To the average person speaking English, the type of dog brought to mind by the word Hound is a smooth coated hunting dog with pendulous ears that is a supurb scent scent hunter, trailing its quarry, either in small numbers on leash or running free in a pack, and baying or giving tongue while on the trail. The word has affinities with the German word for dog, "Hund" which may also have contributed to the English word "hunt". Other breeds of hunting dogs which pursue and capture prey are also termed hounds, but the term is modified as in sighthound, or windhound. Many older works specificially are refering to the pendulous eared and melodious voiced scenthounds when a breed is designated as a hound.

This type of dog is quite old, the Celts had them and they have been maintained as a specific breed type with the combination of scent hunting behaviors, smooth coat, and pendulous ears in a range of sizes for over a thousand years. Despite the typical smooth coat there are also some wire coated breeds such as the Otterhound and the French Griffons.

Scenthounds are generally found in traditional " hound colors " tan with a black saddle and white trim, particolor of the same, irish marked (white neck ring, legs, tail tip, belly) of the same or black and tan with white markings as previously described (also called tricolor).

As with the sighthounds the origins of the scenthound breeds are lost in legend and folk tradition. The Saint Hubert hound, which was an all black breed almost identicle to the modern Bloodhound, is generally cited as ancestral to most of the larger breeds of scenthound.

Among the smaller scenthounds the Harrier which looks like a small Foxhound has a documented history going back to 1260 in England when Sir Elias de Midhope established the first pack. The Masters of Harriers (Wilsons of Broomhead Hall) have kept the breed stud books and have discouraged crossing with small Foxhounds. The breed has a studbook record going back over 500 years.

The English Foxhound is implicated in the origin of the speedy lighter bodied breeds hunted from horseback as packs. Beagles started out as small foxhounds or harriers - bred down over years to 10 inch or less size.

Scenthound breeds tend to be numerous because the practice of keeping large numbers of animals as packs at different locations enhances the differention of type in inbred lineages. For example, at the height of hunting interest in France as many as 300 different packs of deer, hare and boar hounds existed, each sponsored by local clubs and maintained as separate populations. The legacy of this is that even today France is home to a very large number of scenthound breeds. The English also have proliferated scenthound breeds from local packs and this tradition has continued in the United States, especially in the heavily English-Celtic American South East with the coon hound hunting tradition. The medium sized French breeds were generally developed as forest hunting dogs while the English Foxhound was bred for work in open meadows and fields.

Scenthound classifications are generally based on the manner in which the dogs are used in hunting. Small and slow dogs, such as beagles, being free hunted from foot on rabbits (which are slow compared to hares and tend to stay in brush), athletic larger light bodied dogs are used from horseback for foxes and deer, boar and wolf. The larger heavy bodied breeds such as the Blood hound, are termed "leash hounds" and are used for tracking but not in capturing the game.

Most scenthound breeds are square proportioned, with the dog about as tall at the shoulder as the body is long. However the French have proliferated a number of short legged breeds called Bassets.

An brief overview of Scenthound breeds English Scenthounds

• Beagle
• Harrier
• English Foxhound
• Bloodhound
• Otterhound - (wire coated)

French Scenthounds

• Bassetts
• Griffons - (wire coated)
• Forest Hounds
• Large Leash Hounds

Scenthounds of the United States

• American Foxhound
• Coonhounds
  • Black and Tan
  • Walker
  • Plott (one of the few brindled breeds of European scenthound)
  • Redbone
  • Bluetick

Other Western European Scenthounds

Eastern European Scenthounds

In the United States, scenthounds are much more popular than sighthounds. Not only are they registered in greater numbers with the AKC but there are also quite a few long standing alternative registries with significant numbers of individual dogs registered. Among the sighthounds, only the racing greyhound, registered with the National Greyhound Association, has a large population. Alternative registries for scenthounds:

• Masters of Foxhounds (in England and US)
• Masters of Beagles and Harriers
• United Kennel Club - many American Coon Hound breeds

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