The Otterhound (definite introduction)
The ideal male of the Odda Hound is approximately 27 inches tall at the shoulders and weighs approximately 115 pounds. Females are about 24 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh about 80 pounds. The Odda Hound's body is slightly rectangular, with the distance from the joint of the shoulder blades to the upper arm to the buttocks slightly greater than the height at the withers. The Odda Hound has a very good physique, with strong leg bones and well-developed muscles, but does not appear rough. Smooth, precise, and classic structure is more important than size.
Morphological characteristics
Head
Head: Large, quite narrow, covered with a lot of hair. For a dog with a shoulder height of 26 inches, the distance from the tip of the nose to the occipital bone of the head is about 11 to 12 inches, and the length of the muzzle is about the same as the length of the skull. Regardless of body size, the proportions remain basically the same.
Expression: cheerful and kind.
Eyes
The seat is deep and the nictitating membrane looks hazy. The eyes are dark, but the eyes and eye rims are full of pigment, which is the same as a full complexion. Dogs with black eye circles and noses have dark eyes, while dogs with liver-colored or blue-grey eye circles and noses have hazel eyes.
Ears
One of the key characteristics of this breed is that they are long, drooping, and folded (the important edges are folded or rolled up, like a curtain). The ears are set low, even lower than the eyes, close to the head, and can spread to the tip of the nose if stretched forward. The ears are covered with a lot of hair.
Skull
(Skull): Long, quite narrow, covered with a lot of hair, very slightly arched. Stop: Not exceeded. Mood: Square, not elongated, with strong jaw and deep upper lip. Viewed from the side, the surface of the muzzle and the surface of the skull are parallel to each other.
Nose: Big, dark complexion, full of pigment. The nostrils are wide.
Jaw: Powerful, biting like a forceps.
Bite: A scissors bite is preferred. [Neck, topline, body]
Neck: Strong, smoothly blending into the clean shoulders that are sloping back, with sufficient length to enable him to follow the breath well. The neck is richly haired and a little fat is allowed.
Topline: Straight from withers to base of tail.
Chest
The mature Odda has a deep chest reaching to the elbows. The forechest is prominent and of sufficient width to provide strength and endurance. Nothing can appear small or weak.
Ribs: well-spread, oval-shaped, and fully stretched toward the back of the body.
Waist: Short, broad and rich.
Tail
Set high and long enough to reach the hock. The tail is thick at the base, tapering towards the end, and well feathered (covering hair and fringe hair). When clearing and warning, the dog should be lifted up in a saber shape (cannot be better than the back), but when resting, it may be drooped. Odda Hound [Forequarters] Shoulders: Clean, powerful, excessively sloping, with moderate shoulder and elbow angles.
Legs: The bones are strong and straight, the pasterns are rich and slightly elastic. The dewclaws on the forelimbs can be removed.
Feet
The front and rear paws are large, wide, and close together (for strong standing), but have the ability to develop. The pads are rich and deep, the toes are rounded, and his paws are mesh feet (there are webs between the toes to allow the paws to spread). [Hindquarters]
Thighs and thigh halves: large, broad, and muscular.
Legs: Hind stifle joints excessively skewed, hocks clear.
Hocks
The seat is low, neither turning in nor turning out. When standing, viewed from the opposite side, the hind legs are parallel to each other. The angles of the front and rear limbs are coordinated and sufficiently angled to provide sufficient forequarter extensibility and hindquarter drive. Dewclaws: If there are dewclaws on the hind limbs, they often need to be removed.
Claws: The same as those depicted in the front.
Coat
Coat is also one of the basic characteristics of the Odda Hound. The quality and texture of the coat are more important than the length. The outer coat is thick, rough, messy, and curved, with irregular vibrations. The hair on the head and lower legs is soft and natural. The length of the outer coat on the back is about 2 to 4 inches, and the hair on the hands and feet is slightly shorter. The waterproof undercoat is short, woolly, slightly oily hair (basic characteristics), but in summer, except for the thighs and shoulders, you can find that the undercoat in other parts of the dog becomes hard. The ears are covered with hair and the tail is feathered (covered hair and marginal hair). Natural hair loss, lack of length and "bangs" is a common phenomenon in Otterhound dogs in service. The correct hound coat should have a crisp, hard outer coat and a woolly undercoat. The Odda Hound should have a natural coat that cannot be clipped or sculpted.
Disadvantages
A soft outer coat and a woolly quality outer coat are serious disadvantages. Lack of undercoat is also a serious fault. The coat length exceeds 6 inches and becomes heavy and wet, which is a fault. Visible pruning, carving, or decoration of the coat will be severely punished.Same with shortcomings.
Emotions
Any expression or combination of expressions can be settled. On this premise, all attitudes are treated equally. The color of the nose is dark and full of pigment, ranging from black, liver and blue-grey, depending on the color of the coat. The pigment of the eye rims matches the nose.
Gait
The Otterhound has good reach, reach in the forequarters and good start in the hindquarters. The pace is smooth and brisk, and can protect long distances. The typical gait of the Odda Hound is a very brisk, dragging stroll, suddenly springing up into a brisk, long, strong and vigorous trot, with the head naturally stretched forward. When speeding, it is smooth and the strides are very long. The Odda Hound has a simple track when slowing down. When he strolls or moves slowly forward, his paws are not far from the ground, dragging his steps. The Otterhound's lead should appear brisk.
Temperament
The Otterhound is an affable, argumentative dog with a quiet personality.
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