Olphae Otterhounds
Welcome to the home of Olphae Otterhounds. I'm Sam and I fell in love with the breed many years ago before I even knew what they were called. It was by pure chance that my dog food supplier did a feature on Vulnerable Breeds in their newsletter and that was when I truly discovered them. Shortly afterwards I was blessed to be given the opportunity to become the proud owner of Olly, then two years later I got Phaedra, and the rest as they say is history.....
So what is an Otterhound?
An Otterhound is a large noble looking rough-coated scent hound which was originally bred for hunting. It has great strength and a strong body with long loose striding steps. This makes it able to do prolonged hard work both on land and in the water and it has a combination of characteristics unique among hounds; most notably an oily, rough, double coat and substantial webbed feet. Oh and of course a lovely big nose with well developed nostrils to facilitate their amazing scenting ability.
They are very amiable and even tempered but can also be boisterous, at times aloof, stubborn and tenacious, so not a breed for the fainthearted. Recall is not something which they consider to be important so a long lead is recommended unless you are in a secure area as once that big nose gets a scent then the body just follows it....sometimes for hours!
That said, never underestimate their intelligence, a high level of obedience is attainable with consistent training from a young age.
They are full of character and will always make you laugh, which is just as well as it makes it easier to bear the mud and dribble that comes with them, which they seem to be able to get to the most obscure places.... So with that image in mind now is the time to say they might not be an ideal hound for the house proud amongst us...
Contrary to popular belief they do not need lots of exercise, yes they are happy to amble for miles over moors, forest or beach, but in fact they are equally happy to stretch out on a comfy sofa...yes they will require one of their own..
Otterhounds are a vulnerable breed with approximately only 600-800 left in the entire world. As such there are only a handful of breeders in the UK and very few pups are born each year so if you are considering an otterhound as part of your family be prepared to wait!
So what is an Otterhound?
An Otterhound is a large noble looking rough-coated scent hound which was originally bred for hunting. It has great strength and a strong body with long loose striding steps. This makes it able to do prolonged hard work both on land and in the water and it has a combination of characteristics unique among hounds; most notably an oily, rough, double coat and substantial webbed feet. Oh and of course a lovely big nose with well developed nostrils to facilitate their amazing scenting ability.
They are very amiable and even tempered but can also be boisterous, at times aloof, stubborn and tenacious, so not a breed for the fainthearted. Recall is not something which they consider to be important so a long lead is recommended unless you are in a secure area as once that big nose gets a scent then the body just follows it....sometimes for hours!
That said, never underestimate their intelligence, a high level of obedience is attainable with consistent training from a young age.
They are full of character and will always make you laugh, which is just as well as it makes it easier to bear the mud and dribble that comes with them, which they seem to be able to get to the most obscure places.... So with that image in mind now is the time to say they might not be an ideal hound for the house proud amongst us...
Contrary to popular belief they do not need lots of exercise, yes they are happy to amble for miles over moors, forest or beach, but in fact they are equally happy to stretch out on a comfy sofa...yes they will require one of their own..
Otterhounds are a vulnerable breed with approximately only 600-800 left in the entire world. As such there are only a handful of breeders in the UK and very few pups are born each year so if you are considering an otterhound as part of your family be prepared to wait!
