5 Top Hunting Dog Breeds

I grew up in a hunting family and spent plenty of time around a variety of hunting dogs. Any hunter will tell you that a good gun and a good hunting dog are worth hanging on to. When choosing the top breeds for hunting dogs, it all depends upon what you are hunting for. These five breeds that are at the top of the list are known for their versatility and adaptability.

What makes a good hunting dog? Training and instinct need to work hand-in-hand to help Fido sniff out, point to, flush out or retrieve your prey. There are several breeds that fit the bill, but here are the top five hunting dog breeds.

Top Five Dog Breeds for Hunting: #5 – English Springer Spaniel
This breed of dog is known as a gundog or a bird dog. The English Springer Spaniel gets its name because of how it helps its master, by springing or flushing out pray. English Springer Spaniels are high energy which makes them great for long days of hunting and trekking across terrain. Their coat is a long top coat with a thick, short undercoat which helps the English Springer Spaniel tolerant of cold climates and weather. While the English Springer Spaniel was bred for flushing out prey, but they are also good retrievers.

Top Five Dog Breeds for Hunting: #4 – Coonhounds
A Coonhound relies upon scent to track down prey for its hunter master. Generally, Coonhounds are used for tracking down small mammals like racoons and opossums. The Coonhound will chase its prey up a tree then bay loudly at the tree until the hunter arrives. Coonhounds have a short but dense coat that helps the dog be equally comfortable in hot or cold weather.

Growing up, my dad had Coonhounds that were great hunters but also very friendly and good with kids.

Top Five Dog Breeds for Hunting: #3 – English Setter
An English Setter will use its sense of smell to track down prey. Primarily used for hunting birds, the English Setter will locate the prey then crouch and wait for the hunter instead of flushing the birds.

Top Five Dog Breeds for Hunting: #2 – German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunting dog that is well-suited as a bird dog and hunting mammals like raccoons, opossums or deer. German Shorthaired Pointers are intelligent and highly-trainable. The German Shorthaired Pointer has an excellent scenting ability and like the English Setter, doesn’t flush prey but instead freezes and points it out – hence the name Pointer. The German Shorthaired Pointer is a very intelligent dog breed and is known to be a great tracker.

Top Five Dog Breeds for Hunting: #1 – Labrador Retriever
No surprise here, the Labrador Retriever is listed at the top of the heap for hunting dogs. The Labrador Retriever is probably best known as a water dog due to its water-repellant coat and webbed feet that allow it to easily swim through water to retrieve prey.

Labrador Retrievers are generally intelligent with a good temperament – making them highly-trainable and great companions. Some of the qualities that make the Labrador Retriever the top hunting dog breed are its versatility. The Labrador retrieves, but it also is a good tracker and pointer and easily adapts to new situations.

My experiences with Labrador Retrievers has been that they tend to have a touch of attention deficit issues and can be headstrong, but their personalities are very sweet and they make good family dogs.

Whatever you are hunting, choose a dog that fits your needs and will also offer companionship. A hunting dog can become a tried and true, loyal companion even when it is not hunting.

Source:

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hunting/traditional-methods/5-hunting-dog-breeds.htm