275+ Hunting Dog Names (With Meanings)

Author:
James Livingood
Updated date:
Sep 13, 2021

James Livingood has been a dog sitter for several years. He has written numerous articles and a book about the topic because he loves dogs.

Finding the perfect hunting dog is difficult. There are breeds of dogs that are pointers, flushers, and retrievers. Some even are bred for specific types of prey. Now that you've gone through finding the perfect companion to your hunts, it is time to find that perfect name.

This article will help you not only find the right name but the meaning behind the name. In addition, we'll go into some of the history of hunting dogs and show a video with even more hunting dog names. Hopefully, this list will help you find the perfect name for your canine.

Hunting Dog Names A-B


Name	Meaning
Ace	a playing card or die marked with or having the value indicated by a single spot: He dealt me four aces in the first hand.
Alpha	First letter of the Greek alphabet
Ammo	Weapon loads: projectiles, bombs, missiles
Annie	a female given name, form of Ann, Anna, or Anne.
Apollo	the ancient Greek and Roman god of light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and manly beauty; the son of Leto and brother of Artemis.
Arrow	a slender, straight, generally pointed missile or weapon made to be shot from a bow and equipped with feathers at the end of the shaft near the nock, for controlling flight.
Artemis	Deity in ancient Greek religion and myth
Arya	Self-designation used by ancient Indo-Iranian peoples
Ash	the powdery residue of matter that remains after burning.
Aspen	From the English word for the tree, derived from Old English . It is also the name of a ski resort in Colorado.
Astro	a combining form with the meaning 'pertaining to stars or celestial bodies, or to activities, as spaceflight, taking place outside the earth's atmosphere' used in the formation of compound words: astronautics; astrophotography.
Athena	the virgin deity of the ancient Greeks worshiped as the goddess of wisdom, fertility, the useful arts, and prudent warfare. At her birth she sprang forth fully armed from the head of her father, Zeus.
Atlas	Possibly means "enduring" from Greek (tlao) meaning "to endure". In Greek mythology he was a Titan punished by Zeus by being forced to support the heavens on his shoulders.
Aurora	the ancient Roman goddess of the dawn.
Aurora	Natural light display that occurs in the sky, primarily at high latitudes (near the Arctic and Antarctic)
Autumn	the season between summer and winter; fall. In the Northern Hemisphere it is from the September equinox to the December solstice; in the Southern Hemisphere it is from the March equinox to the June solstice.
Avalanche	Large amount of snow sliding down a steep slope
Badger	any of various burrowing, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, as Taxidea taxus, of North America, and Meles meles, of Europe and Asia.
Bailey	the defensive wall surrounding an outer court of a castle.
Bandit	a robber, especially a member of a gang or marauding band.
Bane	a person or thing that ruins or spoils: Gambling was the bane of his existence.
Bay	a body of water forming an indentation of the shoreline, larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf.
Bear	Family of mammals
Beast	any nonhuman animal, especially a large, four-footed mammal.
Beau	Means "beautiful" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.Although this is a grammatically masculine adjective in French, it is given to girls as well as boys in Britain and the Netherlands. In America it is more exclusively masculine. It is not commonly used as a name in France itself.
Beck	a gesture used to signal, summon, or direct someone.
Bella	a female given name, form of Isabella.
Belle	a woman or girl admired for her beauty and charm.
Beretta	Italian firearms manufacturer
Bessie	a female given name, form of Elizabeth.
Bill	a statement of money owed for goods or services supplied: He paid the hotel bill when he checked out.
Biscuit	a kind of bread in small, soft cakes, raised with baking powder or soda, or sometimes with yeast; scone.
Blade	Sharp cutting part of a weapon or tool
Blaze	a bright flame or fire: the welcome blaze of the hearth.
Blizzard	Type of snowstorm
Boa	any of several nonvenomous, chiefly tropical constrictors of the family Boidae, having vestigial hind limbs at the base of the tail.
Bolt	a movable bar or rod that when slid into a socket fastens a door, gate, etc.
Bones	Rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates
Bonita	Means "pretty" in Spanish, ultimately from Latin bonus "good". It has been used as a name in the English-speaking world since the beginning of the 20th century.
Bonnie	a female given name: from the Latin word meaning good.
Boone	American pioneer, especially in Kentucky.
Bow	to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.
Brady	U.S. financier, noted for conspicuously extravagant living.
Brantley	From a surname, an Americanized form of the German, ultimately from Old High German brant "fire".
Browning	English poet.
Bruce Lee	Chinese American actor, martial artist (1940-1973)
Brutus	Roman cognomen meaning "heavy" in Latin. Famous bearers include Lucius Junius Brutus, the traditional founder of the Roman Republic, and Marcus Junius Brutus, the statesman who conspired to assassinate Julius Caesar.
Bubba	brother (usually used as an affectionate term of address).
Buck	the male of the deer, antelope, rabbit, hare, sheep, or goat.
Buckwheat	Species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae
Bud	Immature or embryonic shoot
Buddy	comrade or chum (often used as a term of address).
Bull	the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
Bullet	a small metal projectile, part of a cartridge, for firing from small arms.
Bullseye	the circular spot, usually black or outlined in black, at the center of a target marked with concentric circles and used in target practice.

Hunting Dog Names C-F


Name	Meaning
Camo	camouflage
Captain	a person who is at the head of or in authority over others; chief; leader.
Cassie	Diminutive of Cassandra and other names beginning with Cass.
Cato	Roman statesman, soldier, and writer.
Cedar	any of several Old World, coniferous trees of the genus Cedrus, having wide, spreading branches.
Cercei	Oceanid in Greek mythology
Chance	the absence of any cause of events that can be predicted, understood, or controlled: often personified or treated as a positive agency: Chance governs all.
Chase	to pursue in order to seize, overtake, etc.: The police officer chased the thief.
Chaser	a person or thing that chases or pursues.
Chief	the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority: the chief of police.
Churchill	British statesman (1874-1965)
Cliff	a high steep face of a rock.
Clove	the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, Syzygium aromaticum, of the myrtle family, used whole or ground as a spice.
Clyde	a stupid, inept, or boorish person.
Coco	coconut palm.
Colt	a young male animal of the horse family.
Copper	Chemical element, symbol Cu and atomic number 29
Corona	a white or colored circle or set of concentric circles of light seen around a luminous body, especially around the sun or moon.
Cougar	Large species of the family Felidae native to the Americas
Coyote	a buffy-gray, wolflike canid,Canis latrans, of North America, distinguished from the wolf by its relatively small size and its slender build, large ears, and narrow muzzle.
Crash	to make a loud, clattering noise, as of something dashed to pieces.
Cricket	Bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players
Crusher	Machine designed to reduce large objects into smaller ones
Daisy	any of various composite plants the flowers of which have a yellow disk and white rays, as the English daisy and the oxeye daisy.
Dakota	a former territory in the United States: divided into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota in 1889.
Danger	liability or exposure to harm or injury; risk; peril.
Dash	to run
Davy	Diminutive of David.
Dawn	the first appearance of daylight in the morning: Dawn broke over the valley.
Dax	a city in SW France: mineral hot springs.
Decoy	a person who entices or lures another person or thing, as into danger, a trap, or the like.
Denali	a mountain in southern central Alaska: highest peak in North America, 20,310 feet (6,190 meters).
Desi	People, cultures, and products of the Indian subcontinent and their diaspora
Diana	former wife of Charles, Prince of Wales.
Diesel	noting a machine or vehicle powered by a diesel engine: diesel locomotive.
Digger	a person or an animal that digs.
Dixie	Nickname for the Southern United States
Dollar	a paper money, silver or cupronickel coin, and monetary unit of the United States, equal to 100 cents. Symbol: $
Dottie	a female given name, form of Dorothea and Dorothy.
Drake	a male duck.
Duchess	Noble or royal title in some European countries and their colonies
Duke	(in Continental Europe) the male ruler of a duchy; the sovereign of a small state.
Dutch	of, relating to, or characteristic of the natives or inhabitants of the Netherlands or their country or language.
Echo	a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.
Falcon	Birds of prey in the genus Falco
Fern	any seedless, nonflowering vascular plant of the class Filicinae, of tropical to temperate regions, characterized by true roots produced from a rhizome, triangular fronds that uncoil upward and have a branching vein system, and reproduction by spores contained in sporangia that appear as brown dots on the underside of the fronds.
Fetch	to go and bring back; return with; get: to go up a hill to fetch a pail of water.
Finch	any of numerous small passerine birds of the family Fringillidae, including the buntings, sparrows, crossbills, purple finches, and grosbeaks, most of which have a short, conical bill adapted for eating seeds.
Finn	a leader of the Fenian warriors and the father of Ossian: the subject of many legends.
Ford	a place where a river or other body of water is shallow enough to be crossed by wading.
Forest	a large tract of land covered with trees and underbrush; woodland.
Fox	any of several carnivores of the dog family, especially those of the genus Vulpes, smaller than wolves, having a pointed, slightly upturned muzzle, erect ears, and a long, bushy tail.
Frankie	a male given name, form of Frank.

Hunting Dog Names G-L


Name	Meaning
Gauge	to determine the exact dimensions, capacity, quantity, or force of; measure.
Gauntlet	a medieval glove, as of mail or plate, worn by a knight in armor to protect the hand.
General	Military rank
Gibson	American guitar manufacturer
Glen	a small, narrow, secluded valley.
Glock	Series of pistols
Goldie	English musician, visual artist, and actor
Goliath	the giant warrior of the Philistines whom David killed with a stone from a sling. 1 Samuel 17:48-51.
Goose	any of numerous wild or domesticated, web-footed swimming birds of the family Anatidae, especially of the genera Anser and Branta, most of which are larger and have a longer neck and legs than the ducks.
Gravedigger	a person whose occupation is digging graves.
Grizzly	Subspecies of brown bear
Gunnar	From the Old Norse name Gunnarr, which was derived from the elements gunnr "war" and arr "warrior". In Norse legend Gunnar was the husband of Brynhildr. He had his brother-in-law Sigurd murdered based on his wife's false accusations that Sigurd had taken her virginity.
Gunner	a person who operates a gun or cannon.
Gus	a male given name, form of Augustus or Gustave.
Hammer	Weapon or tool consisting of a shaft, usually of wood or metal, with a weighted head attached at a right angle that is used primarily for driving, crushing, or shaping hardened materials
Harper	a person who plays the harp.
Hawk	any of numerous birds of prey of the family Accipitridae, having a short, hooked beak, broad wings, and curved talons, often seen circling or swooping at low altitudes.
Hawkeye	a native or inhabitant of Iowa (used as a nickname).
Hercules	a celebrated hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, possessing exceptional strength: among his many adventures were the twelve labors for his cousin Eurystheus, performed in order to gain immortality.
Hermione	the daughter of Menelaus and Helen.
Hershey	U.S. biologist: helped lay the foundation of modern molecular genetics; Nobel Prize in Medicine 1969.
Holler	to cry aloud; shout; yell: Quit hollering into the phone.
Homer	Name ascribed by the ancient Greeks to the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey''
Hornet	any large, stinging paper wasp of the family Vespidae, as Vespa crabro(giant hornet ), introduced into the U.S. from Europe, or Vespula maculata(bald-faced hornet, or white-faced hornet ), of North America.
Huck	toweling of linen or cotton, of a distinctive absorbent weave.
Huckleberry (Huck)	1885 novel by Mark Twain
Hulk	Comic book superhero
Hunter	Searching, pursuing, and killing wild animals
Huntington	U.S. railroad developer.
Huntress	a woman who hunts.
Huntsman	the member of a hunt staff who manages the hounds during the hunt.
Indiana	From the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the Indiana Jones series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.
Ivy	Genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae
Jack	any of various portable devices for raising or lifting heavy objects short heights, using various mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic methods.
Jesse	Person in Hebrew Bible and New Testament; father of David
Jet	a stream of a liquid, gas, or small solid particles forcefully shooting forth from a nozzle, orifice, etc.
Jet Li	Chinese martial artist and actor
Jett	From the English word jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Justice	Concept of moral fairness and administration of the law
Kane	rent paid in kind, especially a percentage of a farm crop.
Kingsley	English clergyman, novelist, and poet.
Kodiak	Type of bear
Lace	Openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand
Lady	a woman who is refined, polite, and well-spoken: She may be poor and have little education, but she's a real lady.
Lassie	Fictional female collie dog
Layla	Means "night" in Arabic. Layla was the love interest of the poet Qays (called Majnun) in an old Arab tale, notably retold by the 12th-century Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi in his poem Layla and Majnun. This story was a popular romance in medieval Arabia and Persia. The name became used in the English-speaking world after the 1970 release of the song Layla by Derek and the Dominos, the title of which was inspired by the medieval story.
Legend	a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.
Liberty	freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
Lightning	a brilliant electric spark discharge in the atmosphere, occurring within a thundercloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.
Link	one of the rings or separate pieces of which a chain is composed.
Logger	a person whose work is logging; lumberjack.
Lucy	English form of Lucia, in use since the Middle Ages.

Hunting Dog Names M-R


Name	Meaning
Mack	a pimp.
Maggie	a female given name, form of Margaret.
Major	a commissioned military officer ranking next below a lieutenant colonel and next above a captain.
Mallard	a common, almost cosmopolitan, wild duck, Anas platyrhynchos, from which the domestic ducks are descended.
Marley	Jamaican reggae singer, guitarist, and songwriter: popularizer of Rastafarianism.
Marlie	American actress, author and activist
Marlin	any large, saltwater game fish of the genera Makaira and Tetrapterus, having the upper jaw elongated into a spearlike structure.
Maverick	an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, especially an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.
Max	maximum.
Meadow	a tract of grassland used for pasture or serving as a hayfield.
Metal	any of a class of elementary substances, as gold, silver, or copper, all of which are crystalline when solid and many of which are characterized by opacity, ductility, conductivity, and a unique luster when freshly fractured.
Midnight	the middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night.
Misty	abounding in or clouded by mist.
Mocha	a seaport in the Republic of Yemen on the Red Sea.
Moose	a large, long-headed mammal, Alces alces, of the deer family, having circumpolar distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the male of which has enormous palmate antlers.
Moxie	courageous spirit and determination; perseverance
Musket	a heavy, large-caliber smoothbore gun for infantry soldiers, introduced in the 16th century: the predecessor of the modern rifle.
Nala	King in Mahabharata
Natasha	Russian diminutive of Natalya. This is the name of a character in Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace (1865). It has been used in the English-speaking world only since the 20th century.
Nellie	a female given name, form of Helen.
Neo	near-earth object.
Nero	Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68
Oakley	U.S. sharpshooter.
Ocean	Body of salt water covering the majority of Earth
Odie	Dog character from the Garfield comic strip
Oliver	From Olivier, a Norman French form of a Germanic name such as Alfher or an Old Norse name such as leifr (see Olaf). The spelling was altered by association with Latin oliva "olive tree". In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier was a friend and advisor of the hero Roland.In England Oliver was a common medieval name, however it became rare after the 17th century because of the military commander Oliver Cromwell, who ruled the country following the civil war. The name was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due in part to the title character in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist (1838), which was about a poor orphan living on the streets of London. It became very popular at the beginning of the 21st century, reaching the top rank for boys in England and Wales in 2009 and entering the top ten in the United States in 2017.
Orion	a giant hunter who pursued the Pleiades, was eventually slain by Artemis, and was then placed in the sky as a constellation.
Otis	From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Ode, a cognate of Otto. In America it has been used in honour of the revolutionary James Otis (1725-1783).
Payton	U.S. football player.
Peyton	From an English surname, originally a place name meaning "Pga's town". A famous bearer was Peyton Randolph (1721-1775), the first president of the Continental Congress. It is also borne by American football quarterback Peyton Manning (1976-).
Pistol	a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.
Polly	a tame parrot.
Poppy	Species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae
Powder	Dry, bulk solid composed of fine, free-flowing particles
Predator	Biological interaction where a predator kils and eats a prey organism
Prince	Son of a prince, king, queen, emperor or empress, or other high-ranking person (such as a grand duke)
Princess	Regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince
Python	any of several Old World boa constrictors of the subfamily Pythoninae, often growing to a length of more than 20 feet (6 meters): the Indian python, Python molurus, is endangered.
Queenie	Diminutive of Queen.
Radar	Object detection system using radio waves
Rain	Precipitation in the form of water droplets
Rambo	a fanatically militant or violently aggressive person.
Ramsey	English clergyman and scholar: archbishop of Canterbury 1961-74.
Ranger	forest ranger.
Raven	any of several large, corvine birds having lustrous, black plumage and a loud, harsh call, especially Corvus corax, of the New and Old Worlds.
Rebel	a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of his or her country.
Remington	U.S. arms manufacturer.
Ripley	U.S. literary critic, author, and social reformer: associated with the founding of Brook Farm.
River	Natural flowing watercourse
Rocky	full of or abounding in rocks.
Rogue	a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.
Rover	a person who roves; wanderer.
Roxie	Diminutive of Roxana.
Royal	of or relating to a king, queen, or other sovereign: royal power; a royal palace.
Ruger	American firearm manufacturing company
Ruler	An instrument used to measure distances or to draw straight lines
Ryder	American transportation company

Dog retrieving animal in it's mouth
Pixabay

Hunting Dog Names S-Z


Name	Meaning
Saber	a heavy, one-edged sword, usually slightly curved, used especially by cavalry.
Sadie	a female given name, form of Sara or Sarah.
Sage	a profoundly wise person; a person famed for wisdom.
Sammy	a male given name, form of Samuel.
Samson	Last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges
Scout	a soldier, warship, airplane, etc., employed in reconnoitering.
Sequoia	either of two large coniferous trees of California, Sequoiadendron giganteum or Sequoia sempervirens, both having reddish bark and reaching heights of more than 300 feet (91 meters).
Shadow	a dark figure or image cast on the ground or some surface by a body intercepting light.
Sharpshooter	Soldier that is highly proficient with firearms at longer distances
Sheriff	the law-enforcement officer of a county or other civil subdivision of a state.
Shiloh	a national park in SW Tennessee: Civil War battle 1862.
Shooter	a person who shoots with a gun, bow, etc.: efforts to capture the shooter.
Silver	a white, ductile metallic element, used for making mirrors, coins, ornaments, table utensils, photographic chemicals, conductors, etc. Symbol: Ag; atomic weight: 107.870; atomic number: 47; specific gravity: 10.5 at 20°C.
Sky	Everything that is above the surface of the Earth
Smith	a worker in metal.
Smokey	an officer or officers of a state highway patrol.
Sniper	Highly trained marksman
Soldier	a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.
Spade	a tool for digging, having an iron blade adapted for pressing into the ground with the foot and a long handle commonly with a grip or crosspiece at the top, and with the blade usually narrower and flatter than that of a shovel.
Sparky	emitting or producing sparks.
Sparta	an ancient city in S Greece: the capital of Laconia and the chief city of the Peloponnesus, at one time the dominant city of Greece: famous for strict discipline and training of soldiers.
Spike	a naillike fastener, 3 to 12 inches (7.6 to 30.5 centimeters) long and proportionately thicker than a common nail, for fastening together heavy timbers or railroad track.
Sport	an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
Stella	a four-dollar pattern coin of the U.S. having a metal content based on the metric system, issued 1879-80: designed to be used as an international coin.
Stormy	affected, characterized by, or subject to storms; tempestuous: a stormy sea.
Striker	a person or thing that strikes.
Summer	Hottest of the four temperate seasons
Summit	Point on a surface with a higher elevation than all immediately adjacent points
Sunny	abounding in sunshine: a sunny day.
Tank	Tracked heavy armored fighting vehicle
Tasha	Short form of Natasha.
Teddy	a woman's one-piece undergarment combining a chemise and underpants, sometimes having a snap crotch.
Texas	State of the United States
Thaddeus	one of the twelve apostles. Matthew 10:3.
Thor	the god of thunder, rain, and farming, represented as riding a chariot drawn by goats and wielding the hammer Mjolnir: the defender of the Aesir, destined to kill and be killed by the Midgard Serpent.
Thunder	a loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge.
Tombstone	a stone marker, usually inscribed, on a tomb or grave.
Trapper	Use of a device to remotely catch an animal
Trooper	a horse-cavalry soldier.
Trudy	a female given name, form of Gertrude.
Twister	Form of dangerous weather
Typhoon	Type of tropical cyclone that develops in the Northern Hemisphere
Undertaker	funeral director.
Walker	From an English surname that referred to the medieval occupational of a walker, also known as a fuller. Walkers would tread on wet, unprocessed wool in order to clean and thicken it. The word ultimately derives from Old English wealcan "to walk".
Werewolf	(in folklore and superstition) a human being who has changed into a wolf, or is capable of assuming the form of a wolf, while retaining human intelligence.
Whiskey	an alcoholic liquor distilled from a fermented mash of grain, as barley, rye, or corn, and usually containing from 43 to 50 percent alcohol.
Wilder	to cause to lose one's way.
Willow	any tree or shrub of the genus Salix, characterized by narrow, lance-shaped leaves and dense catkins bearing small flowers, many species having tough, pliable twigs or branches used for wickerwork, etc.
Winchester	a city in Hampshire, in S England: cathedral; capital of the early Wessex kingdom and of medieval England.
Wolf	any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, of the dog family Canidae, especially C. lupus, usually hunting in packs, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more unpopulated parts of its range.
Wolverine	a stocky, carnivorous North American mammal, Gulo luscus, of the weasel family, having blackish, shaggy hair with white markings.
Wren	any of numerous small, active songbirds of the family Troglodytidae, especially Troglodytes troglodytes, of the Northern Hemisphere, having dark-brown plumage barred with black and a short, upright tail.
Wyatt	From an English surname that was derived from the medieval given name Wyard or Wyot, from the Old English name Wigheard. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an American lawman and gunfighter involved in the famous shootout at the OK Corral.
Xena	Fictional character from the TV series Xena: Warrior Princess
Yoda	Fictional character in the Star Wars universe
Yoshi	Video game character
Yukon	Territory of Canada
Zeke	a male given name, form of Ezekiel.
Zeus	the supreme deity of the ancient Greeks, a son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, and Poseidon, and father of a number of gods, demigods, and mortals; the god of the heavens, identified by the Romans with Jupiter.
Zip	a sudden, brief hissing sound, as of a bullet.

The Brief History of Hunting Dogs

The history of hunting dogs and hunters goes as far back as bows and arrows. Even when sporting firearms were invented in the 15th century, most hunters preferred to continue using their bows and arrows. That's because these firearms tended to have the priming powder slide out of the pan. The "modern" relationship between hunter and hunting dog started when firearms became lightweight.

As with anything new, people believed the relationship between hunting dogs and men would go away. The "modern" gun was simply too easy. What they didn't realize is that training a hunting dog with a rifle comes with its own challenges.

For example, introducing the animal at a young age to the sound of gunfire. Another challenge that needed to be overcome was distance. Bows and arrows simply didn't have the distance a rifle does. That meant that game could be downed much further away, which could cause that game to be lost. Dogs had to be trained to quickly retrieve the animal, even if it fell in the water.

What is fairly interesting is how the practice of hunting dogs increased in areas with gun manufacturers. People wanted to make the most of their firearms and hunting with your best friend is a good way to do that.