The Story Of Hounds

Hounds were the original hunting dogs and are some of the most ancient breeds known to man. The Hound Group of the American Kennel Club includes two types of dogs:

• Sight hounds who use wonderful visual acuity to identify their prey from a distance and then brilliant speed to run them down.

• Scent hounds who use a sharp sense of smell to find their quarry and then exhibit great endurance to wear the prey down in a relentless pursuit.

Sight hounds contemporary descendent’s are breeds the likes of Afghan Hounds, Salukis and Greyhounds. They were mostly developed by the antediluvian civilizations in the Middle East and drawings of hounds have been discovered on excavated vases going back to 8,000 years before Christ..

Coursing is a sport that uses dogs to chase game such as wolves or jack rabbits and is a hunting practice that was commonly used by the nobility. So sight hounds are sometimes connected with the elite and their appearance and bearing is typically considered regal and exotic. Coats on sight hounds go from the short, smooth hair of Greyhounds and Whippets to the thick long manes of Afghan Hounds and Borzoi. However, underneath the hair, all sight hounds have an analogous graceful, long legged conformation that screams speed.

Scent hounds were developed centuries later principally in Medieval Europe. While sight hounds are sleek and speedy,, scent hounds usually have robust strong legs, long heads, pendulous ears and noses with a sense of smell up to 1 million times better than homo sapiens. Basset Hounds and Bloodhounds are great examples of this look. During the Middle Ages it was the landed nobility that were answerable for the controled development of the hound breeds. Some scent hounds were trained to kill their prey and others were used to keep game cornered while baying to signal the huntsmen. The larger scent hounds, like Irish Wolfhounds and Scottish Deerhounds, hunted wolves, elk and deer while smaller ones like Beagles and Harriers tracked rabbits and fox.

Over a period many versions of hounds were developed to specialize in hunting specific kinds of game. As a result, scent hounds come in several different body sizes and styles. There are lugubrious Bloodhounds, vibrant Beagles, wolf-like Norwegian Elkhounds and short legged Dachshunds. The common characteristic among these different looking breeds is they are all hunters that use a sharp sense of smell to find their prey.

Both sight and scent hounds have been trained for centuries to act without direction, so they have minds of their own. They are not the sort of dogs that reply willingly to commands without giving it some thought first. Sight hounds will chase after animals or even any motion that they may see, absolutely ignoring surrounding traffic. Scent hounds will wander off to follow any smell that they find engaging. Because of these tendencies hounds must be taken outside on a leash or in a secure yard. Hounds can often be stubborn and independent, but with patience and love, they can be trained and become wonderful, steadfast companions.

Bob Long is an engineer and author who has shared his life with many canine companions. he currently lives in Texas with his wife, two children and 5 dogs. He has multiple websites on different topics including the Best Dogs For Apartments and the Behavioral Charateristics of Apartment Dogs.