Gun Dogs and Prey Capturing Hunting Dogs

In the prey capturing hunting breeds the primitive drive to seek out and capture game has been retained. In many cases it is enhanced and seeking of game seems to be a reward in itself in the absence of the kill. Seeking and killing are well separated from eating the game. In most cases territoriality is somewhat supressed so that these dogs are likely to roam the neighborhood hunting and chasing rather than stopping at your property boundaries and driving intruders off. In general scent hounds and sighthounds are fairly low energy in relation to any activity other than hunting and when confined will lie around most of the day (lazy as a hound dog). In contrast in the Gun Dog (Bird Dog) breeds have a higher general activity level and may be constantly on the go, even when confined.

General hunting dogs. These include breeds such as the Weimeraner who have strong hunting instincts, athletic bodies but lack the extreme specialization for speed of the coursing hounds, the acute scent orientation of the scent hounds or the exclusive bird orientation of pointers and setters. They blend in with retreivers in talent. They are active dogs capable of accompaning an owner on a full days hunt, either on foot or horseback. Generalized hunting dogs may hunt by sight or scent and usually are expected to pursue the prey and aid in its capture rather than just freezing and indicating the presence of the prey. These dogs are long legged and athletic and many of them approach the coursing hounds in body form. Size ranges and bulk are based on expected prey size and type. Because these dogs are often hunted on dangerous game such as bears or wild boar they are selected for courage and pluck as well as eagerness to hunt.

These dogs were hunted in dense cover and as well as open territory and so giving voice or tongue during hunting was selected for so that the hunter could keep track of the direction of the hunt.

Gun Dogs are breeds developed since the invention of firearms to aid the hunter of birds. They are used in upland game hunting and in the hunting of water birds. It is important that gun dogs are not afraid of the sound of a discharging gun (this fear is termed "gun shyness"). Gun dogs are generally divided into Retrievers and the Setter/Pointer/Spaniel Group. The latter are called Bird Dogs because they freeze in a stylized fashion when they detect the presence of a bird.

Retrievers. Generally associated with duck hunting the retreivers are active breeds utilized in the retreiving of fallen game, especially from water. They tend to have water resistant thick coats with an oily texture.

Bird dogs - Bird dogs are specialized for "birdyness" - that is interest in flying prey being hunted on land - not typical for a hunting canid since flying prey generally is out of the reach of a ground living carnivore. Setters and pointers freeze when they locate birds in cover. The larger breeds, the setters and pointers, will range rapidly over a field and freeze when locating the birds. They were often used in by a hunter on horseback. Spaniels are smaller dogs with shorter legs in relation to the body, they were generally used by a hunter on foot.

Setters crouch down to indicate the presence of a bird, Pointers freeze into a point. Spaniels are much shorter legged with the fringed coat of Setters but may have the pointing behavior of Pointers.

Coursing hounds - Hunting dogs who are more highly developed as high speed runners than the wild canid ancestors. The primary trigger for their pursuit is the sight of fleeding prey which they overtake and capture during its flight. Generally hunted in pairs on small game such as hares or jackrabbits or in greater numbers if the prey is large and can fight back such as wolves or deer. In most traditions of hunting with coursing hounds the hounds kill the fleeing game. If the game is brought to bay at a standstill the hounds were aided in the kill by the hunter. The larger coursing hound breeds were hunted from horseback and they are suitable for hunting in open landscape, not heavily forested regions. They hunt silently.

Dachshunds - These small hunting dogs were developed in Germany and exist in many varieties of size, coat type and color. Although bold and eager to hunt they are more tolerant of other dogs than the working Terriers. Their short legs are unique in the hunting dogs (other than terriers), and adaptation for going into borrows after game. The name means "Badger Hound" and they are bold enough to take on such a strong willed opponent.

Terriers (Earth dogs) - Terriers are high energy dogs bred for the hunting and killing of rats, mice, foxes and other small to medium sized animals that are reguarded as pests or vermin in relation to human activities, especially farming activities. They are very active dogs with strong prey drive directed to small and medium sized furry animals. Their behavioral profile includes a strong drive to dig because the animals they are targeted on to hunt retreat to burrows. Terriers were expected to follow them into the burrow and to have the feistyness, energy and pluck (courage) to fight the cornered prey in these close quarters. This fiestyness and courage combined with their well developed sense of territory means that they are often intolerant of other dogs.

They are active little dogs and frequently come with wire texture coats which leads them to have 'cute faces'. Their livelyness, lack of fear and alertness makes them relatively easy to motivate in situations such as being a canine actor so they are frequently present on TV shows and in the movies. A lot of terriers end up being given up by novice owners who were attracted to the small size thinking they were getting a companion-temperament dog rather than an active small hunter with strong territorial desires. Before getting a terrier, thoroughly investigate the breed in question! The small terriers are one of the best examples of the observations that NOT ALL SMALL DOG BREEDS HAVE THE COMPANION DOG PERSONALITY.

The hunting terriers are encountered in a range of body forms from long headed, square built dogs to long headed, short legged dogs for following prey into their burrows. The bull (short) headed terriers are considered under Bull Breeds in our classification.