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