Hunt Trials as a Measure to Assess Level of Training in Boarhounds

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Hunting dogs have been bred for centuries to assist people in their hunting activities. They possess excellent instincts and fitness. Evaluating the skills of hunting dogs is an important source of knowledge on how to use the hunting potential of dogs along with their training. Hunting trials consist of competitions that reflect different hunting situations. The results of the hunt trials of the boarhounds showed that there is a link between factors such as sex, age, breed group and breed and the performance of dogs. Boarhounds learn obedience easily, but they should practice other skills, such as tracking and announcing the game. Among different breed groups of boarhounds, the best performing ones were dachshunds. ABSTRACT: Boarhounds are hunting dogs bred for hunting wild boar, including terriers, dachshunds, and hounds. Hunt trials evaluate the individual hunting potential and trainability of the boarhounds in ten different competitions. The aim of this study was to determine the factors influencing the hunt trials for boarhounds in a large cohort of hunting dogs. The analysis was conducted based on the results of hunt trials for boarhounds conducted in 2005–2015. The database contained 1867 individuals belonging to 39 breeds. Effects of sex, age, breed group, and breed were estimated by non-parametric analysis of variance. Sex influenced (p < 0.01) the total score, and in almost all competitions dogs performed better than bitches. Age affected (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05) all competitions, indicating that the dogs perform better with age. The results analyzed by the breed group showed that the dachshunds performed better in courage (p < 0.01) and searching (p < 0.05). Breed influenced (p < 0.01) almost all scores except obedience and tracking on the lead. The best performing breed was Alpine Dachsbracke. In conclusion, all analyzed factors influenced the results of the hunt trials. The factors with the largest impact were breed and age, which reflect both the hunting potential and the level of training of the boarhounds.