this is a strange question

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:06 am

okay heard from a guy on a board for the fuzz balls that may not be named, some folks in the otterhound community are considering refreshing the breed by crossing some of the breeds believed/known to be related to the otterhound & then breeding the most otterhoundy crosses back into the breed. one of the issues they have about the idea is what to do w/ the excess pups from the cross breeding. i wrote all of that so i could ask this.
keeping in mind the cross will produce fuzzy hounds similar to some european breeds, and most likely show stock w/ no proven hunting ability.
what would it take for you to be willing to take one of these pups?

nmplott · Post by **nmplott** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:49 am

so what you were saying is that they are doing the complete opposite of what the developers of that breed did. The breed developers bred for ability and looks were just a by-product of thier original search. So know you have people breeding for looks and hoping (I mean really really really hoping) for ability. I say that since these people know the task is daunting and are still willing to go for it...they should have to keep the pups from their crosses.

easttenngator · Post by **easttenngator** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:57 am

nmplott....great idea ......but don't we have enough non hunting hounds out of hunting stock now...just what we need more chit eaters

I do have a queston where can you run a otter??? and is it a good race??

Gator

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:18 am

Gator
TN for one & most southern states permit the hunting of furbearers. i don't think it is so much of a race as the hound consistantly finding the track as it moves in & out of the water and then the fight at the end.
nmplott
as i understand it they are breeding for looks alone and just aren't sure what to do w/ the culls.
if i understand correctly, everyone else is about like me, they'd have to pay you a fair bit of money to take one of their mutts.

pete richardson · Post by **pete richardson** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:41 am

if they are catching any otter lately -- ill take one --- lol --if they are breeding for looks they need glasses - them things are ugly lol

Spanky · Post by **Spanky** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:48 am

sounds like the same problem with many of the hound breeds today and a typical competition show breeders to me. Too much emphasis has been put into angles and conformation that they breed unproven hounds in the field based solely on the hounds conformation. They are breeding the tracking abilities right out of the hounds today because of it.

There should be a field test for all show hounds prior to a show degree being given out or at least have a cast win in a hunt with competition. If the otter hound registry is fairly new maybe you can get a program going within your registration. This will eliminate those none hunting hounds from being titled even though they can not hunt.

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:05 am

Spanky
i feel similar to Pete, they are dang sure unprepossessing (for you John Wayne fans) but if they could put the fur on the wall then i wouldn't care. heck, i got one dang silly looking greyhound/saluki cross right now that after over a year off and fat missed catching a big muley buck by feet as it went over a 8ft fence after about a 300-400 yard run. if i can come up w/ some gas money & get him back in shape i'll have to get hold of some wolfers & go w/ them for coyote (brush wolf).
But the issue of looks over performance has ruined most breeds of working dog regardless of the job. most mastiff type dogs are too big, slow, stupid & timid to be good guard dogs now, although the show crowd seems to believe otherwise. they just don't understand why guys like Dom Donavan or Joe Lucero w/ decades of training dogs for police & personal protection saw fit to make their own crossbred lines w/ bull & mastiff backgrounds. Most of the show bred herding dogs lack the natural instinct & are too dumb to learn to move a herd under direction, not to mention no control and so they are too rough for soft stock like sheep.
Like you i think they should have to prove their dogs in the appropriate work before they can obtain a conformation title.

Bearkiller · Post by **Bearkiller** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:35 pm

Why don't they just cull the extra pups?

Pops · Post by **Pops** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:30 am

because they are weak people, that is why they want show dogs instead of dogs that hunt