Posted by Jeanne on April 1, 2009
Any dog can be a hunting dog. Some do one kind of hunting better than others, and some will go after anything that moves including mailmen, cats, cars, boys on bicycles, salesmen, and even other dogs. But most trained hunting dogs go after birds and small animals like rabbits, fox, coons, and possum.
With their keen noses, bird dogs like the English and Irish Setters are taught mainly to locate game birds. When they find a bird, they stand a certain way – hunters call it pointing – showing their owners where the bird is. After the bird is brought down, the dog is then sent out to bring it back to his master. This is retrieving. It’s just like the game you play with your dog when you throw a stick in front of you and ask your Fido to fetch it.
Retrievers, like the Golden and the jet black Labrador are especially trained to bring back water fowl that have been shot down over a body of water. They do a good job of retrieving land birds, too. Some hunters like a dog that can find game and retrieve it from both land and water. The Spaniels and the Weimaraner with their webbed feet are such combination all-purpose dogs.
An entirely different group of hunting dogs are the hounds like the Beagle, Foxhound, Whippet, and Borzoi. Hounds are used primarily to hunt for four-legged game rather than birds. One of the best-known hunting dogs is the Bloodhound. This breed is frequently used by the police to track down fugitives from the law. And sometimes little fugitive children who get lost or who run away from home can thank the Bloodhound’s keen sense of smell for finding them.
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Any dog can be a hunting dog. Some do one kind of hunting better than others, and some will go after anything that moves including mailmen, cats, cars, boys on bicycles, salesmen, and even other dogs. But most trained hunting dogs go after birds and small animals like rabbits, fox, coons, and possum.
With their keen noses, bird dogs like the English and Irish Setters are taught mainly to locate game birds. When they find a bird, they stand a certain way – hunters call it pointing – showing their owners where the bird is. After the bird is brought down, the dog is then sent out to bring it back to his master. This is retrieving. It’s just like the game you play with your dog when you throw a stick in front of you and ask your Fido to fetch it.
Retrievers, like the Golden and the jet black Labrador are especially trained to bring back water fowl that have been shot down over a body of water. They do a good job of retrieving land birds, too. Some hunters like a dog that can find game and retrieve it from both land and water. The Spaniels and the Weimaraner with their webbed feet are such combination all-purpose dogs.
An entirely different group of hunting dogs are the hounds like the Beagle, Foxhound, Whippet, and Borzoi. Hounds are used primarily to hunt for four-legged game rather than birds. One of the best-known hunting dogs is the Bloodhound. This breed is frequently used by the police to track down fugitives from the law. And sometimes little fugitive children who get lost or who run away from home can thank the Bloodhound’s keen sense of smell for finding them.
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Posted by Jeanne on December 1, 2008
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 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.
Related posts
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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 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.
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