Otterhound - Otterhound dog breed with keen nose and excellent swimming ability

Otterhound - a breed of hunting dog developed in England, with a characteristic curly coat, good sense of smell, good swimming, and calm temperament.

Otterhound dog - a hunting dog breed originating from England, developed around the 12th - 19th century for the purpose of hunting otters. They are not only famous for their waterproof curly coat, keen sense of smell and excellent swimming ability, but also have an interesting history over hundreds of years.

In today's article, let's explore in detail the origin, characteristics, personality and conservation journey of this rare British otter hunting dog breed !

Otterhound Origin

The Otterhound originated in Great Britain.

Otterhound, also known as otter hunting dog, was bred and developed in England during the Middle Ages to serve the purpose of hunting otters - an animal that caused serious damage to fish resources in rivers and lakes in England at that time.

Otterhound is a crossbreed between several different dog breeds as follows:

• Bloodhound : Extremely sensitive sense of smell, long lasting scent
• Griffon Nivernais : Thick coat, cold resistant
• Water Dog : Good swimming ability
• English Terrier : Hunting instinct, good stamina

⟹ The result was a breed of otter hunting dog with extremely sensitive scent tracking ability, cold tolerance, good swimming ability and high endurance.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Otterhounds were an extremely popular breed among the British aristocracy, and were given the nickname “otter packs”. They often hunted in packs with hunters and hunting dogs in the group.

What does an Otterhound look like?

The otter terrier with curly fur and calm demeanor.

The Otterhound has a distinctive appearance, not to be confused with any other breed of dog, with a large body, thick fur and a calm, gentle face. Find out more details below.

Dimensions & Weight :

• Height: Male from 67 - 70 cm, female from 60 - 65 cm
• Weight: Male from 36 - 52 kg, female from 30 - 45 kg
• Body: Strong, muscular, deep chest, long torso

Characteristic coat :

• Double coat: Outer coat is rough, wavy and slightly curly, 4 - 8 cm long, inner coat is soft, thick and waterproof
• Fur is naturally water-resistant thanks to its oil layer - like a “special biological raincoat”
• Color: Common are Black - brown, silver gray, black - gray, yellow, cream, sand can have additional white spots or contrasting color patches.

Head & face :

• Large, long head, broad forehead, developed skull
• Big nose, shiny black, very sensitive
• Big, deep eyes, dark brown or amber in color, intelligent, gentle gaze
• Long, drooping ears covered with curly hair, close to the cheeks to help prevent water and dirt during swimming.

Neck & Body :

• Long muscular neck
• Deep chest, long, straight back, slightly sunken stomach
• Long, slightly curved, hairy tail

Foot :

• Long, straight, strong, muscular legs
• Their large, webbed feet help them swim well - a rare trait in dogs.
• Toenails are black, curved, and have very good grip.

Otterhound's Temperament and Behavior

Otterhounds are excellent swimmers.

Otterhound is a dog breed with classic hunting instincts but is very friendly, sociable and witty. Find out more details below to see if they have any special habits & behaviors!

Super sense of smell and ability to track scents

The Otterhound is one of the dog breeds with the most acute sense of smell in the world - second only to the Bloodhound. It can track scents underwater or on land for dozens of kilometers after many hours.

Especially when they have caught a scent mark, they can concentrate intensely, ignoring everything around them to focus only on the target. This behavior still exists today - when they are no longer hunting, they often sniff out every corner from the garden to the bed.

High need for movement, love to explore

Being a hunting dog, Otterhounds are very active and need to be walked and played with for at least 1-2 hours every day. They love to climb hills, wade in water and explore in dense bushes.

If not given proper energy release, they can become destructive and appear moody and moody all day.

Deep barking voice - far reaching

The otterhound has a deep, bell-like bark, often used to warn when prey is detected or to call the pack.

This breed of dog does not bark for no reason, but they can also be "talkative" to express their emotions in order to attract the attention of their owner.

Friendly and sociable personality

Although a hunting dog, the Otterhound has a gentle, calm temperament, loves children and gets along well with other pets.

They are hardly aggressive or possessive, on the contrary, they are very patient and rarely irritable, making them an ideal pet.

Independent but sometimes stubborn

Otterhounds often hunt independently, so they have a high ability to make decisions for themselves, not too dependent on the owner's orders. Because of this, if they are not trained from a young age, they will often be stubborn or "ignore" when you call them.

Love water, love swimming

Otterhounds love swimming because it is almost their instinct - they can dive and play in the water for hours without intending to come out. Therefore, if raised in a place with rivers, streams, ponds and lakes to swim, this dog will be very happy and active.

Like to "play around"

Otterhound is a dog with many innocent and humorous personalities like a puppy even when grown up. Many dogs often like to roll in the ground and hide in the dust right after getting wet, which can easily make their owners feel "annoyed" because of the wasted effort.

However, this behavior also makes them popular as long-term companion dogs.

Otterhound Decline and Conservation Efforts

The number of otter hunting dogs is seriously declining.

Although the Otterhound was once very developed and loved around the 19th century, by the mid-20th century they began to decline seriously and now only have very few numbers left. Let's find out the reasons for the decline and the efforts to preserve the otterhound in detail below.

The decline of the Otterhound

Here are the details of the decline of the otterhound, let's find out more:

• Mid-20th century: The number of wild otters in England has declined dramatically due to water pollution, pesticides and riverine deforestation, leading to the Otterhound losing its original purpose of “otter hunting”.
• 1978: The British government BANNED otter hunting to conserve the species, leading to the disbandment of otter packs.
• Early 21st century: There are less than 1,000 Otterhounds left in the world, making them one of the most endangered of all British dog breeds.

Otterhound Conservation Efforts

Let's find out the measures that have been put in place to try to preserve the Otterhound breed!

• Organizations such as the UK Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognize the Otterhound as a rare breed that needs protection.
• Otterhound associations in the UK, USA, Canada and other European countries actively raise funds, promote, organize scientific breeding or encourage raising Otterhounds as a companion dog breed to try to protect this breed.
• Using genetic testing technology and genealogical archiving to preserve purebred Otterhounds.

Beautiful Otterhound Dog Pictures

Please enjoy the beautiful photos of Otterhounds with their characteristic curly fur and calm demeanor through the series of photos below to better understand the "gentleman otter hunter" from England!

A hound dog is playing on the beach.

Otterhound mother and baby - super cute otter hunting dogs.

Otter packs prepare to hunt otters.

A hound dog was running around on the grass.

Reconstructed image of a pack of Otterhounds hunting otters.

Otterhound puppies with super cute curly fur.

An Otterhound puppy with a super cute appearance.

Through the article that dogbreed.wiki shared above, it can be seen that the Otterhound is not only a strong, talented hunting dog but also a "living heritage" bearing the cultural and historical imprint of the United Kingdom. Although they are no longer responsible for hunting otters, the values of appearance and excellent personality are enough to make the Otterhound a dream for those who love to collect classic dogs.

If you want to learn more about ancient dog breeds, modern dogs or other beautiful dogs, please read the next articles in our Blog section.