Throughout history, dogs have accompanied humans as hunting partners. In fact, hunting dogs have been around for somewhere between 12,000 to 20,000 years.
A good hunting dog is still one of the best tools that a hunter can have at their disposal.
With their strength, acute sense of smell and hearing, intelligence and athleticism, dogs can be much more robust and skilled hunters than humans. Particularly if they have a strong bond with their owner and are given the right training.
If you are looking for a new companion to help on the game trails, here you will find a list of the dog breeds that are a hunter’s best friend.
As hunting is now more of a sport than a necessity, not all dogs or dog breeds have kept their hunting skills. But a good starting point is to look for a breed that was created for the purpose of hunting the specific types of game that interest you.
Hunting dogs are organized into three main categories: terriers, gundogs and hounds.
Terriers come in different shapes and sizes and specialize in rooting out small game, like foxes, squirrel, rats, and badgers. But their feisty personality means they can also be used to track larger game. Terrier breeds include the Airedale, Boston, Bull Terriers and more.
Gundogs are best at tracking, pointing, and retrieving different types of birds and small game. A host of dog breeds fall into this category like retrievers, spaniels, pointers and setters, and water dogs. Among these breeds, some dogs will be multi-skilled at hunting, pointing, and retrieving.
Hounds are great at tracking large game and track either by scent or sight (and speed).
Among the scenthound breeds are Beagles, Basset Hounds, Coonhounds, and Bloodhounds (the Sherlock Holmes of the dog world). Their acute sense of smell means that scenthounds are also valuable members of search and rescue teams or as part of efforts to sniff out illegal substances.
Sighthound breeds include the Pharaoh Hound, the Greyhound, Whippet and Deerhound. Sighthounds are independent and were taught to hunt and chase down game with little guidance from their humans. While relaxed and calm at home, these are the fastest dogs on the planet.
Many of the breeds on our list also make great pets and companions.
And all of them thrive on a loving environment with training that uses lots of positive reinforcement, lots of exercise and plenty of stimulation.