This article is from the Otterhounds Breed FAQ, by klamb@csn.org (Kiki Lamb).
The Otterhound is an old British breed, with references dating back to
the 12th century. They were used in large packs to hunt river otter.
King John of England hunted otter with large, shaggy hounds, as did
Queen Elizabeth I. The modern Otterhound has Bloodhound in his
background, and is in turn one of the ancestors of the Airedale
Terrier. The first Otterhounds were brought to the US very early in
the 20th century, with official AKC recognition in 1907. There are
fewer than 1000 Otterhounds world wide, with the largest numbers in
the UK and US, and smaller populations in Scandinavia, the Netherlands
and the rest of Europe, Canada, and Australia.
 
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