otterhound Q&A WITH EUGENE BLAKE, JOY BREWSTER, RICHARD REYNOLDS & POLLY SMITH
winners of the past; much less had their hands on them or talked with the owner-breeders. The dog people of today appear to live in the here and now—the past is out of the picture. I can name a few breeders here in the east that the majority of new judges would not even be able to name. These people had shown and or bred top-winning Otterhounds within the past 20 years. RR: The Otterhound, like the Foxhound, is a fairly straight- forward breed. They do have a bit of a quirky gait, so you can’t judge for reach and drive alone. As important as the coat is, it is what is under that thicket that counts. You can, and should, have both size and elegance. PS: I think they misunderstand the coat. The coat is an essential feature of the breed; the outer coat is rough, coarse and crisp, it should have a broken appearance and a water-resistant undercoat. 6. Is there anything else you’d like to share about the breed? Please elaborate. RR: In the 1987-1988 season, there were but 15 recognized packs of Otterhounds in England and only two in Ireland. Most of these, to a greater or lesser degree, depended on drafted Foxhounds to complete the pack. Some packs though, such as the Dumfriesshire, have occasionally let good hounds come out to the show world. These hounds, from rock solid bloodlines, have been used by breeders in the US to produce some very nice hounds. Dr. Mouat’s linebreeding was used to produce some great hounds including the Rin-Jan Dandelion Whine, that can be found in many present pedigrees. PS: I think the Otterhound is a lovely Hound when you see a good one—majestic and powerful. I have a couple of Otterhound paintings that hang in our home along with the Foxhound art. There is a nice picture of four Otter- hounds from the Dumfriesshire pack in the book Hounds of the World. I hope that what I have written will be helpful and informative to new judges coming along. As a breeder of a Hound breed—although not rare like the Otterhound, but as one not seen in large numbers in AKC shows—I would ask judges to learn as much as they can about them. 7. And, for a bit of humor: what’s the funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a dog show? RR: Many years ago, I was on the way to the ring to show a Beagle to Anna Katherine Nicholas. Crossing a small bridge, I saw and picked up a small bullfrog. She gath- ered a lot of information from her sense of touch. On the table, I set the bullfrog down between the Beagle’s back legs and waited for the inevitable. Miss Nicholas reached for the testicles, the bullfrog croaked and jumped and I had a very serious discussion with the AKC rep.
the breed’s natural characteristics. Also lack of bone, some are becoming too fine boned. JB: Some coats I believe are being manufactured with prod- ucts and the dogs outline is being sculptured. RR: Like the English Foxhound, Otterhounds were devel- oped to perform a very specialized job and perform it very, very well. In water, where great distances are not an issue, they excel beyond even Welsh Foxhounds. That being said, predominance of those characteristics that enable superior function is often obvious. It is not a breed of moderation. PS: Not really, my fear is that we are not seeing strongly made Hounds. 4. Do you think the dogs you see in this breed are better now than they were when you first started judging? Why or why not? EB: Yes, better. The bites are better, as well as temperaments and soundness. JB: I do not believe they are better. I have seen more bad bites in recent years than in the past. RR: Because of their rarity and superior stewardship of the breed by breeders, I believe the breed is in as fine shape as it was before the revision of the standard in 1995. Although the original quarry (otter) has been outlawed, the existing packs continue to work on mink. Work is work however and it continues to be a proving ground for Hounds bred to the standard. PS: Some are better, some are not. This is true of many of our breeds. The competition is not around to get down to nitpicking judging. Without strong competition, judges and breeders begin to forgive faults and they become the norm. 5. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed? JB: New judges have generally only been exposed to a few Otterhounds before they judge them and never saw “I THINK THE OTTERHOUND IS A LOVELY HOUND WHEN YOU SEE A GOOD ONE— MAJESTIC AND POWERFUL.”
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