Hound

A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.^[1][2]

Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. They have either a powerful sense of smell, great speed, or both.^[3] There are three types of hound, with several breeds type:

• Sighthounds (also called gazehounds) follow prey predominantly by speed, keeping it in sight. These dogs are fast and assist hunters in catching game: fox, hare, deer, and elk.^[4]
• Scenthounds follow prey or others (like missing people) by tracking its scent. These dogs have endurance, but are not fast runners.^[5]
• The remaining breeds of hound follow their prey using both sight and scent. They are difficult to classify, as they are neither strictly sighthounds nor strictly scenthounds.

• Dog type
• Hunting dog
• Scent hound
• Sighthound

• The dictionary definition of hound at Wiktionary
• Media related to Hounds at Wikimedia Commons