British History

Hunting Dogs Throughout History

History of Hunting with
Dogs in Britain and World Wide

One of the most traditional activities on earth is hunting
with dogs. It is believed that this activity started around 20,000 years ago.
This was back when man depended most on hunting and gathering. Agriculture back
then had not been invented. Among the first things that were domesticated by
man were dogs even before he would domesticate sheep and cows. It became a
man’s best friend and helper in search for food.

According to the archeological evidence, some species of
jackals, coyotes and wolves started to stay near camps where human beings used
to stay. The nearness is said to be that one that led humans to domesticate
them. The wolves and hybrid wolves that seemed to be submissive and friendly
were allowed to stay near the camps breeding with each other and eating scraps.
Aggressive wolves, on the other hand, were chased away from the camps. However,
just as man evolved, dogs evolved in the same way. The man began to harvest and
domesticates animals around 9000years ago. When they began to be domesticated,
the dogs started to oversee the animals rather than hunting them down.

Egyptians are believed to be among the very first people
that breaded dogs for the purpose of hunting. They mainly used the Molossian
dogs that were large and would hunt a wide number of animals.  Greeks and Romans, on the other hand, devoted
their time and attention to breeding some types of dogs so as to use them for
hunting. As humans changed the dogs were trained to sport animals and hunt nuisance
like wolves, bears, and lions. At this period hunting was termed to be a
function for the elitist.

It is during the middle ages that hunting became more
widespread. At this time the dogs became more specialized. When the firearm
usage started, there was a need to have specific types of gun dogs for hunting.
Terrier breeds gained popularity when there was a severe infection of the
feudal paupers. Later some dogs became more compartmentalized. This means that
there was a hunting dog for every purpose. Animals that were mostly hunted by
various breeds include bears, squirrels, hogs and rodents among others. Some of
these dogs still exist.

From the ancient days, dogs have become the counterpart of
the humans and are loyal to them. Today those people who know how to hunt still
used the specific hunting breeds to help them in the hunt. Hunting dogs have
specific traits that vary greatly. Some dogs have a very strong sense of smell,
and this helped them a lot to discover predators and recover the stray flock
members. Some of the most popular hunting dogs include Beagle, Elkhound,
Norwegian, American foxhound and Tan Coonhound. The hunters who enjoy hunting
with dogs can enjoy the thrill with the AKC sporting group. Breeds associated
with this group include American water spaniel, golden retriever, English
cocker spaniel and German shorthaired pointer.

Each hunting dog has its specific natural behavior. Huntingwith dogs has made hunting to be more efficient and also helps them to hunt
more. It is crucial to select a breed depending on the type of prey that you

Join The Discussion