5 feet high.

An endangered breed

An Otterhound, published in 1859

There are only an estimated 1,000 or so Otterhounds in the world and somewhere between 350 and 400 in the US. Even in the early 20th century, when otter hunting was most popular as a sport, Otterhounds were not numerous. They are now considered the most endangered dog breed in Britain since only 51 were born there in 2006. They are on the list of Vulnerable Native Breeds as identified by the UK Kennel Club, and as much as possible is being done to save the breed. ^[2][3] Indeed, experts now view otterhounds as more endangered than the Giant Panda.^[2] However, while the domestic dog has many breeds which vary greatly in morphology it is important to remember these are all classified as the same sub-species Canis lupus familiaris. This sub-species is in no way endangered (unlike the Giant Panda Ailuropoda melanoleuca whose entire species has an estimated population of just 1600 in the wild).

References

1. ^ they had a nose that could track in the mud and water for over 72 hours, too."Otterhound", Kennels.co.uk
2. ^ ^{a b} "The puppies rarer than giant pandas", The Daily Telegraph, 5 March 2007, page 9
3. ^ "Yesterday's Dogs?, Daily Mail

External links

• Otterhound Club of America
• www.otterhounds.de