Tracking wild boar is one of the most challenging tasks a hunter faces. They are extremely smart, constantly on the move, and usually active in the dark, which makes hunting extremely HARD.
Cherry on top, they often hide in thick bushes and use swamps or rugged terrain to cover their tracks. We cannot locate these hidden hogs merely with human eyes and ears, and therefore hunters rely on specialized tracking dog breeds.
These are not ordinary dogs but have a strong sense of smell, high stamina, and impressive intelligence. These scent dogs pick up trails, even cold ones that are days or months old, and follow them miles away without losing or getting distracted.
They locate the boars and alert the hunters about them, which makes hunting a lot easier.
We have shared 10 such wild boar tracking dogs in this guide that do phenomenal and have strong smelling sense. We will discuss how they track or help the hunters, along with their exercise, training, and grooming routine.
Exceptional Dog Breeds that Outperform in Wild Boar Tracking
1. Black And Tan Coonhound
Black and Tan Coonhounds are calm, deeply easygoing, friendly, and gentle family companions. They are relaxed and quiet indoors but become intensely focused, determined, and vocal as they step outside. These Coonhounds were bred purely as hunting dogs and also served as cold-trailing scent hounds.
They pick up the faint boar tracks and walk with their low, long, drooping ears on the ground to follow them. Black and Tan Coonhounds are known for baying and howling, as PetMD also mentioned. So they bay to alert hunters to their precise direction.
That said, these muscular hounds have high energy levels and require at least 2 hours of exercise for mental stimulation. This includes long walks, tracking games, and open running in securely fenced yards. These Coonhounds require experienced owners.
2. Scottish Deerhound
Scottish Deerhounds are also known as ‘Sight hounds’ and ‘Royal Dog of Scotland’. These are gentle, quiet, and deeply polite within the home but get highly focused when in the field. They were bred as elite hunting hounds to chase down and bring down large game like wild deer.
These Deerhounds are primarily best at sight tracking and wind scenting to locate wild hogs. They catch the airborne scent of boars and then bay to signal their hunters about their locations. These tall dogs actually have speed and baying powers.
These deep-chested dogs are very active and require 30 minutes of exercise twice a day, according to WebMD. They are great for dedicated handlers despite their sensitive and eager-to-please nature. These dogs have a wiry, average-shedding coat.
3. Airedale Terrier
Airedale Terriers are known as the ‘King of Terriers’ and are among the largest breeds of all terriers. They are brave, highly intelligent, and famously confident. They were bred as versatile hunting dogs to hunt large game animals, including wild pigs.
These terrier dogs locate the wild hogs in dense bushes and then follow them to pinpoint their hiding spot. Airedale Terriers are fearless and have a high prey drive, which makes it easy to flush out bears. Plus, they are heavily muscled and have high energy levels.
That said, they are exceptionally smart and quick to learn, but they possess an independent and stubborn streak. So only get them if you are an experienced owner. They have a low-shedding coat that requires weekly brushing, which is a plus point.
4. Plott Hound
Plott Hounds are bold, energetic, and fiercely loyal dogs with a calm and loving nature around the home. They were bred as big game hunting dogs to track, corner, and tree animals like wild boars.
These are best at hot trailing and quickly pick up the boar scents. These hounds follow them and bay to keep wild hogs there. Plott Hounds are the official state dog of North Carolina. They are athletic, muscular, and have high exercise needs.
These dogs require 2 hours of exercise and experienced owners to meet their needs. They are intelligent, but their strong prey drive can make training a little tough. Plus, they have a short, low-maintenance coat that requires weekly brushing.
5. Catahoula Leopard Dog
Catahoula Leopard Dogs are multi-purpose working dogs, as they have worked as guardians, bay, watch, tree, and even stock dogs. They are assertive, deeply loyal, and protective pups and are famous for their strong bonding with their family.
These Leopard dogs are best at wind scenting and ground tracking. They pick up the cold trails of hogs over vast distances, and that’s why they are considered among the finest wild boar tracking and baying dogs.
That said, these hog dogs are built for high endurance and stamina, so they need at least 1 hour of activity. They need confident owners, though their short coat requires minimal maintenance and occasional baths.
6. Bloodhound
Bloodhounds often come first in mind when we talk about scent tracking or trails. These are pure cold-trained scent hounds with 230-300 million olfactory receptors, which is 40 times more than humans. So they can just track no matter where wild pigs try to hide.
These heavy boned dogs have floppy ears and a noble, gentle, and famously affectionate personality with their families. They have a calm demeanor and laid back personlaity though they become unstoppable in fields. These gentle giants have high energy levels.
That said, they require experienced hound handlers as they easily get distracted and pick up any scents. However, their short coat moderately sheds and requires weekly brushing along with frequent cleaning of their facial folds and drooping ears.
7. Redbone Coonhound
Redbone Coonhounds are even-tempered, affectionate, and famously gentle at home with an easygoing personality. However, they are relentless, highly focused, and vocal hunters the moment they enter the woods or fields.
They were bred as tracking dogs to track and tree large game like boars or cougars. They have high prey drive, innate stamina, and a fearless nature, which is all a dog needs to pursue big game. That said, these hound dogs are energetic and require vigorous exercise.
They are eager to please but require consistent and positive reinforcement training. Redbone Coonhounds also have a short, single coat, which is low maintenance and requires weekly brushing with a rubber curry brush to clean.
8. Mountain Cur
Mountain Curs are courageously loyal, highly watchful, and dedicated dogs. They were bred as all-around working and survival dogs. So they have served as guard, hunting, and herding dogs, and hunt wild game animals like bears or boars.
These mountain dogs pick up cold trails if hot ones are not available and track them, as the AKC also describes. They bay aggressively to lock the hog in place until the hunter arrives. That said, they have high energy levels and need vigorous daily activity.
They are best for experienced working dog owners due to their strong protective instincts and independent mindset. They have a short coat that sheds moderately and require weekly brushing to remove loose hairs and field debris.
9. Bluetick Coonhound
Bluetick Coonhounds are bold, deeply loyal, and highly vocal dogs. They were developed as big game hunting dogs in the US, and their original purpose was to find cold trails, track, and tree tough game across dense forests and swamps.
So they track the wild boars even with their faint scent trails and bay that echoes through dense bushes to alert hunters about their location. Their high endurance, bravery, and stubborn drive make them a perfect choice for trailing wild hogs in difficult terrain.
That said, they have high energy and require 60-90 minutes of daily exercise like long hikes, scenting games, and open field running. These hounds are best for experienced owners who can manage their stubborn streak. In addition, they have a short, low-maintenance coat.
10. Norwegian Elkhound
Norwegian Elkhounds are courageous, alert, and deeply loyal dogs that were bred to serve as versatile tracking and baying dogs. So they track big game like moose (elk), bears, and wild boar with their sharp nose and then just bay to hold pigs and distract them until the hunter arrives.
These medium-sized dogs require intense daily activity, including long hikes, field running, and challenging scenting tasks for mental stimulation. They are smart and quick to learn, but carry an independent and proud mindset.
So they require firm and consistent training. In addition, these Elkhounds have a dense, weather-resistant coat that sheds heavily throughout the year and requires brushing 2-3 times a week to manage loose hair and shedding.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned 10 dogs are best at tracking with a strong sense of smell and olfactory receptors. Most of them are hounds, including Bloodhounds, Elkhounds, and even Redbone Coonhounds, which can track wild boar easily.
Some dogs are best at cold trails, while others are phenomenal at hot trail tracking. We have also shared how they track wild pigs, along with their exercise, training, and temperaments, so read before choosing one.
