Type of Hound Dog

According to the type of hound dog, there are two (or three) groups of hounds: sight hounds, scent hounds and those that are difficult to classify. Generally speaking, hounds are dogs assisting hunters by tracking and chasing the game. Hounds specialize neither at identifying the location of prey, like gun dogs, nor at fetching the shot quarry, like retrievers. Sight hounds (or gazehounds) keep the prey in sight and follow it by speed. They are fast and strong, able to kill and fetch small game by themselves. The Whippet and Borzoi are good examples of such hounds. Nowadays, these breeds are used for dog racing.

A scent type of hound dog has a good nose and follows the prey by tracking its scent. These dogs are very endurable, but are not fast runners. They should be followed by the hunter, because they are unable to cope with the game. Bloodhounds and Basset Hounds are the most famous representatives of this type. Their sense of smell is very sharp, which makes them useful for detecting drugs and chemicals. Some hounds follow the game by both sight and scent, like the Rhodesian Ridgeback. Such dogs are very endurable and versatile.

When choosing a type of hound dog, read much on every breed and take into consideration not only the appearance of the dog, but its temperament, keeping requirements and exercise needs. There are about 30 well-known hound breeds and about a hundred rare hounds. They were bred to work in different conditions with different game. Anyone can choose a breed of hound according to his/her needs.

Hounds are not the best dogs for novice owners. They are active and very intelligent and need much mental and physical stimulation. Without a task to do, they become bored and develop bad habits. It can be difficult for a novice owner to train a hound. Hound dogs don’t make good guards and protectors; they are not territorial and are more interested in investigating everything new. A scent type of hound dog can be kept indoors and taken for daily walks, but sight hounds are very active and require much room for exercise.