Lizzy the Otterhound was the most different animal we ever had. Otterhounds were bred in England to clear the rivers of Otters who were eating up the fish that Royalty fished for and ate. They are pack animals that hunted, swam, and lived their life as a pack.
After we lost Brutus, Lenette researched many kinds of dogs, and based on pictures, sizes, and other information, she decided on this unusual breed. Otterhounds have lots of hair to protect them from cold water, are a bit smaller than German shepherds, and are “wired to be active.” The only Kennel I could find was near Dallas, Texas, and I arranged to visit and pick up a puppy on my next work trip.
When I got to the Kennel, about 20 puppies were available to pick from. They all ran from me, but one female came to me and licked my hand. That’s all it took. I scooped this 6-week-old pup up, paid the owner, and flew home with our new family member.
Within hours of being home and with our other animals (two dogs and three cats), this puppy took charge and began to herd them all together. From that very moment, she was going to be the leader, and she was. We all took to her like “iron to a magnet.”
We did lots of hiking that summer and winter, and we always took our dogs. When on snow and cross-country skis, the dogs went crazy until they were totally exhausted and eventually fell in behind us. Not Lizzy. She never got tired, or so it seemed, and explored everything and everywhere. She never lost sight of us, although we lost sight of her and worried. Once, while in the backcountry, it was growing dark, and we called for her, but there was no response. We skied to my pick-up, with our other dogs right behind, but still no Lizzy. Was she lost or hurt? We called and called, but still—no Lizzy. Finally, I turned on the motor, and there she was, tail wagging and waiting to be lifted into the truck.
Sy
