A Labrador retrieving a pheasant. Photo: 123rf
Dogs have been Man’s Best Friend for thousands of years, and so it’s not surprising that certain breeds were refined for hunting.
Hounds are famous for their scenting or running skills. Iconic gaze hounds include the Saluki that can spot and run down prey like the Arabian gazelle. Famous scent hounds include the Beagle that can track prey like foxes through rivers and forests.
Small and specialised breeds include the Terrier who are brave, fast, and perfect for hunting down vermin stealing crops, like rats in a barn. And Dachshunds are adept at digging out and following prey underground, like rabbits.
Many hunting dogs have histories that may go back thousands of years. For example, the Saluki appears on ancient tablets. Compared to that august lineage, guns appeared relatively recently.
In China, the Heilongjiang hand cannon was used in battle in 1288. By the 1500s, guns had become sufficiently reliable and affordable to be used in wars and for hunting in China, the Middle East, and Europe.
By the early 1600s, hunting dogs known as gun dogs became popular. Of these, some are iconic like the Setters that help the hunter locate their prey by signalling or “pointing”, and the Spaniels, Poodles and Retrievers that are adept at jumping into water.
