With another breed!! The Telegraph carried a story today about a breed that is more endangered than the Giant Panda and both Stephen and I fell in love with them ...

http://www.otterhound.org.uk/

A lady who lives about a quarter-mile up the road from me is a successful breeder of them. I was amazed to read how few there are around!

Ooooh they are wonderful!
Stink to high heaven..so a bit of a difference from our lovely clean Northern coated breeds :D
But worth it... wonderful voices like our breed too.
I hadnt realised they were so few in numbers now...when I was little my father was Master of Mink hounds and we had 7 couples of Otter hounds.

Otterhounds are fabulous :d  I know a few very well and they're great characters.

Debs

beautiful Breed

:-)

Just had a feature on them on BBC Breakfast - not one for long walks and a real couch potato so it was said!    I don't know if I can believe that one!

Beautiful breed but they smell atrocious. Alright if your sense of smell is diminished.

With a staffie and Rottie both having terrible flatulance, I doubt I would smell them, maybe that should be ny next dog..... I like the sound of short walks and couch potato.....

well if the article was as rubbish as the one they ran last week on my breed, then i wouldnt believe too much of what was said!!!  As for the smell, believe me no amount of rottie flatulence can compare with the smell of a otterhound!! I have a friend who has a large number indoors and another friend who has 40 outside, and both lots smell equally!! Another friend has just 2 indoors & no matter how well cared for they have the small! As for couch potatoes, well obviously the person writing the article has never been out with a working pack....perhaps they should do so they can see what they are bred for & what they are like!

I actually emailed someone ..one of the breeders and got a lovely email back plus the offer of a meet up any time I want with OH's and their people :)

I will second the smell, nothing like it, I wouldn't want one indoors.  As for a 'couch potato', not on my couch

I have 3 sons and a husband as well as the three Mals ...smell is something I can live with :D :D  (at some point in the future ;) )

they are on Richard and Judy just now, with sussex spaniels and heelers.
Eavie

They are gorgeous, but like everyone else has said they absolutely stink! I've only judged two of them and never been so grateful for baby wipes :)  A lot of breeds with harsh coats smell, I'd always assumed it was because the owners didn't want to bath them and risk their coats going soft but aparently otterhounds smell even if bathed regularly.

Otterhounds dont need to smell as much as some that are shown do. plenty are reasonable - they dont need to be dirty

I think they are great looking dogs - is the smell worse than eau de fox scat which our GR regularly daubs behind his ears? :D

>they dont need to be dirty

But they're bred to have a water-repellent coat, and it's the oil that creates the smell. Even a clean otterhound has a distinctive odour.

didnt say that they dont have an odour, but dirty and stinking isnt necessary if one were to be kept as  afamily dog - although they are big hounds and need looking after as such

I can't see where anyone has actually said they're 'dirty and stinking'? What very many people agree about is that, even when clean, they have a very strong smell - which yes, many would describe as a 'stink'. A lovely breed nonetheless. :)

try here:

Stink to high heaven..so a bit of a difference from our lovely clean Northern coated breeds

they are a lovely breed

With the best will in the world, even when they're freshly bathed they still have that pong! Doesn't mean they're not great hounds though! The characteristic smell means they've got the right coat for the job they're designed to do, so that's a good thing! ;)

there is a difference between the characteristic smell of a correct oily coat and stinking to high heaven and bing dirty I would say. Not doubting they are great hounds though with wonderful temperaments in the main

Wellll...I would say that the characteristic smell of a correct oily coat stinks :D  It just depends on what you're used to - and what you can live with :)

Agree totally - on all points. :) When even dog fanatics think that the smell is one of the most memorable things about a breed, it's only fair to warn would-be owners! :D

I spent some time with them at Discover dogs last year and the person there stressed their smell, and their habits to everyone who looked interested. She loves them, obviously, and still described them as having a pong about them. :-D They were really wonderful dogs though. :-D Best part of Crufts!!