The first thing man did in breeding was to develop dog breeds that were useful as assistants in the hunt. They were courageous animals, wicked to the beast, endowed with good instinct and ready for well-coordinated common actions in the corral. The dogs selected were strong, hardy, friendly to people and suitable for training.
The advent of firearms gave impetus to the development of both new ways of hunting and the specialization of dogs. People have deliberately chosen assistants for a certain type of game.
This process was influenced by several circumstances:
- Characteristics of climate and relief;
- The species composition of game;
- Social composition of user-hunters.
It turned out that dogs do not show themselves the same when hunting different types of game and under different natural conditions. Some were quick to hunt runaway animals on the plains, while others were good at finding injured animals in the forest. To hunt birds, they took dogs that were completely different from those used to hunt deer and roe deer. There was also a need for small dogs capable of climbing a fox hole.
Towards the end of the 19th century, several dozen breeds of hunting dogs were formed. In turn, they are clearly grouped by work profile and by origin.
In the practical breeding system of hunting dogs, a classification by specialization of work has been adopted. There are such groups:
- Greyhounds
- Hounds
- Pointers
- Terriers and dachshunds
- Spaniels
- Retrievers
The FCI classification system is based on the origin of the breeds. Terriers and dachshunds are divided into different groups, while spaniels and retrievers, on the contrary, are combined into one. Hunting huskies are part of the same group with outwardly similar dogs called “Spitz”.
Breeding of hunting dogs is different – field trials are being considered.
Here is the list of hunting dogs: