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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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.
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.
| 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”) |
| 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”) |
| 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.