Hunting Dogs
Hunting dogs are a group of dog breeds developed and bred with the purpose of helping humans in hunting. The use of trained dogs for hunting has been common worldwide. Their history goes a long way back as they have been hunting alongside humans since the medieval age.
Modern hunting dogs are classified into 5 types: hounds, gun dogs, terriers, feists, and laikas. The popular breed dachshund is also a hunting dog, sometimes included in the hound group.
Today, most of them make the list of the most popular breeds to have as pets. Dogs like the Irish setter, Weimaraner, Chesapeake Bay retriever, and golden retriever are some of the best options for family dogs for their loving, loyal disposition.
List of the Best Hunting Dog Breeds
Large Hunting Dogs
Naturally, a larger dog will be better able to take care of the duties of a hunting dog. So, the best hunting dogs are all medium to large in size:
- American Foxhound
- Bloodhound
- Labrador Retriever
- English Pointer
- Great Dane
- Bull Terrier
- Saluki
- Dogo Argentino
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- Vizsla
- Bluetick Coonhound
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- English Setter
- German Shorthaired Pointer
- Golden Retriever
- Irish Setter
- Weimaraner
- Barbet
- Basset Hound
- Black And Tan Coonhound
- German Longhaired Pointer
- German Wirehaired Pointer
- Irish Red And White Setter
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Sloughi
Medium Hunting Dogs
- English Springer Spaniel
- Azawakh
- Mountain Cur
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
- Portuguese Water Dog
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Austrian Black and Tan Hound
- Plott Hound
- West Highland White Terrier
- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
- Norwegian Elkhound
- Glen Of Imaal Terrier
- Karelian Bear Dog
- Lagotto Romagnolo
Smaller Breeds That Make Good Hunting Dogs
These breeds do not let their size come in the way of who they really are. They use their excellent sense of smell and hearing to find, flush, and retrieve game as hunting dogs.
- American Water Spaniel
- Cocker Spaniel
- Beagle
- Boykin Spaniel
- Small Münsterländer
- French Brittany
- Brittany
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Dachshund
- Basenji
- Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
- Australian Terrier
- Papillon
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Toy Fox Terrier
- Irish Terrier
- Welsh Terrier
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Cirneco dell’Etna
- Wire Fox Terrier
Check out our article about dogs are used to hunt coyotes.