Hunting dogs help with a lot of the work in hunting and also make great companions. There are a wide variety of hunting dog breeds to choose from. Each type of hunting dog has their own personality and characteristic that makes hunting with them unique and enjoyable. However, there are six hunting dog breeds that stick out as the most commonly used and best type of hunting dogs. These type of hunting dogs as follows:
- Labrador Retriever
- English Pointer
- Golden Retriever
- Coonhound
- English Springer Spaniel
- Bloodhounds
Type of Hunting Dogs
Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retrievers are one of the most commonly used hunting dogs because of their loyalty, desire to work, intelligence and how efficiently they hunt. Most hunters swear their Labrador retriever is the best at what he or she does for them. Since Labrador retrievers have high energy, are well-balanced and are also excellent swimmers they make good hunting dogs from ducks and geese. Their webbed feet and water resistant coats help these hunting dogs to be the best swimmer breed. However, these dogs have also been used for smaller game including quail, pigeons and doves. These amazing hunting dogs are not gun shy making them a great choice for gun dogs. When it comes to quail these dogs make great flushers. Labs are dogs that are eager to please, as well. Overall, with their easy going temperament and love for water these dogs are quite remarkable and loyal hunters.
English Pointers
An English Pointer makes a great hunting dog. However, this dog’s thin coat makes it harder for him to hunt in northern states where there is an abundance of snow. An English Pointer does not fair well in prolong extreme temperatures. The southern states with its warmer temperatures and nicer weather are the best scenario for these dogs. This type of hunting breed is a strong hunter with well-defined characteristics. English Pointers are loyal, friendly, intelligent and adapt to most situations quite well. These dogs are excellent choices for bird hunting and waterfowl hunting. This dog breed gets its name from its habits of pointing out prey to the hunter. Overall, if you are looking for a reliable hunting dog, pointers are quite fine choices.
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever, much like a Labrador Retriever is excellent at retrieving its prey. These dogs are also high energy and are quite powerful swimmers. Their coats keep them warm in frigid temperatures. These dogs have an amazing sense of scent which is another reason why the make such great hunting dogs. Golden Retrievers are also quite intelligent, easy to train and hard working dogs. They have also been trained to be rescue dogs. So it is no wonder why these hunting dogs are in the top six for best hunting dogs .
This YouTube video shows how easy it is to prepare and train your Golden Retriever for duck hunting:
Coonhounds
Coonhounds are a crossbreed of two different hounds and are known as one of the first United States pets. These dogs are used for large game and small game. Their highly effective noses will lead you right to your prey. Coonhounds are used for a wide variety of forest hunting including fox, possum and bobcats. Coonhounds are also great for hunting wild hogs. On some occasions they have also been known to hunt bears and cougars. If you are looking for a good hunt and larger prey these hunting dogs are a wonderful breed for just that. For more information on this dog breed check out this YouTube video:
English Springer Spaniel
English Springer Spaniels are great for hunting waterfowl and upland game. These hunting dogs are easy to train, quick to learn and make quite versatile hunting dogs. The English Springer Spaniel is exceptionally great at hunting pheasants. These hunting dogs make great flushing dogs which is why the are a prime choice for upland game hunting. English Springer Spaniels are not gun shy either, making them excellent hunting partners. These hunting dogs have been known to hunt geese, duck, pheasants, grouse, rabbits, squirrels and woodcock. If you are looking for a versatile hunting dog that is great in and out of the water, an English Springer Spaniel dog is the breed that is definitely for you.
Bloodhounds
Bloodhounds are still one of the most highly recognized hunting dogs and considered to be an iconic hunting dog, just ask anyone who saw the Disney movie, ‘Fox and The Hound.’ Bloodhounds are in the same family as coonhounds which makes them great hunting dogs for larger game. They have also be known to hunt smaller game as well. They have an amazing sense of smell which is a great aid in hunting. In fact, they can even track humans, which is why so many of these hunting dogs are used in manhunts. If you train these dogs right they can just about hunt any land animal. They are not so great with waterfowl, however. If you are looking for a dog with a great sense of smell a bloodhound is the way to go.
Just to recap there are many different breeds of hunting dogs. It’s all about how well you train these dogs and what these hunting dog breeds are capable of doing. Some dogs retrieve, some are flushers and some will track down game for you. Be sure to know exactly what type of hunting you plan on doing, not every dog works great with every type of hunting. Overall, these six hunting dog breeds are the best at what they do. If you take care of your hunting dog, he will take care of you. Thank you for taking the time to read about what dogs are the best hunting dogs out there. Please feel free to leave comments, like or share this article with your hunting buddies. Happy hunting everyone!