| Dogs have been bred for the purposes of | | | | general groups. These are the general hunting |
| hunting with humans for centuries. Whether | | | | dogs, gun dogs, retrievers, and bird dogs. |
| hunting for food or sport, various breeds of | | | | Some specific dog breeds may fit into more |
| dog have been used to help flush the hunted | | | | than one category. |
| animals out into the open, to retrieve downed | | | | |
| animals (especially ducks, pheasant, and | | | | Retrievers |
| other birds), and to sniff out and track | | | | |
| animals for the hunter. It is with these | | | | Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are |
| potential duties in mind that a hunting dog | | | | experts at finding and fetching fallen prey. |
| should be chosen. | | | | They are especially useful on duck hunts |
| | | | because their oily coats help them move |
| When choosing a dog for hunting purposes you | | | | effortlessly through water to find and |
| may want to evaluate your needs and base the | | | | retrieve the fallen waterfowl. |
| choice on what you want the dog to do, how | | | | |
| easily it can be trained, whether it is | | | | Pointers and Setters |
| likely to be "spooked" by the report of a | | | | |
| weapon being fired, and how good its nose is. | | | | These dogs are useful in hunting because they |
| | | | let the hunter know when prey is nearby. They |
| Hunting Breeds | | | | are most often used in bird hunts and are |
| | | | trained to freeze and point their bodies in |
| There are several breeds of dog that have a | | | | the direction of the hunted bird (pointers) |
| natural aptitude for assisting in various | | | | or hunker down low to the ground when they |
| aspects of hunting. Hounds, for example, make | | | | locate a bird (setters). Spaniels also make |
| excellent trackers, especially bloodhounds. | | | | good pointers. |
| They have a very acute sense of smell, even | | | | |
| for a dog, and have no problem following | | | | Hounds and Trackers |
| several scents at once. Retrievers are quite | | | | |
| keen at, well, retrieving. And make excellent | | | | Bloodhounds and other dogs with heightened |
| bird-dogs. | | | | senses of smell are used to track all manner |
| | | | of animals. |
| Hunting breeds are separated into four | | | | |