The hound dog breeds were specially developed by many centuries of careful selection to be great hunting dogs. Two types of hounds are usually distinguished basing upon what senses they use when finding the game: Scent-hounds (for example, Bloodhounds, Beagles and Basset Hounds) hunt by smell, Gaze-hounds (or Sight-hounds, such as Afghan Hounds, Russian Wolfhounds (Borzoi)) use their sight, some do both.
Hound dog breeds present a variety of appearances depending on the type of prey they originally were meant to chase. Sharp senses and intelligence helps these dog breeds become good police dogs able to detect drugs and bombs more accurately than the best machines can do. On the other hand, such sensitiveness to everything that's going on around distracts them from performing masters' commands during obedience training.
Kind-natured and somewhat goofy-like Bassett Hounds can be a bit slow to obey, but on the other hand their deliberateness let people follow their dogs on foot during hunts. This is a most reliable and faithful of all the dog breeds.
Beagles, one of the most popular hound dog breeds, are devoted, calm and friendly. Their sociability makes them good companions and family dogs. Beagles will not object to another pet in the house. Important: remember to keep this dog breed on leash as their inquisitive nose can lead them far away during walks.
The latter observation is also true for Bloodhounds, who have the sharpest sense of smell of all dog breeds: as soon as they pick up the trail, no obedience commands will matter. Presumably their name comes from the expression 'blue bloods' meaning that this is a pure dog breed developed specially for hunting.
Afghan Hounds belong to ancient dog breeds perfectly adapted to hunting in extreme weather conditions. They are very enduring and need to be given at least half an hour of intense training a day. This dog breed has a sharp eye and makes great house-dogs. Though Afghans have long hair they do not shed much and are seen as "hypo-allergenic".
'Borzoi' means swift and brisk in Russia, the country where same-name dog breed originated from. Another name for the dog breed is Russian Wolf-hound, explaining that Borzois were used to hunt wolves. Try not to let the dog off-leash as their eagerness to bring best prey to the master could lead them far from house yard. In general, however, it is a very well-mannered dog breed.
Some more famous dog breeds of this group include the Dachshund and Rhodesian Ridgeback (or African Lion Dog).
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