| There are two types of hunting dog; one which | | | | greyhound and animals such as the Borzoi. These |
| supports a shooting person, by hunting quarry to | | | | generally hunt on open areas, where the quarry |
| flush for the gun to shoot, and one that hunts to | | | | can be spotted from a distance. These animals |
| capture the quarry or bring it to bay. The first | | | | tend to have a poor sense of smell so cannot do |
| type of dog is generally known as a gundog, the | | | | the same job as the scent hounds. |
| second group as hounds. | | | | Scent hounds need to use their noses low, |
| There are some similarities between the two | | | | following foot scent. Because they work by |
| groups; each must be able to find quarry and | | | | pursuing the same animal over a longer distance, |
| follow it by scent, but the two types differ in | | | | it is important that they are not distracted by |
| how and when they hunt in this way. | | | | other animals when hunting. It would not achieve |
| The gundog should hunt by air scent, quartering | | | | anything by constantly changing the animal they |
| its ground by working backwards and forwards | | | | are hunting, except to exhaust themselves by |
| across the wind, with its head held up from the | | | | chasing fresh animals. For this reason, as soon as |
| ground. This way the dog can be kept within a | | | | they detect a quarry they should get their heads |
| range where it can flush game in gunshot range in | | | | down on the scent and focus on that one animal |
| the case of spaniels, or within walking range in the | | | | only. This type of hound includes the Basset |
| case of the pointing breeds. It should be | | | | Hound, the Fox Hound, the Otter Hound and |
| discouraged from tracking using foot scent - this | | | | others. Because these animals have to pursue |
| will lead to game being missed because the dog | | | | their quarry at speed, they often leave the |
| will not scent it, and will run out in whatever | | | | hunter behind. For this reason the animals |
| direction the game took. By scenting the air, the | | | | communicate with their partners by baying, and |
| dogs will detect birds or ground game that are | | | | the tone of the bay will tell the experienced |
| hiding upwind, and by their behaviour the shooter | | | | hunter a great deal about the type of quarry, and |
| will be alerted to the fact that something is about | | | | the state of the hunt. |
| to be flushed or pointed. | | | | The gundog breeds by contrast, should hunt |
| There are two types of hounds; the sighthounds | | | | silently in order not to alert their prey |
| or gazehounds hunt by sight - these include the | | | | prematurely. |