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Get Your Hound Dog
from: The Complete DogDid you know that Hound dogs are actually sporting dogs whose main purpose is to assist hunters? They help track or chase a hunter's prey and are different than gun dogs or retrievers, two other types of sporting dogs. Unlike gun dogs, Hound dogs don't help by pointing out the location of the animal being hunted, nor do they retrieve the kill, as retrievers are known to do.
Hound dogs are divided into three types and each type is further divided into several subgroups with several breeds belonging to each.
Hound dogs are typically distinguished according to their skills, which are primarily tracking prey by either scent or sight. There's another type skilled in both sight and scent tracking but most breeds of Hound dogs can be trained to make use of both these senses in order to assist in hunting.
Here are listed different classifications of Hound dogs, including a brief description of each and examples of breeds belonging to that particular hound type.
Sight Hounds
Sight hounds, sometimes known as gaze hounds, are a type of a group of Hound dogs that hunt primarily by speed and sight. In contrast to scent hounds, sight hounds don't usually use their senses of smell to track prey nor are they particularly known for their endurance.
Agility being key to a great hunt by a sight Hound, most dogs of this subgroup have very flexible backs, long legs, deep chests, large hearts, and efficient lungs and tend to have lean, wiry bodies that allow them to keep their weight at a minimum.
Sight hounds can detect the slightest movement. They overpower prey with sheer speed and agility and along with hunting, Sight Hounds are used in coursing, racing, lure coursing, other miscellaneous events that require on a dog's speed and agility. The Greyhound is one good example of a Sight Hound.
Scent Hounds
Compared to Sight Hounds, Scent Hounds aren't fast runners nor are they especially agile. However, what this type of hound dogs lack in speed and agility, they make up with endurance.
Scent Hounds are sturdy hunting dogs that track prey by scent and they're so skilled, they can follow a scent trail for miles. Therefore, this type of Hound dog is has one of the most sensitive noses among dogs and other canine breeds.
A typical Scent Hound has long, drooping ears, large nasal cavities, and loose, moist lips, physical characteristics that assist them to trap scent particles from the air, allowing them to more effectively follow a scent.
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