Hunting Dogs are specific breeds that have been bred for specific qualities and traits which had for centuries made them excellent in assisting hunters track down, hunt, and capture wildlife like bird, and other game animals.

Hunting Dogs come in four types of categories:

• Retriever Hounds
• Setter Hounds
• Pointing Hounds
• Flushing Hounds

Retriever Hounds

Retriever Hounds are the first type of hunting dog they were bred with the specific intention of retrieving the hare, pheasant, or other animal and bringing the carcass back unscathed to their owner. What makes these breeds very special is their willingness to please, learn and obey as well as keep a “soft mouth” when biting into the foul.

The most well known breeds from the retriever class are:

Golden retriever

Laborador Retriever

Nova Scotia Retriever

Other Retriever Breeds are:

• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
• Curly Coated Retriever
• Flat Coated Retriever

Pointing Hounds

Pointing Dogs typically start to acquire their hunting instincts around 2 months old. The name pointer comes from the dog’s instinct to point, by stopping and aiming its muzzle towards game. This demonstrates to the hunter the location of the prey they would like to hunt and allows the hunter to move into a proper shooting range. These dog breeds have an instinctual pointing and backing trait which gives them their well known name.

The most common pointer dog is the English Pointer:

English Pointer

Another type of pointing dog is known as a “Setter.”

Setter Hounds

Setter Hounds are the next type of Hunting Dog. These setter hounds are very friendly to both other animals, and humans and are also excellent canine companions. Their primary specialties in hunting are similar to the pointer breeds in function but have differing head and bone structures.

These setter hounds can search for prey stealthily and when the pheasant, grouse, or quail is spotted these dogs freeze. When they freeze the Setter hounds keep their distinctive stance which is  a sort of crouch or “set” upon finding the hunted prey. After spotting this allows the prey to be flushed out and the positioning of the setter is what gives them their name.

The Setter breeds are the:

English Setter

Gordon Setter

Irish Setter

Flushing Hounds

Flushing Hounds are different from pointers and setters since they do not remain still after locating the scent and location of their prey. These canines were bred to instinctively chase and “flush” out the quail or other wild animal out of hiding for the hunter to net or shoot. Some retrievers are taught to flush as well as retrieve but the most notable breeds of flushing hounds are the spaniels.

The most common of these flushing hounds are:

The American Cocker Spaniel

The Boykin Spaniel

The English Springer Spaniel

Did you have any of the dogs listed above?

Is your dog related to any of these breeds?

If so they may have some of these hidden talents, and innate skills based on their parents! Drop a comment of what type of dog you own, or talk with other Dog Parents on our Community Forum, Facebook, or Instagram, and remember to “Be the Best Dog Parent You Can Be!”