Whistling Wings Outfitter
May 30, 2011 at 6:21 am
filed under Hunting
A hunting dog is any type of dog who helps humans when they go hunting. Each breed of hunting dog has their own particular skill, so a hunter would choose their dog according to which kind of hunting they prefer. True hunting dogs get huge satisfaction from what they do and a good dog can make all the difference on a hunt. Let’s take a look at the different hunting dogs.
Hounds
There are three main kinds of hunting hounds: Sighthounds, scent hounds and lurchers.
Sighthounds, like the Whippet, have amazing eyesight and are extremely fast runners. Their way of hunting is called ‘coursing’. They see their prey – often from a huge distance – then they stalk, chase and kill it. These dogs are athletic, fast, very quiet and extremely independent. They are very affectionate and loyal to their owners and are good with small children. They make hopeless guard dogs as they’re so trusting!
Scent hounds, as you would imagine, use their sense of smell for hunting. Beagles, Basset Hounds and the American Coonhound all use their noses to track the prey. They very often hunt in packs and can chase game for a very long way before cornering it or killing it. These dogs have characteristic booming barks and soulful expressions.
Lurchers are primarily some kind of sighthound bred with a working dog.
Gun Dogs
Hunters take a gun dog along with them to bring back whatever has been shot. Retrievers are very good at remembering where prey has fallen and love to retrieve ducks or geese that have been shot and landed in water. A typical gun dog is very well trained and can follow commands from a long distance away. They are renowned for their ‘soft mouths’ which means that they don’t leave a mark on the game that they have retrieved.
Spaniels are excellent for finding game and flushing it out of any hiding place. They are also greats swimmers, good family dogs and fiercely loyal.
Pointers are also loyal. They’re happy and affectionate dogs. Although they are bred to hunt, they make great pets as long as they get sufficient exercise. When they are hunting, they literally point! They find the game and then stop dead, letting the hunter know where it is. Once they are commanded, they flush the prey out for the hunter to shoot. Setters are good pointers.
One of the most famous pointers was Judy, a ship’s dog during the Second World War. Her special skill was to point where Japanese planes were coming from – long before any of the humans on board could even hear their engines! Judy was awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross (the Dickin Medal) in 1946.
Terriers
Most of the animals that terriers help to hunt for are pests. For example, Jack Russells go after ground hogs and foxes in America and Terriers hunt badgers in the UK (legally and illegally!). Hunters who work with these dogs are called terriermen.
Curs
These are used in a similar way to terriers but the game that they hunt is usually larger, such as boars, raccoons and even cougars. Staffordshire Terriers and any other kind of hunting dog are often bred together to produce hunting curs.
Rebecca Prescott
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/learn-about-hunting-dog-breeds-77314.html
Anna L
BUYING A FLUSHING DOG. What BREEDS are used for FLUSHING? Info…?
Okay I have been looking into cockers lately because I want to learn how to hunt fowl and you know, just birds, and I know flushing dogs are great with people and families.
I was REALLY glued on just an American Cocker Spaniel, Buff or Black and white, but now I know I just need a good dog for me.
I’m planning to get a dog, purebred, sometime next year but I need to know ALL the different flushing dog breeds. Ones that are sweet yet easy to train and still have a lot of spunk.
Links are welcome but don’t ONLY put links if you have any experience with flushing dogs let me know and training them and all that might be good to know haha.
If you want to try and find the perfect flushing dog for me here’s info:
I’m a girl of course, and I have two dogs already, a 5 or 6 yr old rescue shiba/lab cross, sweetest things, tolerates a lot, and a male shetland sheepdog, 3 years old as of may 16th this year and really spunky, loves to play, pretty dominant over me but I’m REALLY working on it.
I have an 11 year old brother who SMOTHERS the crap out of dogs but I really refrain him from it as much as possible and his sticky hands will hopefully be nowhere near my new dog.
I’m active, walk my dogs 2 times a day sometimes not at all but sometimes even 4 times a day, love to take them to the pet stores with me.
Willing to take time with grooming, would prefer a faster learning all in all breed but with my sheltie I’m ready for just about anything now haha.
I am still in school, cause I’m only 14 but my mom and dad are usually home when I get home and if they’re working that day, they leave after or right before I get home, so separation anxiety isn’t gonna be too bad.
If you need any more info lemme know, and THANKS!
also I have a 16 yr old brother but he always minds his own business and has a soft spot for all dogs… except my sheltie, he ate his 12$ italian chocolate so I can see why lol.
But he would never hurt a dog.
I have a mom and dad.
That’s it, and me but u know that haha.
I always have friends over… well often, on weekends and during the summer.
I want to flush birds for a few reasons, to eat, to sport, to stuff and mount them, I dunno. It fascinates me.
I have an Acre Yard.
Sorry I asked this Q 3 times, I didn’t know about the "flooding" thing I will not do it again.
Fed up!
Why do you want to flush birds? There’s a gazillion different breeds of bird dogs, but a cocker certainly doesn’t come to mind. How big is your yard? All bird or game dogs have a ton of energy, so with that comes a great deal of responsibility because if they don’t get enough exercise, they become mischievous. Just daily walks around the block won’t cut it.
You really need to give this a lot of thought and your conscience must be clear that you really can do right by this type of dog.
Here’s some links.
http://animal-world.com/dogs/Sporting-Dog-Breeds/information/sporting-dogs.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3BOX_8vS_E
http://www.gundogsonline.com/pointing-dog-training-channel/
http://www.gundogsonline.com/hunting-dog-training-channel/
References :
reputable breeders breed crap.
english or springer spaniels both flush.
References :
byber
♥shelter puppies rule♥
My advice is to join specific dog groups, even subscribe to a reputable hunting magazine, and ask your vet. Sorry I can’t give more advice, hopefully someone can be better help. I think the first answer is a good one. You are doing the right thing to learn first. Good things come to those who wait.
References :