The Otterhound Dog – It is said that every sizable stream in Great Britain has its otter. To hunt this elusive and wily animal, a very distinct type of dog has been evolved.
THIS TEXT IS EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:
“THE BOOK OF DOGS – OUR COMMON DOGS” BY LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTES AND ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY LOUIS AGASSIZ FUERTES
PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY WASHINGTON, D. C. U. S. A. 1919
The requirements of the hunt demand the keenest of noses, the staunchest of “wills to hunt,” the utmost courage, and the ability to stand the roughest of wet and dry coursing. These qualities have been assembled in the otterhound, which may be described as a blood- hound clad in the roughest of deerhound coats. In general he is all hound, with long, sweeping ears, deep jaw, and deep-set eye showing the haw. He is broader in the brow than the bloodhound and not quite so large, but he has the same fine carriage, on straight, strong, and heavily boned legs : large, sound, and partly webbed feet. The hair over the eyes is long and ragged, and there is a strong tendency toward beard and mustache. He is a great favorite in Great Britain, but is rarely seen in America. In color he may be “hound colors,” or “self-colored,” fawn, brown, tawny, or black. The working dogs are so hardened by rough work that they are not particularly suitable as house dogs ; when reared to it, however, their fine qualities render them exceptional companions even for children.
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