The Hounds Group - Great Family Dogs
that are Motivated by Sight and Scent

Foxhounds-On the Hunt

The Hounds group is a fairly diverse group of dogs that were originally bred and developed to help hunters locate and track prey. They have a variety of builds represented; from the stocky, low-to-the-ground Basset Hound to the sleek and lightning-fast Saluki.

There are two groups within the Hounds group: Scent Hounds, who follow prey with their scent-tracking abilities, and Sight Hounds, bred to spot prey within their line of vision, and then run quickly to pursue it.

If you haven't read our Choosing a Dog page, we suggest that you do so now, to learn more about the reasons that we recommend certain dogs over others on this site. Reading the information there, as well as taking our Selection Quiz for Choosing a Dog will help you learn more about your own needs and what our site goals are to see if they align well together. If you are looking for a great family dog, we think you have come to the right place for good information on how to find the best dog for you!

Scent Tracking Dogs

Hound Puppy

Let's look at the first category in the Hounds group a little more closely - The Scent Hound. These amazing scent-tracking dogs are able to sniff out prey and follow a line of scent, sometimes days old, for incredible distances. Many of these dogs howl or bay once they have located their prey, in order to alert the hunter.

There is a fairly long list of scent-tracking dogs included in the Hounds group, recognized by the American Kennel Club. In order of size, from small to large build, they include the Dachshund, Beagle, Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, Basset Hound, Harrier, Black and Tan Coonhound, American Foxhound, English Foxhound, Bloodhound and Otter Hound.

The dogs in this category of hounds all look quite different from each other. Some have smooth, short coats and are small in stature, like the dachshund. The miniature dachshund is only five to six inches tall and weighs less than eleven pounds. In contrast, the Otter Hound, with its coarse, wavy coat and long beard, can stand twenty-seven inches tall and weigh more than one hundred fifteen pounds!

What these dogs do have in common is their ability to track animals by their scent. You will notice that most of these dogs have long, droopy ears and some have extra skin around their faces- all the more to help them "snuffle up" the scent!

Because of their strong desire to track scent, there are some considerations to keep in mind if thinking about bringing a scent hound into your family. Most of the scent-tracking hound breeds are unhappy unless they are given a good deal of room to roam outdoors. City life is basically unsuitable for these dogs, who need to be able to use their marvelous noses, or they can become bored and develop traits like barking, howling or digging.

If you have cats or other small animals, be aware that some of the hounds (mostly the sight hounds, but some scent hounds as well) may try to chase or corner them. Read thoroughly about the individual traits of each of the breeds to make sure that you will have a compatible situation in your home.

There are quite a few dogs in this category of the Hounds group that make outstanding family dogs.

Our favorites are:
Beagle
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
Basset Hound
Harrier
Black and Tan Coonhound
American Foxhound
English Foxhound
Bloodhound

You may wonder why we don't have the Dachshund or Otter Hound listed.

Although Dachshunds are a well-loved breed, their personality can vacillate, which makes them not the best choice for families with young children. They also tend to be a bit more of a solitary breed, rather than an extremely social breed. Dachshunds can be great for families with older children.

Otter Hounds are not recommended because they do best with experienced dog owners only. These dogs are huge, do not train easily and are prone to chasing smaller animals. That said, they are quite friendly. Unfortunately, the other traits listed make them difficult for most families to handle.

Sight Hounds

Beginning with early hunting times, they were bred to see prey, chase it, and sometimes even kill it for the hunter.

Dogs that fall into the Sight Hounds category of the Hounds group are sleek and built for speed.

In order of size, from smaller to largest build, Sight Hounds include the Basenji, Whippet, Saluki, Pharoh Hound, Ibizian Hound, Afghan Hound, Greyhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Borzoi, Scottish Deerhound and Irish Wolfhound.

Of this large category of dogs from the Hounds group, only a few breeds are recommended as great family dogs by Dog-Paw-Print.com. Why? In our research, we found that many of the dogs in this group, because of their breeding, are more solitary (rather than social) individuals. They can be moderately to highly territorial, and have more dominant, vacillating personalities, which makes them less suitable for families with young children.

Probably the most-loved dog that is absent from our list of favorites for families with young children is the Greyhound. Greyhounds are very sweet-tempered dogs, and many former racing dogs are helped by adoption groups, so we want to promote them to the right families. Greyhounds can be skittish or timid, and do best in quiet homes (which do not generally equal families with small children). Greyhounds will do well in loving households with quieter older children, as long as they are given long daily walks and time to run.

Some of the breeds not listed below will still work well in families with older children or teens, but only the two listed below are fully recommended by this site for families with young kids. Still, there are caveats about their size and exercise requirements that should be noted. Both of these breeds are very large (over twenty-eight inches tall, with weight between seventy-five to upwards of one hundred twenty pounds). Both also require a large amount of daily exercise, but are extremely friendly and good with children, if their size can be dealt with:

Scottish Deerhound
Irish Wolfhound

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