Otterhound puppies

About the Otterhound

The Otterhound was bred in Britain to hunt otter in cold rivers, working in packs with a rough oily double coat, webbed feet and one of the best noses of any breed. It is a large, loosely built hound of 61 to 69 cm and 36.3 to 52.2 kg, with a heavy beard and a deep resonant voice. It is affable and boisterous, amiable with people and with other dogs, and thoroughly independent, since a hound working a scent line is not waiting for instructions.

Exercise means long walks with time to sniff, plus tracking or obedience work for the mind, since many will simply lie under a tree rather than exercise themselves in a large garden. Brush once or twice a week and wash the beard, which collects water, mud and food. The voice is enormous and carries a long way. Ratings with children and other pets are moderate, so supervise and socialise. New owners underestimate the independence, and off lead recall is unreliable once a scent takes over.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Otterhound puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed and scored for
• Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, a bleeding disorder detectable by DNA test
• Epilepsy, diagnosed clinically once other causes have been ruled out
• Gastric dilatation volvulus, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs
• Loss of genetic diversity, since the world population is very small, managed by checking the inbreeding coefficient before mating

From Otterhound breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/otterhound/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Otterhound puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Otterhound.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 36.3 to 52.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other large breeds

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