As its name suggest the Otterhound is a dog breed that was developed to hunt otters. The precise ancestral makeup of the Otterhound is unknown but in keeping with its original purpose of otter hunting it is likely that a veritable mix of other hound dog breeds were used. The dog breeds most commonly associated with the genetic makeup of the Otterhound include the following:  Griffon Nivernais from France; the Foxhound; the Southern Hound (a dog similar to the Foxhound); the Bloodhound; the welsh Harrier and some strains of rough-haired Terrier breeds.

In its early days the Otterhound resembled the Terrier group of dogs more so than the Hounds because before the onset of the stage of refinement and consolidation of the Otterhound breed, early breeders were more concerned in developing a tough water resilient dog that wouldn’t balk at giving chase to the otter in the most chilly of waters.

To Be Continued

Otterhound Dog

Article on otterhound written by Kayye Nynne