A hound is a

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

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 ...

used by hunters to track 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 breeds were the first

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

Sighthound Sighthounds, also called gazehounds, are a 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, and overpo ...

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, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (su ...

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''). Twelv ...

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 g ...

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 ...

, 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 com ...

. *

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 ...

* American Foxhound *

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 a ...

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 l ...

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 associa ...

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 ...

Basset Artesien Normand Bassets are a sub-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 throughout Europe ...

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 C ...

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 l ...

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 Houn ...

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

* Beagle-Harrier * 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 r ...

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 breed of cur-type dog from the United States. Originating in the south of the country, the breed is a popular ...

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 ...

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 * 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 The Kombai or Polygar dog is a breed of working dog native to Tamil Nadu in Southern India. Traditionally kept for guarding and protection, they have a reputation for making excellent guard dogs. they were also occasionally used for hunting big ga ...

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 The Drever is a Dog breed, breed of dog, a short-legged scenthound from Sweden used for hunting deer and other game. The Drever is descended from the Westphalian Dachsbracke, a type of German hound called ''Bracke''. The breed name Drever was c ...

* Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound * Estonian Hound *

English Coonhound The English Coonhound, also referred to as the American English Coonhound (by the American Kennel Club only) or the Redtick Coonhound, is a breed of coonhound that originated in and is typically bred in the Southern United States. It is descended ...

English Foxhound The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. It is a cousin of the American Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent. Description Appearance The breed standards' guidelines for showing English F ...

* Feist * Finnish Hound *

Galgo Español The Galgo Español ('Spanish galgo') or Spanish Greyhound is an ancient breed of dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. The English greyhound is possibly a descendant of the Spanish greyhound and, for several years in the 20th ce ...

Gascon Saintongeois The Gascon Saintongeois is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, recognised in two varieties, ''Grand'' (large) and ''Petit'' (smaller than the Grand, but ''not'' a small dog). Originating in France, the breed is used for hunting in packs an ...

German Hound The German Hound (''Deutsche Bracke'') is a breed of dog originating in Westphalia, a region of Germany. The German Hound is of the scenthound type, used for hunting both large and small game. Appearance The German Hound is a small hound, ...

Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen or GBGV is a dog breed from France. History The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is derived from the Grand Griffon. The first selections were made at the end of the 19th century by the Comte d'Elva who was loo ...

Grand Bleu de Gascogne The Grand Bleu de Gascogne is a breed of hounds of the scenthound type, originating in France and used for hunting in packs. Today's breed is the descendant of a very old type of large hunting dog, and is an important breed in the ancestry of ma ...

* Grand Fauve de Bretagne * Grand Griffon Vendéen * Greek Harehound *

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgen ...

Griffon Bleu de Gascogne The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France, and is a versatile hunting dog, used on small and large game, in packs or individually. The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne has a speckled, rough coat. Appe ...

Griffon Fauve de Bretagne The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne (''English: Fawn Brittany Griffon'') is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France in the region of Brittany. Appearance The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is a medium-sized dog, 48 to 56 cm (19 ...

* Hamiltonstövare *

Hanover Hound The Hanover Hound is a breed of dog sometimes referred to as a Hanoverian Hound. It is a hunting and tracking dog descended from bloodhounds of medieval times. It was first introduced into France in the 1980s and is still a very rare breed. ...

Harrier Harrier may refer to: Animals * Harrier (bird), several species of birds * Harrier (dog) Media * Harrier Comics, a defunct British publisher * Space Harrier, a video game series Military * Harrier jump jet, an overview of the Harrier family: ...

Hortaya borzaya The Chortai, sometimes spelt Chortaj, is a breed of sighthound from Ukraine. The Chortai is said to resemble a cross between a Greyhound and a short haired Borzoi, being a quite heavily built running hound but nevertheless displaying typical s ...

Ibizan Hound The Ibizan Hound ( es, podenco ibicenco, ca, ca eivissenc) is a lean, agile dog of the hound family. There are two hair types of the breed: smooth and wire. The more commonly seen type is the smooth. Some consider there to be a third type, ...

Indian pariah dog The Indian pariah dog, also known as the Indian native dog or INDog, South Asian pye dog and Desi Kutta, is a landrace of dog native to the Indian subcontinent. They have erect ears, a wedge-shaped head, and a curved tail. It is easily trainabl ...

Italian Greyhound The Italian Greyhound ( it, Piccolo levriero Italiano, italic=no) is an Italian breed of small sighthound. It may also be called the Italian Sighthound. History Small dogs of sighthound type have long been popular with nobility and royalty. ...

* Irish Wolfhound * Istrian Coarse-haired Hound *

Istrian Shorthaired Hound The Istrian Short-haired Hound (original name is ''Istarski Kratkodlaki Gonič'') is a breed of dog from Istria in Croatia, descended from a very old type of scenthound. This hound is the slightly smaller counterpart to the longer-coated Istr ...

* Kai Ken *

Kanni The Kanni (கன்னி), meaning pure (also known as the Maiden's Beastmaster), is a rare indigenous South Indian sighthound breed of dog found in the state of Tamil Nadu. Their native breeding tract is located around villages in the Ti ...

* Kishu Ken * Lakeland Trailhound * Lithuanian Hound *

Longdog A long dog (also long-dog or longdog) is any dog of sighthound type, whether pure-bred or not. It is usually a cross-breed between two sighthounds of different breeds, one of which is usually a Greyhound It is distinct from the lurcher, which ...

Lurcher A lurcher is a cross-bred dog resulting from mating a Greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type, commonly a herding dog or a terrier. The lurcher was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching; in modern times it i ...

* Magyar agár *

Mountain Cur The Mountain Cur is a type of working dog that is bred specifically for treeing and trailing small game, like squirrel and raccoons. They are also used for hunting and baying big game like bear and wild boar as well as being an all-purpose f ...

* Mudhol Hound *

Otterhound The Otterhound is a British dog breed. It is a scent hound and is currently recognised by the Kennel Club as a Vulnerable Native Breed with around 600 animals worldwide.

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (), or PBGV, is a breed of dog of the scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée district of France. The breed is known in the United States as "Petit" or "PBGV," in En ...

* Petit Bleu de Gascogne *

Pharaoh Hound The Pharaoh Hound or is a Maltese breed of hunting dog. It is traditionally used for rabbit-hunting in the rocky terrain of the islands; the Maltese name means "rabbit dog". It is classified by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in ...

Plott Hound The Plott Hound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting bears. In 1989, the North Carolina General Assembly designated the Plott Hound as the official State Dog. The Plott Hound was first registered with the United Kennel Club in 19 ...

* Podenco Canario * Polish Greyhound * Polish Hound *

Portuguese Podengo The Portuguese Podengo, also known as the Podengo Português or Portuguese Warren Hound, is a hound (sight and scent) breed from Portugal. As a breed, the Podengo is divided into three size categories that are not interbred: small (Pequeno), mediu ...

* Posavac Hound *

Rajapalayam Rajapalayam () is a City in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest municipality in the Virudhunagar district. Rajapalayam is located in the Madurai to Quilon National Highway at a distance of 562 km south to the state capita ...

* Rampur Greyhound *

Rastreador Brasileiro The Rastreador Brasileiro (in English, Brazilian Tracker) is a large breed of dog from Brazil, first recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1967, but an outbreak of disease, compounded by an overdose of insecticide, wiped o ...

Redbone Coonhound The Redbone Coonhound is an American breed of hunting dog. As a type of coonhound, it may be used to hunt raccoon, deer, bear, boar, cougar, or other large game. It originated in the Southern United States, and derives from foxhounds brought ...

Rhodesian Ridgeback The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large dog breed bred in the Southern Africa region. Its forebears can be traced to the semi-domesticated ridged hunting and guardian dogs of the Khoikhoi. These were interbred with European dogs by the early coloni ...

* Sabueso Español *

Saluki The Saluki, also known as the Persian Greyhound, is a standardised breed developed from sighthounds – dogs that hunt primarily by sight rather than scent – that was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game animals. The dog was origina ...

* Schillerstövare * Segugio dell'Appennino * Segugio Italiano a pelo forte * Segugio Italiano a pelo raso * Segugio Maremmano * Serbian Hound *

Serbian Tricolour Hound The Serbian Tricolour Hound ( sr, српски тробојни гонич, srpski trobojni gonič) is a breed of scent hound from Serbia. History The Serbian Tricolour Hound, like the closely related Serbian Hound, Montenegrin Mountain Hound, ...

* Schweizer Laufhund *

Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund The Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund (Small Swiss Hound), is a breed of dog of the scenthound type from Switzerland. ''Niederlaufhund'' means short-legged hound. The breed has a number of different varieties (all of the same breed). Description ...

Scottish Deerhound The Scottish Deerhound, or simply the Deerhound, is a large breed of sighthound, once bred to hunt the red deer by coursing. In outward appearance, the Scottish Deerhound is similar to the Greyhound, but larger and more heavily boned with a rou ...

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), ...

* Silken Windhound *

Sloughi The Sloughi , or Arabian Greyhound (Arabic: سلوقي), is an ancient breed of domesticated dog, specifically a member of the sighthound family. It originates from North Africa and is found in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya. History ...

* Smalandstövare * Styrian Coarse-haired Hound * Taigan *

Treeing Walker Coonhound The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds. The breed originated in the United States when a stolen dog known as "Tennessee Lead" was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. ...

* Trigg Hound *

Transylvanian Hound The Transylvanian Hound ( hu, erdélyi kopó ; ro, copoi ardelenesc ; also known as the Transylvanian Scent Hound or Hungarian Hound) is a dog breed originating from Hungary and Transylvania (Transylvania was part the Kingdom of Hungary-nowadays ...

Tyrolean Hound The Tyrolean Hound is a breed of dog that originated in Tyrol also called the Tiroler Bracke or Tyroler Bracke. They are scent hounds that descended from the Celtic hounds in the late 1800s, mainly for their hunting skills. They are hardworki ...

* Welsh Foxhound *

Westphalian Dachsbracke The Westphalian Dachsbracke is a small, short-legged scenthound, a breed of dog originating in Westphalia, a region of Germany. The Westphalian Dachsbracke was used in Sweden to develop the Drever. Appearance The Westphalian Dachsbracke ('' ...

Whippet The Whippet is a dog breed of medium size. It is a sighthound breed that originated in England, descended from the Greyhound. Whippets today still strongly resemble a smaller Greyhound. Part of the hound group, Whippets have relatively ...

References

External links

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

Description

List of hound breeds

See also

References

External links