Why get a hunting dog?

"Hunting without a dog is trash"

→ Every hunter has heard this sentence before - at the latest in hunting school, when dealing with the subject of hunting dogs. This saying is also recited with high frequency on hunting grounds during social hunts. Rightly so!

The hunting dog is not only a faithful companion and the smartest hunting accessory anyway, no it is probably the most important and best hunting tool a hunter can have. In all kinds of hunting situations the hunting dog helps his handler out of trouble!

For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind is the hunt. But also apart from this our four-legged companions fulfill all possible tasks, which seem to be too unpleasant, complex or sheer impossible for us. Thus further task fields of the hound are named with rummaging (on driven hunts), retrieving, building hunt, cross search and pointing and many more. Recently, hunting dogs themselves are trained as carcass sniffing dogs in the fight against African swine fever and search and find fallen game.

Which breed as a hunting dog?

Regarding the choice of the appropriate hunting dog breed, two aspects should serve as a basis for decision-making:

1. primary type(s) of hunting practiced:

If one acquires a hunting dog, one should consider for which hunting purposes its breed was bred. It is important that the dog is suitable for the type of hunting that is primarily practiced, or that it is capable of performing the tasks for which it is intended, based on its breed type. With a Weimaraner, for example, you can not do construction hunting and Labrador Retrievers are usually not the first choice, you need a dog for welding work.

So you have to ask yourself in advance what kind of dog work you need and what you want to use your dog for. The latter is also often dependent on the conditions of the area.

2. personal preference / suitable to the circumstances of life

If you have given enough thought to the first point and now know what kind of hunting dog it should be, it is important for the exact selection of the breed that you find it appealing. This refers not only to the appearance but also to the typical behavior of the breed. For example, in the genus of running dogs / Bracken there are breeds that are considered very fierce and energetic, but also those that are considered calm and also suitable as a family companion dog.

Of course, it is also important that the dog fits the circumstances of life. A large dog usually needs more space and exercise than a small one, etc. However, the same rules apply here in principle, which must be taken into account when acquiring any animal!

Ten popular hunting dog breeds

You want to acquire a four-legged hunting companion, but have not yet decided on a breed and would like to get a general overview first?

Below we present ten popular hunting dog breeds in Germany:

Small / Large Munsterlander:

Even though they spring from two different parent lines, there are certain similarities between the two breeds, whose main breeding region gives them their names. Both belong to the pointing dogs and were primarily bred for small game hunting. However, both can also be trained to be good flushing dogs - especially for driven hunts. The visual appearance is not dissimilar either. Both breeds have medium to long coats. However, as the name suggests, the large Münsterländer is physically superior to its small counterpart.

The Small Munsterlander was bred for conformation and temperament to fit into everyday family life a bit better and is a bit more of a family companion dog than its large counterpart, which in turn is considered more game sharp.

German Hunting Terrier:

The German Hunting Terrier is considered one of the gundogs and earth dogs and is used primarily in hunting foxes and wild boar. It was created in the 1920s from crosses of different terrier breeds with the aim of breeding a robust, courageous and track-loud hunting dog. It is versatile and is characterized by its good nose; it also shows an intrepid behavior and a very good game sharpness. The German Hunting Terrier loves water and is also suitable for use in sweat hunting. Due to its impetuous nature, however, it is only suitable for experienced dog owners who know how to keep and train it in a manner appropriate to its species. This is mainly because terriers have a mind of their own and often try to stubbornly enforce it.

German Bracke:

Various German Bracken breeds were grouped together under the name Deutsche Bracke around 1900. Bracken originally referred to the pure hunting dogs, which for a long time were used mainly in fox and hare hunting. Since this type of hunting has lost its importance due to legal regulations, today the German Bracke is mainly used as a bloodhound as well as a retriever when hunting cloven-hoofed game. It is characterized by its high endurance, willpower and its running strength. Although Bracken are generally easy to train, they require a high degree of breed-appropriate activity and exercise and are therefore only suitable for dedicated hunters who give these dogs a task.

German Wirehaired

The Deutsch Drahthaar is a classic pointing dog. It originated at the end of the 19th century from crosses of several hunting dog breeds, whose good hunting characteristics his first breeder, Sigismund Freiherr von Zedlitz und Neukirch, wanted to unite in a single breed. The Deutsch Drahthaar is versatile and suitable for pointing work in the forest, field and water and can also be used for retrieving. He is powerful and balanced, but requires a high level of physical and mental work.

German Shorthair

Similar to the Deutsch Drahthaar, the Deutsch Kurzhaar is also a pointing dog. In the 19th century, the "old" rather heavy-set type of this breed became the dog we know today by crossbreeding with English pointers and other pointing dogs. In 1879, the first breed standards were established. Although according to the FCI he is listed as a pointing dog, he can be used in all hunting areas and in all terrains. Like his wire-haired counterpart, he is considered a hunting-safe all-rounder, as he is definitely unsuitable only for building hunts.

Bavarian Mountain Whitehound

The Bavarian Mountain Sweat Dog is an easy to handle and fearless dog, with a clearly pronounced hunting instinct. For this reason, puppies from the "Klub für Bayerische Gebirgsschweißhunde" are only given to hunters who are active as hunting dog handlers. This approach is recommended for the Bavarian Mountain Welding Dog, since he is quite considerate and calm within the family, but only if he has been allowed to work in hunting before. For this reason, he is mainly found in rural areas and is in no way suitable as a city or apartment dog. On the mountain, he excels as a skillful climber and shows himself to be a safe searcher in welding work.

Weimaraner

The Weimaraner is an exceptionally noble, intelligent and sovereign hunting dog with a pronounced predator sharpness. This means that he tracks and kills predatory game on command. Towards strangers, the dogs are suspicious and need some time to warm up to new people. The protective instinct is very strong and the self-confident dog does not hesitate for a second to defend its family or territory. Nevertheless, he does not have an excessive temperament.

Beagle

The Beagle is a mutant originally from Great Britain, whose temperament and character are clearly influenced by its breeding past. He orients himself to the dynamics of his pack and readily adapts to its peculiarities. This distinct social component makes the Beagle a popular hunting and family companion dog. The Beagle is a child-friendly dog breed, cheerful and always ready to play. With his environment he maintains a harmonious and gentle interaction. Nevertheless, he is very vigilant and relentlessly reports anything unusual to his pack.

Slovensky Kopov / Kopov-Bracke

The Kopov-Bracke is a so-called wild boar. It originates from the mountainous regions of Slovakia and was used here for hunting and as a guard dog for the yard and house. The great skill in hunting black and predatory game made the dogs popular helpers. It is considered to be a wide-ranging and very solid retriever dog with a pronounced sharpness for wild boar.

Dachshund

Last but not least, probably the most popular dog of the Germans: The Dachshund! Historically, the Jagd Teckel was bred as a pure hunting dog. Meanwhile, however, he is also one of the most popular family companion dogs in the country. For hunters, the Dachshund, which descends from the Bracken, is in many ways the perfect hunting companion. Already the Celts used the so-called Celtic Bracke and archaeologists could prove already with this dog on the basis of finds low-running legs. The small stature often leads to the assumption that the Dachshund could not be a hunting dog, but it is precisely here that its distinctive hunting dog characteristics lie.