I know this is probably a long shot, but have any of you had any experience with otterhounds?
As it happens, I do have a serious otter and mink issue here, have plenty of wetlands to hunt in, and the thought of a bloodhound-sized water-going scent hound is oddly appealing.
I had a long ago friend who raised hounds, but not otterhounds. I have met one once... They are very cool dogs. Not very helpful to you, is it?
May I recommend coming down to the big city to a dog show, and talking wth breeders? They can give you references to owners, and if you've never been to a dog show, they are a lot of fun. (Plus I'll take ya to coffee if you decide to come down!) Also, the woman who owns the bookstore on Lopez, Phyllis, raises sighthounds (Borzoi). I bet she knows some otterhound owners. If you call her, tell her Rebecca sent you!
Very interesting that there are mink on Orcas, I did not know that. I bet there is a cottage industry waiting to happen with trapping them...
I wonder if a lab or other water type dog could be trained to do the same thing as an otterhound? Trained to zero in on otters or mink?
Nothing intelligent to add, but interested in hearing about otterhounds. My kids have an ongoing debate about whether to get a Maltese or an otterhound. BTW, we are not getting a dog anytime soon, so it's a theoretical debate, but one DD has become quite attached to the idea of an otterhound.
I'm an Otterhound owner or rather my Otterhound Cyril owns me. Though I've no experience with hunting at all, much less with a pack, I believe there is still one pack hunting mink in the UK. To the best of my knowledge otter hunting is banned in the US but please, correct me if I'm wrong. I know there are pockets of otter-problems but have never heard of using Otterhounds to hunt them.Originally Posted by bae
I know this is probably a long shot, but have any of you had any experience with otterhounds?
As it happens, I do have a serious otter and mink issue here, have plenty of wetlands to hunt in, and the thought of a bloodhound-sized water-going scent hound is oddly appealing.
To learn more about these wonderful dogs I suggest you go to the Otterhound Club of America web site www.akc.org/otterhound. This will give those of you interested in the breed plenty of information and you may even find and old hunt video. My boy will be four years old this month. He is the first purebred dog I've ever had or wanted and now I want another one! They are big dogs with webbed feet for swimming and a beard to fill with water and lay on your lap. They have a lovely rough coat and a soft inner coat and an unusual "shuffle" that can carry then for miles without tiring. They are certainly clowns and I often think Cyril is smarter than I am. They can be single-minded when their noses hit the ground and many owners do not let them off lead except in controlled areas. But they are the most loveable and sweet-natured dogs as well. They will not cling to you but they are affectionate in their own style.
They are shown in conformation and obedience and make great tracking or even Search & Rescue dogs. Some very patient and dedicated owners have even put agility titles on their hounds.
The suggestion to go to a dog show and meet some owners and breeders is a good one. Normally there will be a few at some of the bigger shows but since there are so few of them (around 1000 in the world) you probably won't find any at a small show. The Fancy is having their Specialty in Knoxville, Tennessee, October 31-November 4, 2012.
I waited a long time for Cyril and am very grateful that the breeder entrusted me with this wonderful companion.
wow, bae connected with an otterhound owner. This list is amazing. Hello, lendendaryhound!
Hi Iris Lilly!
Are you interested in Otterhounds as well? They're truly great dogs! I take every chance I can get to promote the breed since they need a lot of support if they are to continue and increase in numbers.
no, I do bulldogs only: French bulldogs and "English" Bulldogs, and let me tell you as someone who devotes a LOT of my resources to rescue, ya don't want your breed to become popular. Don't do it. Our intake of rescue dogs has shot up, exactly matching the trend line of Bulldogs making AKC's top ten list 3 years ago. The average bulldog coming into rescue is 3 years old.
And I can't even adequately describe the exploding popularity of French bulldogs. Ugh. Suddenly they are everywhere (I rescued a groups of six of them a year ago) and I cannot name one, NOT ONE, reliable breeder of these dogs.
And keep AKC outta your life. Wasn't it the Jack Russell people who maintained separate registry outside of AKC? Do they still do that? Smart people.
If you are breeding you need to rescue. It's unethical not to do both, but 90% of the breeders I know are not ethical.
Thanks you for allowing my rant of the day.
Ugh. Pugs the same. Our state rescue is utterly swamped. I used to be involved with a much less popular breed, and I too would encourage you to stay small. Healthier dogs, and nowhere near the heartbreak of watching trillions of them be puppy-milled and then dumped when they become inconvenient, because they're a throwaway fad.
Loving all the response to my post about Otterhounds!
No, I'm not breeding. I use AKC only as a resource, not because I support their superior attitude. They are coming around though with a new registry for mixed breeds ($$$$).
No, I don't want the breed popularized like Dalmations, the recent toy breeds and "designer" breeds. That's a recipe for breed disaster. I want only that folks be aware of this breed so a few more are bred to insure that it doesn't die out.
Otterhound breeders, from my experience, rarely breed more than one litter a year. I think there were 52 puppies born last year. Like many breeds and mixed breeds, the Otterhound has some health problems. Otterhound breeders do intensive research to find good lines to cross since the gene pool is small. They have screened homes and waiting lists for their puppies and strong contracts to assure that a pet quality animal is spayed or neutered. Owners are required to return the animal to the breeder if unable to keep it. There is an active rescue arm of the Club, though there is rarely an Otterhound to be rescued. I know because I waited for a rescue while I waited for a puppy.
I do understand the implications of a breed becoming "popular". My other dog, Kobe, I call him a Labrasset, is a rescue, as has been every dog or cat in my family. In fact, before I learned about the Otterhound I never considered owning a purebred dog. But I'm entirely besotted with the breed and actively looking to add another to my home. The owners and breeders I've met and communicated with are honest and ethical. The Fancy is a small community and does an admirable job of policing itself and I've gained a great deal of respect for them all.
I hope the "Bastlemutti" family can find some Otterhounds to meet as they decide which breed they want to add to their family. And the previous link I posted was incorrect. Please try www.clubs.akc.org/ohca for lots of good information.
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