Otterhound Information & Dog Breed Facts

According to researchers the Otterhound, one of the most ancient of the British breeds, was developed in England to hunt otters. The references to this breed date back to the 12^th century and at the time it was greatly loved by the nobility and also by several British Kings such as King John (1199-1216), Richard III, Charles II, Henry VI, and Queen Elizabeth who was also known as the first “Lady Master of Otterhounds”.

However, the origin of the breed is still unknown. We know that the breed reached its current form in the late 18^th century and that many different breeds and combinations of breeds have been suggested as the foundation of the true Otterhound. For example; the Old Southern Hound, the Griffon Nivemais from France, the Bloodhound, the rough-coated Welsh Harrier or Foxhound, and Griffon Vendeen. On the other hand, some people believe that the breed is originated from France as some of the early writers such as Marples states that “it is almost the exact duplicate of the Vendeen Hound of France”.

As the breed’s name suggests, the otter was the dog’s preferred prey. Otterhounds were used in packs in order to protect food sources and control the otter population since otters competed with fishermen for the natural trout supply in rivers and lakes. The breed has a sense of smells so acute that it could smell, in the morning, if an otter passed through the water at the night before. The Otterhound also had great swimming ability by nature and would hardly stop even after hours and hours of swimming. Its naturally protective coat also helped to dive into the water and seek its prey even if it was cold. Furthermore, the breed was also used to hunt raccoons, bears, and mink. Besides the practical reasons, otter hunting also became one of the most famous sports found in England. In the late 1800s, there were more than a dozen packs operating in Britain during every hunting season. Not so much later, otter hunting reached its peak of popularity in the years preceding World War I. At the time there were more than 500 hounds in 24 packs which hunted otter, though most of these dogs were not purebred Otterhounds. Moreover, these hunt packs continued to cross-breed their hounds well into the 20^th century to improve their hunting abilities. One of the results is that all current purebred Otterhound pedigrees go back to a Bloodhound/Griffon Nivernais cross done in 1958. 

In the early 1970s, a drastic drop in the otter population occurred because of water pollution. It was decided that otter hunting has to be banned in England in 1978 and also in Scotland two years later. As a result, the Otterhound’s existence was severely threatened. To ensure the survival of the breed, the two remaining packs, The Dumfriesshire Otter Hunt of Scotland and The Kendal and District Otter Hunt of England worked together and also with several other breeders and the UK Kennel Club to register the remaining purebred hounds. Most of them were dispersed to private owners, with some going to the mink hunting packs.

The ‘purebred’ Otterhound we have today, was standardized sometime during the 19^th century. Many generations of breeding for different purposes have strengthened the characteristics of the breed. The Otterhounds make a strong family companion as they are very attentive, loyal, affectionate, and enjoy an active lifestyle. Today there are fewer than 800 Otterhound's worldwide, with the largest numbers in the UK and US ( the Otterhound Club of America was founded in 1960) and with smaller numbers in Scandinavia, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands.