CHAPTER XVIII 

 THE OTTER-HOUND 



ALTHOUGH many writers describe the Otter-hound as a dog of 

 mixed breed, all refer him back to the old Southern Hound, or 

 the Bloodhound, for his origin, whatever crosses may have been 

 resorted to for producing the dog we now recognise as the legitimate 

 hound to pursue the " Fish-slicer." Elaine says he is the old 

 Southern Hound crossed with the Water Spaniel, and that those 

 with a dash of the Bulldog in them are the best; the Water 

 Spaniel being supposed to supply the roughness of coat for Water 

 Spaniels of the eighteenth century were very different in coat, as in 

 other points, from those dogs of to-day called by that name and 

 also to give or to increase the aptitude for swimming, whilst the 

 Bulldog cross is supposed to have infused the necessary hardiness, 

 courage, and tenacity. 



Both Youatt and Richardson suppose him to be the result 'of 

 a cross between the Southern Hound and the Rough Terrier, and 

 by others the Rough Deerhound has been held to have had a share 

 in the production of the Otter-hound. If, however, any such cross 

 ever occurred, by either accident or design, it is so remote and 

 slight as to be now quite swallowed up ; and as a stream is lost in 

 the immensely larger volume of the river to which it is a tributary, 

 so has any infusion of alien blood been absorbed by the true old 

 English hound blood of the genuine Otter-hound. 



The hunting of the otter is one of our most ancient sports. 

 Jesse, in his researches into the history of the dog, gives many 

 interesting quotations from ancient documents showing the pursuit 

 with hounds to have been a Royal pastime with many of our 

 English kings. In July, 1212, the Sheriff of Somerset received 

 commands from King John to " provide necessaries for Ralph, the 

 otter-huntsman, and Godfrey, his fellow, with two men and two 

 horses, and twelve Otter-hounds, as long as they find employment 

 in capturing otters in your shire." And John, the otter-hunter 

 to King Edward I., had twelve otter dogs under his charge. An 

 annual payment, called " Kilgh Dourgon," was made in Wales for 



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