A hound is a type of

hunting dog A hunting dog is a canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and g ...

used by hunters to

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

or chase prey.

Description

Hounds can be contrasted with

gun dog Gun dogs, or bird dogs, are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, usually quail, dove, or duck. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. Types ...

s that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

s were the first

s. They have either a powerful sense of smell, great speed, or both. There are three types of hound, with several

s type: *

Sighthound Sighthounds, also called gazehounds, are a Dog type, type of dog, hounds that hunt primarily by sight and speed, rather than by scent and endurance as scent hounds do. Appearance These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it in sight, an ...

s (also called ''gazehounds'') follow prey predominantly by speed, keeping it in sight. These dogs are fast and assist hunters in catching

game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

, and

elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

. *

Scenthound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

s follow prey or others (like missing people) by tracking its scent. These dogs have endurance, but are not fast runners. * The remaining breeds of hound follow their prey using both sight and scent. They are difficult to classify, as they are neither strictly sighthounds nor strictly scenthounds.

List of hound breeds

Afghan Hound The Afghan Hound is a hound that is distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat and its tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed is selectively bred for its unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is ( ps, تاژ ...

Africanis The Africanis is a dog landrace found across southern Africa. Description As is typical with landraces, there are several regional variations, believed to be the result of isolation and, to a limited degree, deliberate breeding. Some modern w ...

Alpine Dachsbracke The Alpine Dachsbracke (german: Alpenländische Dachsbracke) is a small breed of dog of the scent hound type originating in Austria. The Alpine Dachsbracke was bred to track wounded deer as well as boar, hare, and fox. It is highly efficient at f ...

American Foxhound The American Foxhound is a breed of dog that is a cousin of the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent. History In 1650, Robert Brooke sailed from England to Maryland with his pack of hunting dogs, which were th ...

American Leopard Hound The American Leopard Hound is an American breed of hunting dog. It is recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) as a scenthound and is in the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service. Characteristics The American Leopard Hound is 21 to ...

Andalusian Hound The is an ancient Spanish breed of warren hound used to hunt small game in Andalusia, Spain. It is one of four podenco breeds recognized by the Real Sociedad Canina de España. It is an agile dog generally used to hunt ducks, rabbits, boar and ...

Artois Hound The Artois Hound is a rare breed of dog, and a descendant of the Bloodhound. A scent hound 22–23 inches high at the withers, weighing anything between 55 and 65 pounds, it is a well constructed dog with a slow graceful gait. It has a larg ...

Austrian Black and Tan Hound The Austrian Black and Tan Hound is a breed of dog originating in Austria. History There is no known history of the Austrian Black and Tan Hound until after the middle of the 19th century. This large sized hound was used for tracking woun ...

Azawakh The Azawakh is a breed of dog from West Africa. With ancient origins, it is raised throughout the Sahelian zone of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. This region includes the Azawagh Valley for which the breed is named. While commonly associat ...

Basenji The Basenji ( /bəˈsɛndʒi/) is a breed of hunting dog. It was bred from stock that originated in central Africa. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale places the breed in the Spitz and primitive types. The Basenji produces an unusual y ...

Basset Artesien Normand Bassets are a sub-Dog type, type of scenthound deliberately bred with short legs, that are used for hunting where the hunters accompany the hunting hounds on foot. History Bassets were originally developed in France from where they spread through ...

Basset Bleu de Gascogne The Basset Bleu de Gascogne (), also known as the Blue Gascony Basset, is a long-backed, short legged breed of dog of the hound type. A French native breed, it is rare outside its homeland. It is recognized internationally by the Fédération Cy ...

Basset Fauve de Bretagne The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a short-legged hunting breed of dog of the scent hound type, originally from Brittany, a historical duchy of France. Description Appearance The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a smallish hound, built along the same li ...

Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ''ground-scent'' is second only to the Bloodhound.Har ...

Bavarian Mountain Hound The Bavarian Mountain Hound (German: ''Bayerischer Gebirgsschweißhund'') is a breed of dog from Germany. As a scent hound, it has been used in Germany since the early 20th century to trail wounded game. It is a cross between the Bavarian Hound a ...

Beagle The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, the ...

Beagle-Harrier The Beagle-Harrier is a scenthound. It is a breed of dog originating from France. Characteristics Appearance The Beagle-Harrier appears to be either a large Beagle or a small Harrier. It is a medium-sized dog, between tall at the withers,< ...

* Billy *

Black and Tan Coonhound The Black and Tan Coonhound is a breed of hunting dog. Developed in the United States from crosses between the Bloodhound and the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound, this scent hound runs its game entirely by scent and is used primarily for rac ...

Blackmouth Cur The Black Mouth Cur, also known as the Southern Cur, Southern Black Mouth Cur and the Yellow Black Mouth Cur, is a medium to large sized Dog breed, breed of Cur#American curs, cur-type dog from the United States. Originating in the south of the co ...

Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar and, since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is called, ''l ...

Bluetick Coonhound The Bluetick Coonhound is a breed of coonhound originating in the United States. The Bluetick Coonhound is known for its friendly personality, cold nose, and deep bawl mouth. It is most commonly used as a raccoon hunting dog, but may also be kep ...

Borzoi The Borzoi or Russian Hunting Sighthound is a Russian breed of hunting dog of sighthound type. It was formerly used for wolf hunting, and until 1936 was known as the Russian Wolfhound. Etymology The system by which Russians over the ages ...

* Bosnian Broken-haired Hound *

Briquet Griffon Vendéen A Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. Prior to the first World War it was bred down in size by the Comte d’Elva from the Grand Griffon Vendéen. The Briquet Griffon Vendéen was almost extinct after ...

* Chippiparai *

Cirneco dell'Etna The Cirneco dell'Etna is an Italian breed of hunting dog from the Mediterranean island of Sicily. It is named for the Etna volcano in eastern Sicily. It has a keen sense of smell, and is used to hunt small game, particularly rabbits. As with ...

* Combai *

Coonhound A coonhound, colloquially a coon dog, is a type of scenthound, a member of the hound group. They are an American type of hunting dog developed for the hunting of raccoons, hence their name, and also for feral pigs, bobcats, cougars, and bears. ...

* Cretan Hound * Dachshund * Drever * Dumfriesshire hound, Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound * Estonian Hound * English Coonhound * English Foxhound * Feist (dog), Feist * Finnish Hound * Galgo Español * Gascon Saintongeois * German Hound * Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen * Grand Bleu de Gascogne * Grand Fauve de Bretagne * Grand Griffon Vendéen * Greek Harehound * Greyhound * Griffon Bleu de Gascogne * Griffon Fauve de Bretagne * Hamiltonstövare * Hanover Hound * Harrier (dog), Harrier * Hortaya borzaya * Ibizan Hound * Indian pariah dog * Italian Greyhound * Irish Wolfhound * Istrian Coarse-haired Hound * Istrian Shorthaired Hound * Kai Ken * Kanni * Kishu Ken * Hound trailing, Lakeland Trailhound * Lithuanian Hound * Longdog * Lurcher * Magyar agár * Mountain Cur * Mudhol Hound * Otterhound * Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen * Petit Bleu de Gascogne * Pharaoh Hound * Plott Hound * Podenco Canario * Polish Greyhound * Polish Hound * Portuguese Podengo * Posavac Hound * Rajapalayam (dog), Rajapalayam * Rampur Greyhound * Rastreador Brasileiro * Redbone Coonhound * Rhodesian Ridgeback * Sabueso Español * Saluki * Schillerstövare * Segugio dell'Appennino * Segugio Italiano, Segugio Italiano a pelo forte * Segugio Italiano, Segugio Italiano a pelo raso * Segugio Maremmano * Serbian Hound * Serbian Tricolour Hound * Schweizer Laufhund * Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund * Scottish Deerhound * Shikoku (dog), Shikoku * Silken Windhound * Sloughi * Smaland Hound, Smalandstövare * Styrian Coarse-haired Hound * Taigan * Treeing Walker Coonhound * Trigg Hound * Transylvanian Hound * Tyrolean Hound * Welsh Hound, Welsh Foxhound * Westphalian Dachsbracke * Whippet

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Hounds, Dog types Hunting dogs Hunting with hounds Dog shows and showing

Description

List of hound breeds

See also

References

External links