What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Otterhound?

FCI, Male: 69 cm; AKC, Male: 68.6 cm; UKC, Male: 61–68.6 cm; KC, Male: 69 cm; CKC, Male: 68.5 cm; FCI, Female: 61 cm; AKC, Female: 61 cm; UKC, Female: 58.4–66 cm; KC, Female: 61 cm; CKC, Female: 61 cm.

Otterhound breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Height at the withers, male	69 cm	68.6 cm	61–68.6 cm	69 cm	68.5 cm
Height at the withers, female	61 cm	61 cm	58.4–66 cm	61 cm	61 cm
Weight, male	No ruling	52.2 kg	34–52.2 kg	No ruling	No ruling
Weight, female	No ruling	36.3 kg	29.5–45.4 kg	No ruling	No ruling
Skull to muzzle	No ruling	1	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
StopModerate	Standard (“Stop: Distinct, though not exaggerated”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“distinct though not exaggerated stop”)	Standard (“distinct though not exaggerated stop”)
Muzzle shapeSquare	No ruling	Standard (“The muzzle is square, with no hint of snipiness”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“perfect, regular scissor bite”)	Standard (“A scissors bite is preferred”)	Standard (“meet in a scissors bite, which is preferred”)	Standard (“perfect, regular scissor bite”)	Standard (“perfect, regular scissors bite”)
DentitionFull dentition	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“A full complement of strong, white teeth”)	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriagePendulous	Standard (“Long, pendulous, set on level with corner of eye”)	Standard (“are long, pendulous, and folded”)	Standard (“The long, pendulous, folded ears”)	Standard (“Long, pendulous, set on level with corner of eye”)	Standard (“Long, pendulous, set on level with corner of eye”)
Ear setLow	No ruling	Standard (“They are set low, at or below eye level”)	Standard (“The ears are set low, or below eye level”)	No ruling	No ruling
Neck lengthLong	Standard (“NECK: Long, powerful”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Long, powerful, set smoothly into well laid back”)	Standard (“Long, powerful, set smoothly into well laid back”)
DewlapSlight	Alternate (“Slight dewlap permissible”)	Alternate (“a slight dewlap is permissible”)	Alternate (“A slight dewlap is permissible”)	Alternate (“Slight dewlap permissible”)	Alternate (“Slight dewlap permissible”)
ToplineLevel	Standard (“Top line: Level”)	Standard (“The topline is level from the withers to the base of tail”)	Standard (“The backline, from the withers to the base of the tail, is level”)	Standard (“level top line and broad back”)	Standard (“level topline and broad back”)
ChestDeep	Standard (“Chest: Deep with well sprung, fairly deep, oval ribcage”)	Standard (“The chest is deep reaching at least to the elbows”)	Standard (“The chest, which is deep rather then wide”)	Standard (“Chest deep with well sprung, fairly deep, oval ribcage”)	Standard (“Chest deep with well sprung, fairly deep, oval ribcage”)
Tail setHigh	Standard (“Set high, carried up when alert or moving”)	Standard (“The tail is set high”)	Standard (“It is set high on the slightly sloping croup”)	Standard (“Set high, carried up when alert or moving”)	Standard (“Set high, carried up when alert or moving”)
Tail lengthLong	No ruling	Standard (“and is long reaching at least to the hock”)	Standard (“The long tail reaches at least to the hock joint”)	No ruling	No ruling
Tail carriageSabre	No ruling	Standard (“carried saber fashion (not forward over the back)”)	Standard (“it is carried in saber fashion, but never forward over the back”)	No ruling	No ruling
Tail carriageCurled over the back	Fault (“never curling over back”)	Fault (“(not forward over the back)”)	Fault (“but never forward over the back”)	Fault (“never curling over back”)	Fault (“never curling over back”)
HocksWell let down	Standard (“Hocks well let down, turning neither in nor out”)	Standard (“Hocks are well let down, turning neither in nor out”)	Standard (“The well-let-down hocks are well defined”)	Standard (“hocks well let down, turning neither in nor out”)	Standard (“hocks well let down, turning neither in nor out”)

Markings

Markings
Marking	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Chest patch	Alternate (“slight white markings on head, chest, feet and tail tip”)	No ruling	No ruling	Alternate (“slight white markings on head, chest, feet and tail tip”)	No ruling
Socks	Alternate (“slight white markings on head, chest, feet and tail tip”)	No ruling	No ruling	Alternate (“slight white markings on head, chest, feet and tail tip”)	No ruling
White tail tip	Alternate (“slight white markings on head, chest, feet and tail tip”)	No ruling	No ruling	Alternate (“slight white markings on head, chest, feet and tail tip”)	No ruling

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
Procedure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Dewclaw removal	No ruling	Alternate (“Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed”)	Alternate (“Dewclaws may be removed from the forelegs”)	No ruling	No ruling

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live. See where each procedure is banned or allowed.

Otterhound colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Otterhound color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Otterhound in Black, White, Gray, Blue, Liver, Tan, Red, Lemon, Cream, Wheaten, and Sandy. Standard patterns: Solid, Bicolor, Tricolor, Piebald, Parti-color, Agouti, Grizzle, and Tan point.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Black and tan”)	Standard (“Black”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Black and tan”)	Standard (“Black and tan”)
White	Standard (“White hounds”)	Standard (“White”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“White hounds”)	Standard (“White Hounds”)
Gray	No ruling	Standard (“Gray”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Not recognized	No ruling
Blue	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“Blue & Cream”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“blue”)
Liver	Standard (“occasional liver, tan and liver”)	Standard (“Liver & Tan”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“occasional liver, tan and liver”)	Standard (“occasional liver, tan and liver”)
Tan	Standard (“Black and tan, blue and tan”)	Standard (“Tan”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Black and tan, blue and tan”)	Standard (“Black and tan, blue and tan”)
Red	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“red”)
Lemon	Standard (“White hounds may have slight lemon, blue or badger pied markings”)	Standard (“Lemon”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“White hounds may have slight lemon, blue or badger pied markings”)	Standard (“White Hounds may have slight lemon, blue, or badger pied markings”)
Cream	Standard (“black and cream”)	Standard (“Blue & Cream”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“black and cream”)	Standard (“black and cream”)
Wheaten	Standard (“wheaten”)	Standard (“Wheaten”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“wheaten”)	Standard (“wheaten”)
Sandy	Standard (“sandy”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“sandy”)	Standard (“sandy”)
Albino	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Albinism”)	Not recognized	No ruling
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“whole coloured”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Whole coloured”)	Standard (“whole-coloured”)
Bicolor	Standard (“tan and white”)	Standard (“Blue & Cream”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“White & Black”)	Standard (“tan and white”)
Tricolor	Not recognized (“a white-bodied hound with black and tan patches distinctly separate”)	Standard (“White Black & Tan”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Not recognized (“a white-bodied hound with distinctly separate black patches and tan patches”)	Not recognized (“a white-bodied Hound with black and tan patches distinctly separate”)
Piebald	Standard (“White hounds may have slight lemon, blue or badger pied markings”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“White hounds may have slight lemon, blue or badger pied markings”)	Standard (“White Hounds may have slight lemon, blue, or badger pied markings”)
Parti-color	No ruling	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Particolour”)	No ruling
Agouti	Standard (“badger pied markings”)	Standard (“Badger Markings”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“badger pied markings”)	Standard (“badger pied markings”)
Grizzle	Standard (“grizzle”)	Standard (“Grizzle Markings”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“grizzle”)	Standard (“grizzle”)
Tan point	Standard (“Black and tan, blue and tan”)	Standard (“Black & Tan”)	Standard (“Any color or combination of colors is acceptable”)	Standard (“Black and tan, blue and tan”)	Standard (“Black and tan, blue and tan”)

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Dark brown	No ruling	Standard (“The eyes are dark”)	Standard (“The deeply set eyes are dark”)	No ruling	No ruling
Hazel	Standard (“a blue and tan hound may have hazel eyes”)	Standard (“those with liver or slate pigment may have hazel eyes”)	Standard (“Those with liver or slate pigment may have hazel eyes”)	Standard (“a blue and tan hound may have hazel eyes”)	Standard (“a blue and tan Hound may have hazel eyes”)
Yellow	Fault (“Yellow eye undesirable”)	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Yellow eye undesirable”)	Fault (“Yellow eye undesirable”)

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	No ruling	Standard (“black, liver, or slate, depending on the color of the hound”)	Standard (“Dogs with black-pigmented eye rims and noses”)	No ruling	No ruling
Slate	No ruling	Standard (“black, liver, or slate, depending on the color of the hound”)	Standard (“Those with liver or slate pigment”)	No ruling	No ruling
Liver	Standard (“a tan hound may have a brown nose”)	Standard (“black, liver, or slate, depending on the color of the hound”)	Standard (“Those with liver or slate pigment”)	Standard (“a tan hound may have a brown nose”)	Standard (“a tan Hound may have a brown nose”)
Patterns
Butterfly nose	Standard (“A slight butterfly nose permissible”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“A slight butterfly nose permissible”)	Standard (“A slight butterfly nose permissible”)

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Fault: Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalized.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized: The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Otterhound's colors can change over its life.

Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Tan pointchanges toSaddle
Coat · With age · from 6 to 156 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Otterhound guide Grooming styles for the Otterhound