Choosing A Good Hunting Dog

Dogs have been bred for the purposes of hunting with humans for
centuries. Whether hunting for food or sport, various breeds of
dog have been used to help flush the hunted animals out into the
open, to retrieve downed animals (especially ducks, pheasant,
and other birds), and to sniff out and track animals for the
hunter. It is with these potential duties in mind that a hunting
dog should be chosen.

When choosing a dog for hunting purposes you may want to
evaluate your needs and base the choice on what you want the dog
to do, how easily it can be trained, whether it is likely to be
“spooked” by the report of a weapon being fired, and how good
its nose is.

Hunting Breeds

There are several breeds of dog that have a natural aptitude for
assisting in various aspects of hunting. Hounds, for example,
make excellent trackers, especially bloodhounds. They have a
very acute sense of smell, even for a dog, and have no problem
following several scents at once. Retrievers are quite keen at,
well, retrieving. And make excellent bird-dogs.

Hunting breeds are separated into four general groups. These are
the general hunting dogs, gun dogs, retrievers, and bird dogs.
Some specific dog breeds may fit into more than one category.

Retrievers

Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are experts at finding
and fetching fallen prey. They are especially useful on duck
hunts because their oily coats help them move effortlessly
through water to find and retrieve the fallen waterfowl.

Pointers and Setters

These dogs are useful in hunting because they let the hunter
know when prey is nearby. They are most often used in bird hunts
and are trained to freeze and point their bodies in the
direction of the hunted bird (pointers) or hunker down low to
the ground when they locate a bird (setters). Spaniels also make
good pointers.

Hounds and Trackers

Bloodhounds and other dogs with heightened senses of smell are
used to track all manner of animals. Whether it is their
traditional use in the British fox hunt or their usefulness in
tracking down deer, bears, and other such game for hunters in
the US, they serve their purpose exceptionally well