Episode 16: Scent Hounds, Running Hounds, and Badger Hounds

11/26/20 • 60 min

In this episode, we continue our journey through the hounds, moving into the well-known category of scent hounds. These dogs are characterized by their extraordinary ability to follow a scent trail, not only the fresh trail of a wounded animal, but also the “sweat trail” of an animal that may have passed through days earlier.

Scent hounds have enjoyed a prominent place in pop culture, with references and well-known examples ranging from Disney cartoons to the iconic song, “Hound Dog.” We dig into the meaning of the epithet “hound” and why Elvis—and many others—found reason to sing about it.

Scent hounds may be the great equalizer among the history of hunting dogs, because they were (and continue to be) used and loved by people across all economic and social classes. Working hounds run the gamut from fox hunts across wealthy estates in the English countryside to houndsmen and women running coonhounds in the southern United States. Whether the purpose is simply the thrill of the chase or to put meat on a table or pelts in the bag, the shared love for the dogs of the pursuit is universal.

For a little word trivia, we look into the etymology of “cur” and what makes curs especially versatile dogs for working and hunting. We also discuss the Dachshund and what makes this little Swiss Army knife dog so incredibly difficult to categorize.

Tune in to learn more about scent hounds and running hounds. As always, we thank you for listening and hope you’ll continue to reach out with your comments, questions, and ideas. We can be reached at [email protected].

Share | Comment, review and discuss this episode of the podcast in our Project Upland Community Facebook group.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share this podcast.

Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food and supported by Dakota 283.

Share | Comment, review and discuss this episode of the podcast in our Project Upland Community Facebook group.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share this podcast.

Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food and supported by Dakota 283.

Previous Episode

Episode 15: Lurchers and Longdogs

In this episode, we take a detour off the path of well-known sighthound breeds and venture into the somewhat murky and mysterious world of lurchers and longdogs.

A lurcher is a hybrid dog resulting from the cross of a sighthound with another working breed of dog. Their origins reach back far into history, when purebred sighthounds were highly revered and could only be owned by the wealthy and noble. Commoners secretly took advantage of opportunities to breed their farm dogs to the noble greyhounds and deerhounds, thereby creating a versatile hybrid that could hunt, protect, and work with great speed and drive. By their very foundation, lurchers have historically been affiliated with poachers and other “below the radar” activities... an association which is not readily rejected by modern day enthusiasts!

Longdogs, by contrast, are the result of a cross between sighthound breeds. These hybrids are intended to capture the best traits of the two hounds, uniquely suited to a particular application.

Both lurchers and longdogs represent hybrid dogs that are intentionally developed for a very specific purpose, pursuing very specific game, and covering very specific terrain. For example, the needs of a rabbit hunter in rolling heather meadows is slightly different from that of a farmer looking to keep the coyotes away from the chicken coop. Sighthounds are of great use in both cases, but the characteristics can be further dialed in with particular breed influences.

Tune in to learn more about the murky world of lurchers and longdogs, including some unusual examples such as the Alaunt and the Nebraska Coyote Dog.

As always, we thank you for listening and hope you’ll continue to reach out with your comments, questions, and ideas. We can be reached at [email protected].

Share | Comment, review and discuss this episode of the podcast in our Project Upland Community Facebook group.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share this podcast.

Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food and supported by Dakota 283.

Next Episode

Episode 17: Teckels and Feist

In this episode, we explore two very different types of hunting dogs, both of which defy any attempt to fit neatly within a single category. Dachshunds, also known as Teckels or Dackels, are incredibly versatile hunting dogs that excel at hunting birds or tracking wounded game. Feist, on the other hand, are a category of dogs that represent the varied needs and preferences of squirrel hunters throughout North America. Both dogs are relatively unknown as hunting dogs outside of their circles, but within their community lies a fiercely devoted and passionate group of enthusiasts.

The Dachshund, or Teckel, originated in Germany and soon became a popular companion and hunting dog. War caused international interest in this German symbol to wane, leading to a short-lived attempt at renaming the breed “Liberty Hound.” The resilient little dog soon rebounded, though, and was once again popular around the world with hunters looking for a capable, driven dog with an expertise in tracking game as well as both bird dog and terrier-like skills.

Feist are a uniquely North American creation, bred to accompany squirrel hunters throughout Appalachia. They locate small game and tree it, keeping the animal in position until the hunter arrives to take the shot. While only two breeds of Feist are currently recognized by external registries, the category as a whole encompasses a huge array of local varieties and specialties.

As always, we explore some etymology in this episode. We explore the origin of the name “Teckel” and why the German word “Dachshund” isn’t often used within German to refer to this breed. We look into the meaning of “Feist” and how these dogs carry the name of an antique slang term. Finally, we start to build a dictionary of jaegersprache, or hunter’s language. The first entry in this list is “backing,” a term important in pointing dog culture but likely not understood outside of that world.

Tune in to learn more about Teckels and Feist! You’re nearly guaranteed to learn something new in this episode. We thank you for listening and hope you’ll continue to reach out with your comments, questions, and ideas. We can be reached at [email protected].

Share | Comment, review and discuss this episode of the podcast in our Project Upland Community Facebook group.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe, and share this podcast.

Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food and supported by Dakota 283.