How Many Types of Hunting Dogs Are There?

In the world of dog breeds, you'll find that many breeds began as hunting dogs, developed for the different styles and aspects of hunting, as well as for the various species of prey. Hounds and terriers are both two groups of dog breeds with traits dedicated to hunting, although some of these breeds aren't used in the field as much as their ancestors.

  1. Sight Hounds

    • Sight hounds obviously rely on sight for a large part of their hunting, but they also rely on speed. These hounds typically are larger dogs with slim, streamlined bodies and increased stamina. In most cases, the dogs have particularly long legs and a deep chest. Some sight hound breeds include the greyhound, Irish wolfhound, basenji, whippet, Afghan hound, Rhodesian ridgeback, Scottish deerhound and saluki.

    Scent Hounds

    • While the sight hounds tend to be tall, lean and quick, the scent hounds are a slightly more diverse group when it comes to physical characteristics. Some of the more common hunting dogs used today belong to this group. The scent hounds use their strong sense of smell to trail prey as opposed to chasing it. This group includes, but isn't limited to: beagles, bloodhounds, coonhounds, foxhounds, curs and basset hounds. The scent hounds vary greatly in size. For example, the basset hound shouldn't exceed more than 14 inches tall at the withers; larger breeds include the bloodhound and bluetick coonhound which can be up to 27 inches tall at the withers.

    Gun Dogs

    • Retrievers and gun dogs are another type of hunting dog. Instead of chasing or trailing prey, these dogs were bred to have soft mouths to retrieve shot prey, particularly waterfowl and other birds, or to point the hunter in the right direction. This group includes the spaniels, pointers and retrievers, along with a few others. Some breeds in this group are Labrador retriever, German shorthaired pointer, standard poodles, Irish setter, Weimaraner and Portuguese water dog. The American Kennel Club lists these dogs in the sporting group; the United Kennel Club lists these dogs as gun dogs.

    Terriers

    • Not all terriers were developed for hunting, but a large majority of them were. Eradicating small vermin such as rats was the primary focus of their ancestors. This group is primarily composed of smaller dogs, although more than a few are exceptions to this rule. A great majority of the terriers have wiry outer coats, including wire fox terriers, Welsh terriers and Russell terriers. Other terriers originally bred for hunting include cairn, Norwich and Scottish terriers.