Gun dogs (gundogs) or bird dogs are typess of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, typically various fowls that are shot down on the wing (in flight). The term hunting dog is broad and includes all breeds and skills of hunting canines, but "gun dogs" refers to canines that are trained to work alongside a loud firearm while hunting or retrieving game. Gun dogs are divided into three main categories: pointers and setters, retrievers, and spaniels.

Types

There are several breeds used as gundogs with varying instinctive skill sets for each one. Gun dogs are divided into three primary types: retrievers, pointing breeds, and water dogs.

List of gundog breeds

• Barbet

• Bracco Italiano

• Braque du Bourbonnais

• Brittany

• Burgos Pointer

• Drentsche Patrijshond

• Cesky Fousek

• Corded Poodle

• German Longhaired Pointer

• German Shorthaired Pointer

• German Spaniel

• German Wirehaired Pointer

• Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla

• Kooikerhondje

• Lagotto Romagnolo

• Large Münsterländer

• Pointer

• Portuguese Water Dog

• Portuguese Pointer

• Pudelpointer

• Chesapeake Bay Retriever

• Curly Coated Retriever

• Flat-Coated Retriever

• Golden Retriever

• Labrador Retriever

• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

• English Setter

• Gordon Setter

• Irish Setter

• Irish Red and White Setter

• Small Münsterländer

• American Cocker Spaniel

• American Water Spaniel

• Boykin Spaniel

• Clumber Spaniel

• English Cocker Spaniel

• English Springer Spaniel

• Field Spaniel

• Irish Water Spaniel

• Sussex Spaniel

• Welsh Springer Spaniel

• Spanish Water Dog

• Spinone Italiano

• Stichelhaar

• Standard Poodle

• Vizsla

• Weimaraner

• Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

• Wirehaired Vizsla

Kennel club classification

When competing in conformation shows most kennel clubs, including The Kennel Club group pedigree gun dog breeds together in their own gun dog group, whilst some such as the American Kennel Club group them in a sporting group. The term "sporting" more accurately reflects historical hunting and fishing styles for which many pointers, setters, flushing spaniels, water dogs, retrievers and decoy dogs were developed to work in conjunction with nets, traps, hawks, sighthounds, arrows and bolts rather than firearms.

See also

• Field trial

References

de:Schießhund