Plate 172 · British Isles
Otterhound
猎獭犬
“A hound rarer than the giant panda.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- England
- Country of origin
- An English breed; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the United Kingdom's reference point.
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Medieval packs
- Today
- Companion · Scent hound
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
England
A big, shaggy, web-footed English scent hound bred to hunt otters, now one of the rarest breeds.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunting otters in packs along rivers to protect fish stocks.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Packs were kept by squires and kings from the Middle Ages. Otters became so scarce that otter hunting was outlawed in Britain, ending the work it was bred for.
04 · Today
Companion · Scent hound
A rare companion; listed by the Kennel Club as a Vulnerable Native Breed.
Personality
- Even-tempered
- Amiable
- Boisterous
- Vocal
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Needs mental and physical exercise; long sniffing walks.
- Grooming
- Brush once or twice a week; clean the beard.
- Training
- Sensitive despite its size: positive, food-rewarded training.
Living with one
- Size
- Large
- Lifespan
- 10–13 years
- Coat
- Rough, slightly oily double coat; many colours
Field note
The AKC puts the world population at fewer than 800, most of them in the UK and the US.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Hound Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 6, standard 294), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Hound Group, recognized 1909.
Very rare: fewer than 800 worldwide, according to the AKC. AKC registrations: ranked 189 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Otterhound — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/otterhound/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Otterhound — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otterhound
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · English scent hound, Vulnerable Native Breed; an estimate of about 600 worldwide in 2012.
- Otterhound — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/OTTERHOUND-294.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Great Britain; Group 6, section "Scent hounds"; accepted 1974.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: An English breed; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the United Kingdom's reference point.
