Hunting Dogs

Many hunters say that their hunting dogs are certainly the best possible friend of the hunter, as the dogs will sniff and scavenge for prey in the deepest and darkest brush of the forest, and then bring back the hunted right to your feet. There are many different breeds for a hunting dog that you can take with you on your next trip, but the type of dog you should take with you should be one directly related to the type of hunting you are planning on doing. For example, if you are planning to hunt furry animals, you would be probably be more satisfied with a hound than you would be with a terrier, as hounds are better than terriers in this situation.

The most common category for hunting dogs is the hound. Actually, hounds are divided into two categories, the sight hound and the scent hound. Obviously a sight hound is better at seeing things whereas the scent hound is better at scents. The Whippet is a sight hound and is adapted to hunting because its vision is so good. The Coonhound is an example of a scent hounds, which works by smelling things rather than seeing. Scent hounds often work in packs and many consider them to have the most sensitive noses of all dog types.

Then there are gun dogs which are used mostly by hunters using shotguns in a short range. Of these there are flushing spaniels, pointing breeds and retrievers, and again their name suggests their area of expertise to the hunter. The English Cocker Spaniel is a flushing spaniel which locates the prey, flushing it out into the open for the hunter to shoot. The retrievers are used to find and bring back the victims of any shooting for the hunter, which can save the hunter from a lot of frustration trying to find a bird, for example, that he has shot and thought fell in a certain area. The pointers are used to flush out prey from their hiding place too.

Terriers are also used for hunting in some areas, and are often used to locate the actual den of the prey. Sometimes these terriers are encouraged to kill the animal in its den. The legality of some of these hunts is in question, so before you venture out hunting, make sure you check your local regulations.

Now, why do hunters like to have hunting dogs? It makes finding their prey after a shoot much easier, and before hand they can flush the prey out into the open. They also make great companions for a hike through the woods, where or not you intend to hunt.