Look up hound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey and/or recovers shot quarry.The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs.They have a powerful speed and sense of smell.t can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey and/or recovers shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. They have a powerful speed and sense of smell.