Hounds Hunting

Hounds Hunting

Types of Hunting Dog

Types of Hunting Dog

 

Dogs are a man's best friend, in work and in play.  Dogs will adapt themselves to the pack to which they belong and play a certain role within that pack, always keen to please the alpha leader of the pack.  Hunters have traditionally used dogs to track, kill and retrieve prey; or simply sniff it out.

 

Gun Dogs

 

Retrievers – Retrievers are trained to do just that –retrieve.  Dogs will seek out and bring back ducks and fowl that have been shot.  Specially trained retrievers are able to remember exactly where downed birds have fallen; and will obey commands of the voice and whistle as well as, hand motions as silence is important when hunting.  Common breeds are the Golden Retriever and German Sheppard

 

Setters – Setters will flush birds on command as well as a natural instinct to locate and point at upland game birds.  Common breeds include the English setter and the Irish / Red setter.

 

Spaniels – Although they make a very cute pet, Spaniels have always been primarily a working gun dog.  Their small bodies make them perfect to flush birds.  Common breeds include Cocker Spaniel and Springer Spaniels.

 

Pointers – As the name suggests Pointers are trained to locate and point at small game for hunters.  Common Pointers include, its namesake, a Pointer.

 

Water Dogs – Many Gun Dogs overlap categories and Water dogs are essentially a type of retriever, suited however to retrieving from rivers and lakes.

 

Terriers

 

The hunting dog category of terriers is broad, and ranges from the tiny Jack Russell, used to catch rats on farms, to large Airedale Terrier, originally breed to hunt otters.  Terriers come in all shapes and sizes in between and will locate the set or den of its prey and hunt it, often underground.   The word terrier refers to the Latin word terracotta (meaning earth) due to their digging abilities.

 

Oddly enough, some dogs are used to hunt other food than game.  Some dogs can, in fact be trained to sniff out the expensive fungi delicacy truffles.  Dogs that are generally used for truffle hunting fall into the retriever category of gun dogs and most commonly are the German Sheppard or certain types of Poodle.

 

Hounds

 

Sight Hounds – Sight hounds work quickly and quietly and, unlike other working dogs, independently of a pack.  Their stalking ability is based on sight and they will pursue and deftly kill their prey.  They are quick and agile and their method of hunting is known as coursing.  Common Sight Hounds include Whippets and Lurchers.

 

Scent Hounds - Scent hounds hunt using their well-tuned sense of smell.  Scent hounds are used to pick up a scent, then trail and occasionally kill game. They hunt in packs leading the hunters on a chase which ends with prey being trapped or killed. Some of these breeds have deep, booming barks, or a certain call which they when following a trail.

 

Oddly enough, some dogs are used to hunt other food than game.  Some dogs can, in fact be trained to sniff out the expensive fungi delicacy truffles.  Dogs that are generally used for truffle hunting fall into the retriever category of gun dogs and most commonly are the German Sheppard or certain types of Poodle.

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Trufflehunter offers a selection of delicious truffles and truffle oil delivered fresh to your door

what is the name of the book with the boy who has coon hounds and enters a raccoon hunting contest?

I think we read this book in 7th grade

Do you mean Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls?

Part of Amazon's description: "In Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy and his precious coonhound pups romp relentlessly through the Ozarks, trying to "tree" the elusive raccoon. In time, the inseparable trio wins the coveted gold cup in the annual coon-hunt contest, captures the wily ghost coon, and bravely fights with a mountain lion. When the victory over the mountain lion turns to tragedy, Billy grieves, but learns the beautiful old Native American legend of the sacred red fern that grows over the graves of his dogs."

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