Complete Guide on Chasing game dogs

Although the bow and arrow served its purpose well, in open country, game had to be chased down. This required both speed and stamina, something to which the Sight Hounds became well suited. All possess a lean, powerful body and long legs,. In addition, most have a deep chest.

Different types of hound were needed in densely forested areas, marshland and in jungle. To assist man in these areas other hounds were developed to follow scent over difficult ground. Within the two general categories of Sight Hounds and Scent Hounds, some have been developed to catch and kill their quarry, others to corner the game then bay loudly to attract the attention of the hunter, whilst smaller dogs go to ground where they hold the quarry until it is dug out.

The size, speed and strength of hounds is so varied that the quarry of some is the humble rabbit, whilst others have tackled large, ferocious animals including wolf, boar, elk and even the leopard and lion. Others, such as the Otter hound, can even follow scent in water and many is the tale of Bloodhounds successfully trailing a scent over a period of several days.

Hounds have long been kept for their hunting skills, both by scent and by sight, but some of the more glamorous among them have also been retained as something of a 'fashion accessory'. As this may well have been to their detriment, those days are hopefully now in the past. Now many are kept just as companion animals but owners should never forget that all hounds retain something of their ancestor's skills, and long may they continue to do so.

Of course, many of the breeds which fall within this group carry out their work as part of a large pack but fewer and fewer packs of hounds are now used for hunting. Many of the Sight Hounds take part in coursing and racing and all the hound breeds make a very splendid sight in the showring, several of them having changed but little over the centuries.

Dogs within the Hound Group make a spectacular sight with their varied coats, some as short as the Smooth-haired Dachshund, others as long as that of the Afghan Hound. Colors vary spectacularly too; in some breeds all colors are acceptable, others are restricted to specific colors or color patterns, the tri-color being especially striking. Size and weight are also very varied. The Miniature Dachshund should weigh under 5 kg (11 lb) whilst the Basset, another breed low to the ground, is very much heavier. Of the longer legged breeds the Borzoi, Deerhound and Irish Wolfhound stand out as amongst the tallest of breeds, and each and every one has its own band of dedicated followers.