Hound Group dogs

Basically hunting dogs, these animals are classified by the prey they chase and are divided into bird and animal hounds.

The former are mainly placed in the sporting group, and the latter, except for the terriers, in the hound group. These animals can then be broadly classed as sight, scent, or in some cases, sound hounds.

Sight hounds, such as greyhounds, Afghan hounds, and Irish wolfhounds, spot the prey from far away and chase it at incredible speed until it becomes exhausted. This style of hunting was popular prior to the development of shotguns.

The breeds vary in their hunting specialties: long distance, short distance, desert, wilderness, or mountain regions. Scent hounds, such as basset hounds and elkhounds, sense prey by smell, then run them into a corner and signal the hunters.

While some large breeds, although speedy, make too much noise once sensing the prey, and thus scare it away, small, gentle Tiroler brackes and Schweizer laufhunds are not as speedy, but show great skill in cornering prey.

Beagles instinctively know that a hare habitually returns to where it started, and so chase it into the hands of the hunter waiting at the starting point. Dachshunds are determined short-legged hounds that hunt animals out of their burrows.

With the decline in the numbers of prey and legal restrictions on hunting in response to pressures from animal protection groups, opportunities for members of this group to work as hunting dogs have decreased.

Instead, their beauty and speed are now used to advantage in their roles as show dogs or racing dogs. Dogs within this group have been trained to use their keen sense of smell for drug and bomb detection. They are also very popular as household pets.