Hounds
Hounds are among the most well-known and one of the definitive groups of dogs that have been around from the very beginning. They are the first hunting dogs assisting humans since the medieval era, or maybe even before that.
The first thing to understand about hounds is that they are an extremely diverse group with unique physical and behavioral traits. They can be divided into two groups based on their hunting habits, with the rest remaining in a third, general group.
Sighthounds: As the name suggests, these hounds rely on their sharp eyesight to spot prey and then chase after them using their super-speed. These include the Afghan hound and whippet.
Scent hounds: Again, as suggested by the name, these hounds have an excellent sense of smell that they employ to hunt their prey. These include the beagle and coonhound.
The rest: Except for the two above groups, it is difficult to put these breeds into specific boxes based on their characteristics. So, unless a breed is a sighthound or a scent hound, it falls into this third category.
Hounds do make the best pets, but only for the right owner. So make sure you learn about the specific breed before becoming a parent to one.
List of All Types of Hound Dogs
- Afghan Hound
- Africanis
- Alpine Dachsbracke
- American Foxhound
- American Leopard Hound
- Andalusian Hound
- Artois Hound
- Austrian Black and Tan Hound
- Azawakh
- Basenji
- Basset Artesien Normand
- Basset Bleu de Gascogne
- Basset Fauve de Bretagne
- Basset Hound
- Bavarian Mountain Hound
- Beagle
- Beagle-Harrier
- Billy
- Black and Tan Coonhound
- Blackmouth Cur
- Bloodhound
- Bluetick Coonhound
- Borzoi
- Bosnian Broken-haired Hound
- Briquet Griffon Vendéen
- Chippiparai
- Cirneco dell’Etna
- Combai
- Cretan Hound
- Dachshund
- Drever
- Dumfriesshire Black and Tan Foxhound
- Estonian Hound
- English Coonhound
- English Foxhound
- Feist
- Finnish Hound
- Galgo Español
- Gascon Saintongeois
- German Hound
- Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
- Grand Bleu de Gascogne
- Grand Fauve de Bretagne
- Grand Griffon Vendéen
- Greek Harehound
- Greyhound
- Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
- Griffon Fauve de Bretagne
- Hamiltonstövare
- Hanover Hound
- Harrier
- Hortaya borzaya
- Ibizan Hound
- Indian pariah dog
- Italian Greyhound
- Irish Wolfhound
- Istrian Coarse-haired Hound
- Istrian Shorthaired Hound
- Kai Ken
- Kanni
- Kishu Ken
- Lakeland Trailhound
- Lithuanian Hound
- Longdog
- Lurcher
- Magyar agár
- Mountain Cur
- Mudhol Hound
- Otterhound
- Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
- Petit Bleu de Gascogne
- Pharaoh Hound
- Plott Hound
- Podenco Canario
- Polish Greyhound
- Polish Hound
- Portuguese Podengo
- Posavac Hound
- Rajapalayam
- Rampur Greyhound
- Rastreador Brasileiro
- Redbone Coonhound
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Sabueso Español
- Saluki
- Schillerstövare
- Segugio dell’Appennino
- Segugio Italiano a pelo forte
- Segugio Italiano a pelo raso
- Segugio Maremmano
- Serbian Hound
- Serbian Tricolour Hound
- Schweizer Laufhund
- Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund
- Scottish Deerhound
- Shikoku
- Silken Windhound
- Sloughi
- Smalandstövare
- Styrian Coarse-haired Hound
- Taigan
- Treeing Walker Coonhound
- Trigg Hound
- Transylvanian Hound
- Tyrolean Hound
- Welsh Foxhound
- Westphalian Dachsbracke
- Whippet
FAQs
And. Today’s hounds vary greatly in both size and weight, with a lot of miniature versions of the larger breeds out there. The Irish wolfhound is considered the largest breed, with the males reaching almost 3 feet in height and weighing over 150 pounds. On the other hand, the dachshund is one of the smaller breeds with miniature varieties.
Ans. Scent hounds often have long, floppy ears that are believed to help them catch scents off the air, funneling them directly to their nose. Sighthounds have much smaller ears.
Ans. As they were originally bred as animals meant to hunt in packs with humans, hounds do howl a lot, which is referred to as ‘baying’. During hunting, they bay to stay connected to the rest of the pack and alert them of the whereabouts of their prey. And as a pet or companion dog, they still tend to howl a lot, resulting in noise complaints.
Ans. Though they are not suitable for living in apartments and smaller spaces, hounds can make excellent family dogs because of their sociable and loyal nature. Basset hounds, beagles, and dachshunds are a few hound breeds that make good family pets with proper training and care.
