From time immemorial, dogs have been great companions to man – as pets and as hunting partners. However, not all dog breeds were designated to be both. Some dogs were bred specifically to be in-house pets, while some became best dogs for hunting purposes.
Can you picture a Chihuahua adding any meaning to your hunting adventure? Certainly not! They are best being cuddly and keeping you company at home.
But other breeds are perfect hunters – fearless, ruthless, fast, courageous, with a strong sense of smell and stamina.
These days, hunting has evolved into something that people do for fun; it is essentially a sport. Such sport is indeed more enjoyable with a designated dog at your side.
And by ‘designated dog,’ we mean one that possess specific skills or traits required for a particular kind of hunting.
Your pick of the best hunting companion depends solely on the game you are after.
What Is A Hunting Dog?
Hunting dog is a canine that humans use for hunting game.
The main hunting dogs include dachshunds, hounds, terriers, cur type dogs, and gun dogs.
It’s needless to say that hunters prefer a gun dog or scent hound to any other breed of dogs.
Like we mentioned earlier, the breed of dog you’d take for hunting depends on the type of game you’re after.
Scent hounds are excellent in sniffing out prey and making a hell of noise just so the hunter can find its location and by implication, that of the prey.
While some scent hounds focus on running after they prey, others (known as ‘treeing’ hounds) can chase their prey up a tree while waiting for the hunter’s arrival at the base.
Gun dogs are a whole different story. If your game is birds, your best bet should be a gun dog ( or a ‘bird dog’).
However, gun dogs can also hunt smaller animals like rabbits. Their task is to locate prey and flush it out of hiding so the hunter can shoot. They are also retrievers – they find a shot prey and bring it back to the shooter.
For a dog to be an excellent hunter, it has to have these three qualities:
- Athletic body and high endurance levels
- Easy trainability
- Strong desire to hunt prey
That said, whether you want to hunt pheasants, hogs, rabbits, deer, or rats, this article is for you.
We have narrowed our research to the animals mentioned above to help you make a wise pick of dog breed that would add value to your hunting.
Best Dogs for Hunting Pheasant
Since pheasants are upland creatures, gun dogs are the best for hunting them. To get the best from your dog, it needs to undergo proper training and has to be in the right working/hunting environment to develop its hunting skills.
Plus, you have to understand that every dog has its personality and might behave a bit out of hand while carrying out its duties. For this reason, never expect everything to play out according to the scroll.
Best Dogs for Hunting Pheasant: Boykin Spaniel
The main job of Boykin spaniel is ‘flushing out’ the pheasants so that a shooter can shoot them. Boykin spaniels have strong sense of smell and broad eye vision.
This breed of hunting dog can work in unfavourable environments – even in marshes or water bodies. They can flush out pheasants even in the water as they are excellent swimmers.
In case you’ve shot down a pheasant, this ready-to-please hunter would gladly retrieve it and place it at your feet.
Boykin spaniels can be really emotional and easily attached to their owners, plus they might sometimes be insecure or unsure of themselves.
That’s why they sometimes hesitate before finally taking on a bunch of hiding pheasants.
Best Dogs for Hunting Pheasant: Chesapeake Bay Retriever
According to its name, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever is excellent in bringing back any fallen pheasant. This breed is is famously tough and can endure several hours of hunting without wearing out.
Its rugged coat helps Chesapeake Bay Retriever to endure extreme weather conditions and thick, thorny bushes. The Chesapeake is a huge dog (averaging 24 inches in height and weighing up to 70 pounds) and is obedient considering its size.
All you have to do is give the command, and he will stand faithfully by your side.
Although Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are easy-going dogs, they can sometimes be overprotective of their owners.
Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever is an excellent hunting dog for pheasants. Initially, these dogs were bred to hunt waterfowls. Nevertheless, because of their versatility, they make excellent pheasant hunters. Talk about an intelligent retriever, and you have your Labrador.
Furthermore, they are large big dogs and have well-built jaws for retrieving bigger animals too.
Labradors are friendly, easy to teach, intelligent, and athletic too. They are muscular and can build up speed, which makes them suitable for open-field hunting as well.
Don’t worry about extreme weather conditions as Labradors have warm double coats.
Best Dogs for Hunting Pheasant: Brittany
This breed of dog has hunting embedded in its genes. The Brittany is a pointer that silently shows where your game (pheasant) is hiding so you can shoot the ‘unlucky’ ones.
This breed can also be trained to do retrieval because they are highly intelligent and versatile. If you want a long-range pointer, the Brittany is your surest bet.
Additionally, the fast-paced and thick-skinned Brittany can endure harsh weather conditions while chasing down any escaping game.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rabbits
Rabbit hunting is indeed one of the hardest hunting sports. Rabbits are exceptionally quick, alert, and can hide under cover of bushes. Hence, it becomes a futile exercise without an excellent rabbit-hunting dog to assist you.
The best rabbit-hunting dogs should have excellent tracking skills, a powerful sense of smell, agile enough to jump over obstacles, and must have speed.
The natural hunting instinct is also essential. So which are the best dogs for hunting rabbits?
Best Dogs for Hunting Rabbits: Labrador Retriever
As mentioned in the previous section, Labradors are intelligent and versatile dogs. They can be taught different commands (both nonverbal and verbal) and different hunting procedures.
A Labrador is energetic and athletic, plus it has natural speed, making it an excellent pick if you want to hunt quick and small animals like rabbits.
Even if the prey runs into a dark, small hole to hide, the Labrador’s strong sense of smell and tracking skills can help flush out the rabbit so you can kill it.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rabbits: Bloodhound
For decades, hounds have been the best breed for hunting small games such as rabbits. They are excellent trackers whose only aim of coming into existence is to hunt!
However, do not expect your bloodhound to give the rabbit a hot chase until it tires out! Bloodhound’s work is much similar to what a pointer does when hunting pheasant.
It uses its excellent sense of smell to track down a rabbit wherever it is hiding and stands by as you go for the kill.
Dogo Argentino
This dog breed is stern – or so it looks.
Although initially bred in Argentina for hunting bigger animals like boar, the Dogo Argentino also makes an excellent rabbit-hunting dog.
If you want a dog with stamina, desire, and a willpower chase down a rabbit, then you need to have a Dogo Argentino.
It can chase a rabbit until the prey is exhausted. Plus, it can also hunt for extensive periods without showing any signs of fatigue.
The Dogo Argentino isn’t just a tracker. It can also learn to be a retriever and bring your kill to your feet. The only downside is that sometimes, when this dog chases rabbits in the woods, it might lose its track due to the cover of inaccessible shrubs and bushes.
If you would like to find out more about hunting with this fascinating breed, read our comprehensive article “Hunting with Dogo Argentino”.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rabbits: Dachshund
Finally, a dog bred for the sole purpose of hunting rabbits – the Rabbit dachshund (Kaninchenteckel).
Pictured above with another great hunting dog (Weimaraner), dachshund is one of the most popular hunting dogs in Europe.
Powerful and ruthless, dachshunds don’t have any mercy for rabbits as they work towards flushing out rabbits of any hiding place.
The plus is that dachshunds are pretty smallish, and therefore can access the same locations as the rabbits. Their speed and hatred for rabbits make it easy to track and chase a rabbit till it surrenders without the dachshund getting burned out after long periods. They are exceptional in tracking an injured rabbit.
Dachshunds are intelligent and independent, with excellent hunting instincts, making them one of the best assistant hunters you can take into the woods.
If you want to find out more about Weiner dog’s hunting abilities, read our detailed article about Hunting with dachshunds.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rabbits: Beagle
They say “dynamite often comes in small packages,” and the beagle is the precise example of this expression.
Beagles are small and light-boned and, therefore, can run at breakneck speed. Their size also means no chance of hiding for rabbits as they can enter anywhere a hare can.
However, this breed is quite mischievous and stubborn and doesn’t give up a game until it grabs it. In other words, if you are in the woods hunting for rabbits with a beagle, consider yourself a “lucky hunter,” because once your dog locates prey, he is not giving up on it.
While the beagle waits for you to come for the kill after tiring the rabbit out, he will make noises that will help you to locate the prey.
The best way to help your dachshund live longer?
Watch our video to find out!
Best Dogs for Hunting Hogs
Hunting hogs could be a dangerous sport. Wild pigs can turn on you once it feels threatened, and if you’re not quick enough, it might be a tragic tale. However, with certain dog breeds, you have the confidence to identify and get a hog down.
A dog used for hunting hogs should be courageous, have the stamina, and a high sense of smell for sniffing out wounded pigs. Below is our list of top breeds for hog hunting.
Best Dogs for Hunting Hogs: Lacy Dog
Lacy dogs are energetic, brave, and very fast. They are obedient hunters that are easy to train too. Most hunters train the lacy dog to sniff out boar blood trails for the final kill.
American Bulldog
This breed of dog has had a rather long hunting career – especially with hogs.
An American bulldog is often obedient and intelligent, making it an excellent dog breed. These Bulldogs also have the characteristic of becoming over-protective, especially of their territory and their owners.
Against a hog, the American bulldog is a ‘lion.’ It can chase down a boar, and with its strong sense of smell, it can track blood trails.
Best Dogs for Hunting Hogs: Walker Hound
Walker hounds are famous for hunting foxes and games of similar size. However, in Texas, most hog hunters use this breed because of their natural hunting instincts, bravery, athleticism, and a strong sense of smell.
After hunting, be sure to let your walker hound cuddle up with you as a reward. They love it.
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The list would have been incomplete without the mention of the lion-chasing Rhodesian Ridgeback. This black-mouth cur look-alike comes from a line of lion-hunters back in Africa.
This dog used for hunting lions! That makes you wonder what this dog breed might do with a hog.
However, for such an energetic and brave dog, it has a soft, compassionate, and loving personality.
Best Dogs for Hunting Hogs: Black-Mouth Cur
A black-mouth cur is built to hunt. Muscular, powerful, and agile, this dog can help you track down a hog. This breed is highly intelligent and can quickly learn different ways of tracking a boar. Plus, black-mouth cur likes being close to family and getting attention.
Want to go hog hunting? The five breeds mentioned above are the best companions for a fruitful hunt.
Best Dogs for Hunting Deer
If you have gone deer hunting alone, you know how boring it can be. Deer are very alert and rarely show up when you want them to. However, things can get livelier when you go with your deer-hunting hound.
Then all you may have to do is follow your dog’s trails and be ready to aim and fire at any time (be careful not to shoot your dog).
However, not every dog can make your deer-hunting adventure fruitful. Here are the best dogs for hunting deer.
Best Dogs for Hunting Deer: German Shorthaired Pointer
This hunter is from Germany, and its ancestors were mostly used in hunting birds.
The original breeders wanted a versatile hunting champion that could work both in water and on land, and hence, they invented this breed.
The dog is athletic and has a high endurance level, plus its coat is a real beauty. The intelligence of this dog makes it easily trainable and affectionate, as well as independent.
Although the German Shorthaired Pointer is excellent for deer hunting, it has all of the qualities of a gun dog, making it one of the most versatile dogs in the world.
American Foxhound
The American foxhound might not be on the bulkier end of the scale, but it is an efficient deer hunter. This breed was initially developed for fox hunting, as its name suggests.
However, it has been instilled with the needed skills for hunting several other animals, the deer inclusive.
The American Foxhound is quite stubborn, can be quite aggressive, and always wants to hunt; hence, it is quite challenging to train this dog. However, if you get it right, you’ll never ask for a better hunter.
American foxhound hasn’t been used much like a family pet despite being a loving and social dog.
Best Dogs for Hunting Deer: Weimaraner
Lean and muscular, the Weimaraner is a beauty to behold. This German dog is a skilled hunter and hunts several ‘medium to large’ game, including deer.
Because of its beauty, intelligence, and social nature, Weimaraner is sometimes kept as a house pet. However, its independent and stubborn nature can be a problem during exercise and training.
It’s also funny how Weimaraner can walk away if it finds an activity more uninteresting than hunting.
Best Dogs for Hunting Deer: Basset-Hound
Just like the bloodhound, the basset-hound can effectively track and trail a smell in the air and for long distances. That wouldn’t be a surprise because the basset-hound has initially been bred to track scents.
This short-legged hunter easily gets carried away in the process and may not pay attention when asked to “heel.”
Asides being sometimes stubborn, the basset-hound is a loveable charmer whose main desire is to hunt and serve those he loves.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rats
People think that cats are the best pets to keep rodents away. However, here is an unpopular truth – nothing can motivate cats to chase rats except they feel like doing it.
Consequently, certain breeds were developed to fight against rat menace. They will readily chase after anything that resembles a rat.
Below is the list of the most efficient rat hunters.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rats: Rat Terrier
For the records, Terrier is a name coined from ‘terra’ which signifies earth. So all (or most) terrier dog breeds were developed for hunting small animals and those rodents that live underground.
The rat terrier is a perfect example. Small and quick, it is an ideal weapon to fight rodents. Rat terriers love playing and digging too.
Miniature Schnauzer
The miniature schnauzer was bred by German farmers who needed to keep rats at bay. The dog appears calm and loving around its family but springs into action once a rat is nearby.
Best Dogs for Hunting Rats: Dachshund
If hunting small rodents is your thing, then you should seriously consider a dachshund. These small-bodied weiners with short legs are perfect for getting in every hole.
Dachshunds, originally from Germany, are independent, intelligent, and stubborn. They are also excellent companions, however, they have over-attachment tendencies.
German Pinscher
Since the 18th century, the German pinschers have been killing vermin. More and more people use this dog as a family pet, but its true nature of chasing down rodents cannot be eliminated.
If you have a pinscher in your home, you will never find a rat roaming around.
Rare Hunting Dog Breeds
As we know, there are several hundred dog breeds in the world that were bred mainly for hunting.
However, besides the common ones like Labradors, terriers, dachshunds, and other retrievers, there are some that you might not have heard of.
They make for excellent hunting dogs and are uncommon outside their places of origin.
Below are some of these unusual hunters.
Rare Hunting Dog Breeds: Kishu Inu
If you don’t live in Japan, you may never have heard of or seen a Kishu Inu. This great hunter is excellent at hunting boar and deer.
Kishu Inu shows a noteworthy endurance, and is very noble and faithful dog. It can stalk a game without barking until you come for the kill.
Rare Hunting Dog Breeds: Griffon Nivernais
This French dog comes from a line of bear and wolf hunters. Due to their independence, they can hunt as a pack or alone. This tough dog, however, doesn’t have much speed.
Rare Hunting Dog Breeds: Pumi
The Hungarians have the credit for this breed. Originally a herding dog, the Pumi (which is a terrier by the way) can hunt rodents.
The Pumi has very unusual appearance due to its erect ears and curly coat. Agile, sturdy, and ready to learn, the Pumi also make excellent family companions.
Rare Hunting Dog Breeds: Finnish Spitz
The fox-looking breed was initially used in the hunting of grouse. However, owing to its size, Finnish Spitz can hunt bigger animals like moose. They are always alert, active, and make good watchdogs.
Catahoula Leopard Dog
Catahoula Leopard Dog arose from the crossbreeding of hounds and Native American dogs. This stunning dog got its name after Catahoula Parish in Louisiana. It is famous for its striking coat that have unique kaleidoscopic pattern.
It has other names as Louisiana Catahoula, or Catahoula Cur.
The Catahoula leopard dog can hunt mountain lions, feral pigs, black bears, and deer.
Rare Hunting Dog Breeds: Otterhound
Otterhound is a British dog breed. Its primary purpose was to hunt otters. They have webbed feet, which means they are excellent swimmers and can work in water as well.
Although they are great family pets, they are rare (less than 1,000 in the world) and facing extinction. However, things are put in place to increase their numbers.
Conclusion
Going on a hunt can be a lot more fun if your hunting four-legged friend tags along. Depending on the type of hunt you usually go for, you should choose a specific hunting dog as a companion.
Also, it’s important to note that, while hunting dogs have natural hunting instincts, they need a specific training course to master the art of hunting.
After all, not every dog breed makes a great hunter. Some are home pets that are lapdogs, while some have the toughness, endurance, and speed required to make any hunt a success.
Most importantly, ensure that whichever dog breed you pick is one with suitable abilities for the game you’re hunting.
Getting a dog is a very exciting experience, and you might want to learn about other types of dogs to choose from. In this case, you might be interested in reading our detailed articles “Best Dogs For Kids”, “Best Guard Dog Breeds”.