Scenthound hunting styles are diverse in order to target varied species of game, the demands of climate, terrain and vegetation, the goals of the hunter, rules and regulations restricting who can hunt what, where and how, and designation (typically unjustified) of certain wildlife as being pests or dangers that ought be exterminated. Scenthounds developed to work with
serious hunters & gamekeepers usually work singly: Leash hounds, including
bloodhounds, FCI leash hounds such as the
Hanoverian Hound and versatile breeds such as
French bassets when working leash hound style work singly, follow the tracks (footprints, broken vegetation, blood) and trails (shed skin, hair, etc. that may settle considerably downwind from the actual track) of specific quarry such as wounded deer and missing persons. The leash helps in a number of ways, such as controlling speed and ensuring a discreet approach that will not startle the deer and cause it to bolt. Walking (aka Running) hounds such as Swiss and Swedish scenthounds such as the
laufhunds and
Schillerstövare hunt singly off-leash. They will first cast (search for) a track or trail, then follow it, and once close switch to air scenting (the specialty of
sporting dogs) especially if the quarry is in an area of pooled scent such as above a warren. The hound may catch and
retrieve, or pass the game to the opposite side as the hunter (the specialty of
herding dogs) and flush it back to a hunter waiting with gun or net.
Coonhounds hunt singly or race in groups of 4. As the trail of a raccoon winds in circles, climbs up one tree trunks across branches and down another trunk, and zigzags back and forth across water, ending not too far from where it began, the hunter does not follow at a walk or run but stays behind until the trailing bay switches to a bark marking a successful tree, and then navigates to the dog(s) in the dark.
Boar hounds work in small groups as a single hound cannot manage a boar at the end of the trail. The
Sabueso Español first finds the boar’s resting place singly as a leash hound, and after the location is surrounded by hunters, a brace or trio are released to flush it out. Other boar-hunting hounds such as the
Transylvanian and
Artois find the boar as a brace, trio or small pack of no more than 6-8 hounds, surround it and hold it at bay while the hunter catches up, gets into position and takes aim.
Curs, if classified as scenthounds rather than as GSD-like herding dogs, similarly require a trio or so to hold a treed cougar, a wild boar or a feral cow.
Dachshunds work singly or in small groups of 3-5. Their specialty is flushing animals from their dens to the surface, with dachshunds up to ~23 cm (9”) height or 46 cm (18”) chest circumference fitting in badger holes, and dachshunds of up to ~15 cm (6”) height or 30 cm (12”) chest circumference fitting in rabbit holes. Single dachshunds can track a deer or work a small den, while small groups can hold a boar or better cover an extensive burrow network with multiple entrances.
Pack hounds were developed to work with recreational hunters and exterminators, as their efforts yield a poor ratio of game meat to hungry dog: Large pack hounds of ~66 cm (26”) height, such as the
Grand Bleu de Gascogne were developed to pursue the fastest game, such as wolves and deer. The faster the hound, the easier it is to check (lose the scent trail) by overshooting a turn or veering slightly off course, and stopping, reversing, re-casting and re-determining which way is forwards would waste valuable time that would allow the quarry to move farther ahead. Pack hounds pick the line back up on the run, trained to follow on-line hounds or to respond to directions given by the hunter, who can tell by sight and sound which hounds have the trail. Traditional pack sizes suggest it may take as many as 2-5 dozen hounds to reliably hold the line at top speed. The hunter(s) follows necessarily on horseback, and may lead a brace of
wolfhounds or
deerhounds for the final sprint at the end of the trail, after spending much less energy following than the scenthounds who are sniffing while running. Fox hunting was developed as an alternative in response to the decline in population of the large game, and while the sighthounds might be replaced by a trio of running
fox terriers or
bench-legged terriers carried in saddlebags, the
foxhounds hunt much the same, in large packs followed on horseback.
Otterhounds are tall but heavily built, and although they are capable for galloping for hours, much of their work is slower due to the difficulty of following scent in water and swimming and wading. Though occasionally depicted in large groups for spectacle or competition, they hunted primarily in medium-small packs of 8-14 accompanied by a hunter armed with a spear and brace of
Sealyham or
tall terriers, occasionally accompanied by a boat to carry the terriers to the opposite shore or a horseman to follow hounds pursuing an otter who tried to make a break for it across land. Medium pack hounds of ~53 cm (21”) height lack the leg length to overtake large prey, and hunt primarily hare, sometimes fox or boar. Those from open areas, such as
Harriers, are still fast enough that they are often followed on horseback and need the numbers of a medium-sized pack. Pack hounds developed to hunt in forested or mountainous areas, such as
Balkan hounds, have the agility to navigate difficult terrain but are necessarily followed on foot, and slowed enough by the difficulty of the hunt that a small pack of 2-5 couples can hold a line. Some medium breeds are versatile and willing to be singled out to work as walking hounds and/or on-leash trackers, while others are never employed without a pack. Small pack hounds of ~35 cm (14”) height all have short legs due to genetic chondrodystrophy (CDDY) and/or chondrodysplasia (CDPA). The short legs carry the nose, brain and lungs of a larger dog low and close to the concentration of scent at a pace slow enough that a single
basset or 2-4
beagles (CDDY short but also IGF1 dwarfed with smaller heads and bodies than bassets) can readily hold a line. However, the breeds were developed in order to increase accessibility of the
social hunt event beyond the means of athletic hunters and riders, and thus retain pack instinct and desire from their taller ancestors and historical function entertaining social gatherings. == Breeds ==