Hounds have been used for hunting since ancient times, as suggested by this
statue of the goddess
Diana hunting.
A hound is a type of
dog that assists
hunters by
tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. Compare with
gun dogs,
which assist hunters by identifying the location of prey or retrieving it rather
than by chasing it.
There are two types of hound, with several
breeds
belonging to each type:
Type
Example
Sight hounds, which follow prey by keeping it in sight.