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Andrew German exercises hounds in preparation for the start of the new hunting season in Knutsford, Cheshire.
Not only are dogs man's best friend, they also make excellent hunting partners. The best breeds won't spray you in the face with a load of buckshot a la Dick Cheney, but they will track down a bevy of birds so skillfully that going home empty-handed seems impossible.
Dogs have been assisting humans in the hunt since ancient times, when the Egyptians used greyhounds to track down gazelles [source: Encyclopedia Britannica]. Since then, scores of dogs -- from the uniquely shaped dachshund to the graceful vizsla -- have been bred to sniff out prey.
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A hunting dog's desirability depends a lot on how well it's been trained, the target prey, the type of terrain and whether you want your best bud to point to the target or simply bring it back to you. The five hunting dogs in this article consistently stand out from the pack.
