The Sighthound Definition
Wonderfully written by our
good friend, Glenda Konopka - Annadar Whippets
With the exception of
“sighthounds,” every and all other breeds of dog used by mankind for
hunting game (I’m not talking about verminators [Welsh Terriers,
Wire Fox Terriers, etc.] that kill pests like rats, mice, moles,
etc.) is an “assistant” to the human hunter: retrievers bring back
what the hunter shoots out of the air; spaniels, setters, and
pointers find game by smell and “point out” the game so the hunter
can either flush it himself or let the dog do that so he can shoot
it; “scent” hounds (Bloodhounds, Bassets, Treeing Walkers,
Foxhounds, Beagles, etc.) chase by scent and either run the game to
ground, chase it up a tree, or otherwise ‘corner’ the prey so the
human can kill it (whether or not he uses a “ground” dog to get
whatever it is out of its hole in the ground). None of these breeds
of dog are expected to kill the quarry as a true and important part
of their job assisting humans to hunt. They work (mostly) under
direct human instruction (a/k/a Field Trials, Earth Dogs, Coonhound
competitions, etc.) and don’t kill the prey, the human kills it with
a bow, gun, or other weapon. The human picks up the prey and off
they go back home to cook.
On the other hand, Sighthounds are expected to work independently (I
understand the Scottish Deerhound walking with its master to look
for prey, whippets for rabbits, etc.) of their human in the hunt.
They (hopefully) find and flush the game on their own (using all
senses), chase it down well out of reach and control of the human
“hunter,” and (what distinguishes them the most) they make the kill,
not the human. Hunting with a Sighthound generally doesn’t involve
the hunter killing anything or even carrying a weapon unless it’s to
dispatch fatally wounded game. I had an Irish Wolfhound owner add
that the sighthounds are also magnanimous enough to share “their”
kill with the human they choose to work with, not for, like other
breeds. Sighthounds are the ONLY breeds we humans expect to do ALL
the hunting work – find it, chase it, hold it, kill it, bring it
back or wait for help. No other breeds that I know of carry this
kind of responsibility. I think it’s why they have such different
personalities and behaviors and are considered “aloof” – they are
actually independent, not uncaring. They love us enough to share
“their” kills with us as we become the leader of their pack in our
homes. It’s why there is always a little bit of the “wild” in any
Sighthound worth its salt and why they work “with” us and not “for”
us; it’s a partnership, not a Master-Slave relationship, at least
the way I see it.
