To the discovery of some breeds of hunting dogs

Since time immemorial, man has domesticated wolves which evolved in contact with man and gave the first dogs to help them hunt.  Today, many breeds of dogs exist, some of which were created by man to have characteristics that are particularly useful for hunting. Let's find out a little more about them.

The different types of hunting dogs

There are many breeds of hunting dogs that are ideal for hunting. Overall, they can be grouped as follows:

• Pointing dogs: the purpose of these dogs is to find game (mainly birds) by scent and to catch them,
• Terriers: as their name indicates, these hunting dogs will search for prey hidden in the burrows, such as rabbits.
• Bloodhounds: these dogs are excellent trackers once the prey is wounded, since they are able to follow any game for several kilometers, via the smell of blood.

All depends on your needs. No matter what, you will have to choose from one of these three categories.

Some examples of hunting dogs

The Weimar Hound is the favorite hunting dog of hunters originally from Germany. It measures from 62 to 67 cm at the withers for males, and 59 to 63cm for females, weighs on average from 30 to 40kg, and generally lives from 10 to 12 years.

Louis IX already used the Weimar Hound as a hunting dog. Nowadays, the Weimaraner is a sociable dog, which needs a lot of exercise. The master must also be firm enough to educate him. It is a dog that loves children, and is quite protective, without being aggressive.

The direct brother of the Weimar Hound is the Beagle. This small dog of English origin is a rather popular breed nowadays as a simple companion dog, because of its frequent presence in movies.

The beagle measures between 33 and 40 cm at the withers, weighs between 8 and 22 kg and has a life span of 10 to 15 years on average. It is, however, originally a hunting dog, with a white coat spotted with beige or black, used as a bloodhound. It is a very playful dog.