Appearance

The Otterhound is a large and athletic dog. The body is strong with a deep chest, straight and sound limbs with webbed feet, and a medium length tail that curves upwards but not over the back. The large head is fairly narrow with a square muzzle, deep-set dark eyes, a large dark nose, long pendulous ears and a floppy fringe. The harsh coat is dense, long and shaggy, and the colouring of the coat can vary widely from black to tan.

History

Though so-called “otter dogs” have been romping around riverbanks in England and France since the 13th century, the modern Otterhound did not take form until the 18th century. Traditionally used to keep otters from depleting local fish stocks, Otterhounds are now quite rare: According to some figures, fewer than 1,000 exist worldwide.