Hound

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A beagle is a small breed of hound.

A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Description

Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. They have either a powerful sense of smell, great speed, or both.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are three types of hound, with several breeds type:

Sighthounds (also called gazehounds) follow prey predominantly by speed, keeping it in sight. These dogs are fast and assist hunters in catching game: fox, hare, deer, and elk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Scenthounds follow prey or others (like missing people) by tracking its scent. These dogs have endurance, but are not fast runners.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The remaining breeds of hound follow their prey using both sight and scent. They are difficult to classify, as they are neither strictly sighthounds nor strictly scenthounds.