Scent hound

The Beagle: long ears, large nasal passages, and a sturdy body for endurance
A Treeing Walker Coonhound baying
Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785

Scent hounds (or scenthounds)[1] are a type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. These breeds are hunting dogs and are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among dogs. Scent hounds specialize in following scent or smells. Most of them tend to have long, drooping ears and large nasal cavities to enhance smell sensitivity. They need to have relatively high endurance to be able to keep track of scent over long distances and rough terrain. It is believed that they were first bred by the Celts by crossbreeding mastiff-type dogs with sighthounds. The first established scent hounds were St. Hubert Hounds (the ancestor of today's bloodhounds) bred by monks in Belgium during the Middle Ages.[2]

  1. ^ "Breed Group Designations". United Kennel Club. Retrieved 2021-09-25.
  2. ^ "Scenthound History - American Kennel Club". www.akc.org.