This week’s post is all about scent hounds. We’ll look at what scent hounds were bred for, their typical behaviour and whether they make good pets. We’ll also discuss the potential downsides of living with scent hounds. You can read more about different types of dogs on our breed posts here- herding breeds, terriers, gundogs and sighthounds. 

Scent hounds

The scent hound group was bred specifically to hunt using their noses. They are highly driven by following scents and have the strongest sense of smell of any of the breed groups. Scent hounds include the Beagle, Bloodhound, Dachshund and Basset Hound. They are typically of sturdy build with a prominent nose and long ears. These long ears sweep up further smells off the ground and up the nose, helping scent hounds to detect the path of a scent. Less common breeds of scent hound in the UK include the Coonhound and Harrier. 

Scent hounds – typical behaviours 

Unsurprisingly, scent hounds are highly motivated by following their nose. This means they are fantastic at search and rescue, drug detection work and any other job that gives that nose a purpose. Indeed, the bloodhound has the strongest sense of smell of any breed of dog and incredibly, they can pick up on a scent up to 300 hours old. Given their history, they are highly trainable and easy to motivate with smelly treats! They can, however, be easily distracted by smells.

Do scent hounds make good pets?

They absolutely can. The Beagle is nearly always in the top 10 UK dog breeds due to its sweet, easy going and adaptable nature. The beagle, like most other scent hounds, typically love their families and are playful with other dogs. Similarly, the basset hound is pretty laid back and easy to live with.  There has been a huge rise in popularity of the Daschund and in particular the miniature Daschund over the past few years. Unfortunately this means we have also seen an increase in over breeding and poor breeding practices in general. As such, many miniature Dachshunds in particular are now prone to separation anxiety, reactivity and multiple health issues sadly. If you’re looking to add a scent hound, particularly a Daschund, to your family, ensure they have been well bred or come from a reputable rescue. 

The down sides

Whilst scent hounds are fantastic dogs, they do, like all breeds, have their downsides. Firstly, they can be very noisy. They make a very distinctive baying noise, similar to howling, when playing or stressed out. Many are prone to barking a lot as that is a way that they would communicate to their humans that they have located prey or vermin. Also, their overwhelming sense of smell can get them into trouble- they are essentially deaf when that nose is down! Given quite how strong a bloodhounds nose is, you might find it difficult to get them motivated and engaged with anything else. 

What next?

• Looking for help with your dog? Contact us to arrange in person or online training.
• Read more blog posts here.
• Perfect Recall: Teaching your dog to come back when called every time. Our guide is free to download when you join our email list- sign up here.