The history of Hounds
Hound is a generic name that was given to dogs that were specially bred to chase their prey. Typically, hound dogs are kept for hunting due to their acute sense of hearing and smell.
Breeds in the Hound Group are of a great variety and are one of the oldest breed in the dog kingdom, which are depicted in the pyramids and some that have been mentioned in the Holy books as well.
In North Africa around 10,000 BC, nomadic people lived in a Savannah teeming with giant buffalo and other bovines that were later domesticated into the various cattle breeds we know today. These early people used their hounds for hunting and killing a bovine that roamed within these wild herds.
Wild animals that existed then no longer exist in the now desert areas. To the dog’s advantage, the man had weapons to kill his prey, but the dog assisted as it could not only run faster than man, it also had a more acute sense of smell and could find the prey easier.
When the kill was made, the man was selective in choosing which portions of that prey to eat. Bones and certain viscera of this prey that were discarded became food for the dog. So, the first non-nomadic people who settled in communities brought about the first domestication of dogs from which hunting dogs evolved. These dogs also kept these early settlements clean of human excreta and other types of waste. Humans were vulnerable to predators like wolves, and other wild animals which the presence of tame dogs could chase away or warn by barking.
Hounds were bred for hunting purposes and coursing games. They can be easily categorized into two types one is scent hounds, which trail their prey with the help of their exceptional sense of smell that assist them to follow a trail. This is combined with a phenomenal stamina that helps them to chase the prey for countless hours.
The other kind of hound is the sighthound, it is a breed of dog developed to find prey by sight and then pursue it. SSighthoundsare bred to be extremely alert, fast, and agile so that they can quickly identify and overcome the ame in a variety of sizes, from rabbits to deer. Most of them have an angle of more than 250-degree sight when it comes to chasing a prey. This group has dogs of varying sizes this includes tall and lanky dog such as the Greyhound and in contrast smaller sizes as well such as the Dachshunds.
Hound dogs are also a good option to be accommodated and raised as pets. These excellent hound dogs make affectionate pets, but there is a word of caution, “they might not be the perfect breed if you want to take them without a leash or want to keep them in a yard without a fence”.
