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. * ...

hunting dog A hunting dog is a Dog, canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different Dog type, types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, cur type dogs, and ...

used by hunters to track or chase prey.

Description

Hounds can be contrasted with

gun dog Gun dogs (gundogs) or bird dogs are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, typically various fowls that are shot down on the wing (in flight). The term hunting dog is broad and includes all breeds and s ...

s that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

s were the first

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

s type: *

Sighthound Sighthounds (also called gazehounds) are a Dog type, type of hound dog that hunts primarily by sight and speed, unlike scent hound, scent hounds, which rely on scent and endurance. Appearance These dogs specialize in pursuing prey, keeping it ...

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 type 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 video games) or art ...

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 ("brush"). Twelve species ...

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

, and

elk The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second 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. ...

. *

Scenthound Canton_of_Bern.html" ;"title="Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Canton of Bern">Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of h ...

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 distinguished by its thick, fine, silky coat, and a tail with a ring curl at the end. The breed originates in the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Its local name is () or (). Other names for this breed are Tāzī, Balkh ...

Africanis The Africanis is a dog landrace found across southern Africa. It is a medium-sized, short-coated dog, with a distinctive black patch around the front of the muzzle. Description As is typical with landraces, there are several regional variati ...

Alpine Dachsbracke The Alpine 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 following a trail even after it has g ...

American Foxhound The American Foxhound is a breed of dog, closely related to the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent. United States Founding Father George Washington was key to the breed's early development. History In 1650, ...

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 and ...

Artois Hound The Artois Hound or Chien D'Artois is a medium-sized breed of dog. A scent hound, the Artois was breed in northern France as a pack hunter. It is a rare breed today, but was popular in France before the 20th century. The breed was heavily crossbre ...

Austrian Black and Tan Hound The Austrian Black and Tan Hound is a medium-sized scenthound originating in Austria and is used for tracking wounded game, most commonly hare, in high altitudes. History The breed's history can be traced back to ancient times when the inhabi ...

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 associated ...

Basenji The Basenji () is a breed of hunting dog created from stock that originated in Central Africa, including in the Republic of the Congo and other adjacent tropical African countries. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale places the Basenji ...

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 Dog breed, breed of dog of the hound type. A French native breed, it is rare outside its homeland. It is recognized internationally by the Féd ...

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 li ...

Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of scent hound. The Basset Hound was developed in Great Britain from several now-extinct strains of France, French basset breeds. It was bred primarily for hunting rabbit and hare on foot, moving slowly en ...

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. Description The Bavarian Mountain Hound' ...

Beagle The Beagle is a small breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking inst ...

* Beagle-Harrier *

Billy Billy may refer to: * Billy (name), a name (and list of people with the name) * Billy (surname), a surname (and list of people with the surname) Animals * Billy (dog), a dog breed * Billy (pigeon), awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 * 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 racc ...

* Blackmouth Cur *

Bloodhound The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, 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 ...

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 is also kept as ...

Borzoi The Borzoi or Russian Hunting Sighthound is a Russian breed of hunting dog of sighthound type. It was formerly used for wolf hunting; until 1936, the breed was known as the Russian Wolfhound. Etymology The system by which Russians over the ...

* Bosnian Broken-haired Hound *

Briquet Griffon Vendéen A Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a medium-sized griffon scenthound originating in Vendeé, France. The Briquet Griffon Vendéen was recognized by the FCI in 1954. History Prior to World War I, it was bred down in size by the Comte d’Elv ...

* Chippiparai * Cirneco dell'Etna * Combai *

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 and also for feral pigs, bobcats, cougars, and bears. There are six disti ...

* Cretan Hound *

Dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: 'badger dog'), also known as the wiener dog or sausage dog, badger dog, doxen and doxie, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, with varie ...

Drever The Drever is a 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 chosen th ...

* Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound *

Estonian Hound The Estonian Hound () is a scent hound-like dog breed, breed, with the distinction of being the only dog breed developed in Estonia. It was bred in 1947 when the Soviet Union's national economy ministry decided that every country in the Union m ...

* English Coonhound *

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 Fo ...

* Feist *

Finnish Hound The Finnish Hound ( Finnish: ''suomenajokoira'' , Finnish Bracke) is a breed of dog originally bred for hunting hare and fox. Description Appearance The nob of the Finnish Hound is short, dense and coarse to the touch. The coat pattern is tr ...

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

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 and ...

German Hound The German Hound (''Deutsche Bracke'') is a Dog breed, breed of dog originating in Westphalia, a region of Germany. The German Hound is of the scenthound dog type, type, used for hunting both large and small game. Appearance The German 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 A Grand Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. It was the first of the Vendée griffons to be bred from the Greffier whose lineage dates back to the 16th Century. There are also several other breeds of Griffons fro ...

Greek Harehound The Greek Harehound (; FCI No. 214) is a rare breed of dog that only comes in a black and tan color, originally bred as a scenthound for tracking and chasing hare in Southern Greece. Description The Greek Harehound is a medium-sized dog breed wit ...

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...

Griffon Bleu de Gascogne Griffon may refer to: * Griffin, or griffon, a mythological creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle Businesses * Griffon Aerospace, an American aerospace and defense company * Griffon Corporation, a multinational cong ...

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 The Hamiltonstövare (or Hamilton Hound) is a dog breed, breed of Scent hound, scenthound originally developed by the founder of the Swedish Kennel Club, Count Adolf Hamilton. Its ancestors include several German hounds as well as English Foxhounds ...

Hanover Hound The Hanover Hound is a breed of dog sometimes referred to as a Hanoverian Hound, Hanoverian Scent hound, and Hannover Schweißhund. The origins of the Hanover hound trace back to the Celtic period as a direct decedent of the lead hound. The ...

* Harrier *

Ibizan Hound The Ibizan Hound (, ) 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. Looks The Ibizan Hound is an elegant and agile breed, with an athletic and att ...

Indian pariah dog The Indian pariah dog, also known as the Indian native dog, INDog, Nadan, South Asian pye dog, Desi Kutta, and Neri Kutta, is a landrace of dog native to the Indian subcontinent. They are Informally referred by people often by similar names ac ...

Italian Greyhound The Italian Greyhound or Italian Sighthound () is an Italian dog breed, breed of small sighthound. It was bred to hunt European hare, hare and European rabbit, rabbit, but is kept mostly as a companion dog. History Small dogs of sighthound t ...

Irish Wolfhound The Irish Wolfhound ( Irish: ''Cú Faoil'') is a breed of large sighthound that has, by its presence and substantial size, inspired literature, poetry and mythology. One of the largest of all breeds of dog, the breed is used by coursing hunters ...

Istrian Coarse-haired Hound The Istrian Coarse-haired Hound (, ) is a dog breed from Croatia. It is a rough-coated scent hound still kept primarily as a hunting dog rather than as a pet. Description Appearance Dogs of this breed can vary considerably in size, as the do ...

Istrian Shorthaired Hound The Istrian Short-haired Hound () 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 Istrian Coarse-haired Hound from the same region. App ...

Kai Ken The is a breed of dog native to the Kai region, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, where it is a national monument. It is a rare dog even in its native land and is one of the six native Japanese dog breeds protected by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai. A ...

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 Tir ...

Kishu Ken The is a Japanese breed of dog. It is descended from ancient medium-sized breeds and named after the Kii Province, Kishu region, now Mie Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture. It was designated a living national monument of Japan in 1934. Kishu ...

* 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 Background It is distinct from the l ...

Lurcher A lurcher is a Dog crossbreed, crossbred dog resulting from dog reproduction, mating a greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another Dog type, type such as a herding dog or a terrier. The lurcher is not a "breed," but is a generic descri ...

* 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 ...

* Mudhol Hound *

Otterhound The Otterhound is an English 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 Engl ...

Petit Bleu de Gascogne The Petit Bleu de Gascogne is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France and used for hunting in packs. Today's breed is the descendant of a large hunting dog. The Petit Bleu de Gascogne is not a small (petite) dog, the name co ...

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 ...

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 194 ...

* Podenco Canario * Polish Greyhound * Polish Hound * Portuguese Podengo * Posavac Hound *

Rajapalayam Rajapalayam () is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the largest municipality in the Virudhunagar district, Virudhunagar district. Rajapalayam is located on the Madurai to Kollam National Highway at a distance of 562 km so ...

* Rampur Greyhound * Rastreador Brasileiro *

Redbone Coonhound The Redbone Coonhound is an American list of dog breeds, breed of hunting dog. As a coonhound, the Redbone is primarily a hunter of small game that hide in trees, such as Raccoon, raccoons, Opossum, opossums, and Squirrel, squirrels, but is also ...

Rhodesian Ridgeback The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a large dog breed originally bred in Southern Africa. The original breed standard was drafted by F.R. Barnes, in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in 1922, and approved by the Kennel Union of Southern Africa, ...

Sabueso Español The Sabueso Español or Spanish Hound is a scenthound breed with its origin in the far north of Iberian Peninsula. This breed has been used in this mountainous region since hundreds of years ago for all kind of game: wild boar, hare, brown bear, ...

Saluki The Saluki or Persian hound (Persian:سگ تازی، Arabic: سلوقي) is a standardised breed developed from sighthounds – dogs that hunt primarily by sight rather than strong scent – that was once used by nomadic tribes to run down game ...

Schillerstövare The Schillerstövare, translated as the Schiller Hound in English, is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating as a hunting dog in Sweden in the late 19th century. Appearance The Schillerstövare is a medium to large sized running h ...

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

Serbian Tricolour Hound The Serbian Tricolour Hound () is a Dog breed, breed of scent hound from Serbia. History The Serbian Tricolour Hound, like the closely related Serbian Hound, Montenegrin Mountain Hound, Posavac Hound, Istrian Shorthaired Hound, Istrian Coarse-hai ...

Schweizer Laufhund The Schweizer Laufhund () is a group of overlapping scenthounds, originating from Switzerland. The breed has several different varieties. History left, Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Schweizer Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Sw ...

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 Th ...

* Scottish Deerhound *

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

* Silken Windhound *

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

* Slovenský kopov or Slovak Hound * Smalandstövare * Styrian Coarse-haired Hound * Taigan * Tatranský durič or Tatra Hound * Treeing Walker Coonhound *

Trigg Hound The American Foxhound is a dog breed, breed of dog, closely related to the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent. United States Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father George Washington was key to th ...

* Transylvanian Hound *

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 hardworking, ...

* Ukrainian Chortai * 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 (''We ...

Whippet The Whippet is a British breed of dog of sighthound type. It closely resembles the Greyhound and the smaller Italian Greyhound, and is intermediate between them in size. In the nineteenth century it was sometimes called "the poor man's raceh ...

References

External links

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

Description

List of hound breeds

See also

References

External links