If you've ever managed to watch a YouTube video that was necessary for work without then spending the following three hours binge-clicking on every single related video YouTube has to suggest, well, all I can say is that you're a stronger person than I am. The good news is that the work-related videos we here in NRA Publications have to watch tend to be a lot of fun...and the list of suggested video names based on our searches are almost an entertainment category on their own. The bad news is that my boss recently busted me mid-YouTube binge, so I'm now obliged to produce an article in order to render my "No, this is for work, I swear" statement a truthful one. So settle in with a cup of coffee and prepare to go down the YouTube rabbit hole in pursuit of the funniest hunting-dog videos going! (I will leave matters of truthfulness or mendacity, should you be caught watching them by your own boss, to you and your conscience.)
1. Wabbit Season With Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund
"Wait just a minute," you may be saying. "You're already cheating. How are you going to pass off a video with a cute wiener dog as a hunting-dog video?" Well, believe it or not, dachshunds were actually originally bred as badger-hunting dogs. Their sleek, low-to-the-ground bodies are meant to allow them passage into badger dens, and their surprisingly powerful jaws and aggressive personalities were meant to help them grab the badgers and back out of the den with them. Not that Crusoe here is much of an ace hunter himself...but he does have his very own YouTube channel and book. For an introduction to this adorable fellow, look no further than: Wabbit Season (click here to play)!
2. Everyone's a Critic
The Catahoula is a unique hunting dog for a number of reasons: their haunting "glass" or "cracked" eyes, their instinct for protecting children...and their distinctive "bay" or howl. They're primarily used as tracking dogs, and are said to be able to find and pursue game animals like raccoons, wild hogs, mountain lions and bears from miles away. Although their bay is to let their human hunter friend know that they've found a critter, they use it for other reasons. Take, for example, Bailey here. Apparently he doesn't think much of a particular singer's performance...Click to listen to his commentary!
3. The Most Australian Thing You'll See This Year
In journalism, it's said that "Dog Bites Man" will never be a headline, but "Man Bites Dog" could be. This video, courtesy of Outback Australia via ViralHog, begs for a headline far cleverer than your usual man-bites-dog. In it, a group that has gone out wild-boar hunting with dogs comes across something much more exotic: a buck kangaroo that is none too happy about the hounds on his turf. What happens next simply must be seen to be believed, and is without a doubt the most Australian thing you'll see this year. (Don't worry; the dog and the 'roo both make it through OK!) Click here to get 'Strayan.
4. A Day In the Life of a Norwegian Elkhound
Here's another hunting breed that you might not be familiar with: the Norwegian elkhound. Although they don't even break the top 25 most popular breeds in America, the Norwegian elkhound is actually one of the oldest known breeds of dog—they've been found in ancient Viking burial grounds, interred with their masters. They're used as herders, guard dogs and, as the name implies, for hunting large cervids. Their job is to locate the animal, hold it at bay and/or drive it towards the hunters while barking to alert the hunters to the deer's presence. They may even provoke the animal into chasing them, which has very much the same effect as driving it toward a hunter. Sounds tame enough, right? Wrong. Click this video to watch!
5. OK, Now I'm Cheating
Why is this video on this list? Well, we recently got another memo that we had previously missed: All Internet sites must feature at least one cat. So here's one. Let it serve as a warning to bird dogs everywhere: If cats ever figure out how to come when they're called, the retrievers, terriers and spaniels are really going to have to step up their game. Click here to see why cats are the ninjas of the animal kingdom.
1. Wabbit Season With Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund
"Wait just a minute," you may be saying. "You're already cheating. How are you going to pass off a video with a cute wiener dog as a hunting-dog video?" Well, believe it or not, dachshunds were actually originally bred as badger-hunting dogs. Their sleek, low-to-the-ground bodies are meant to allow them passage into badger dens, and their surprisingly powerful jaws and aggressive personalities were meant to help them grab the badgers and back out of the den with them. Not that Crusoe here is much of an ace hunter himself...but he does have his very own YouTube channel and book. For an introduction to this adorable fellow, look no further than: Wabbit Season (click here to play)!
2. Everyone's a Critic
The Catahoula is a unique hunting dog for a number of reasons: their haunting "glass" or "cracked" eyes, their instinct for protecting children...and their distinctive "bay" or howl. They're primarily used as tracking dogs, and are said to be able to find and pursue game animals like raccoons, wild hogs, mountain lions and bears from miles away. Although their bay is to let their human hunter friend know that they've found a critter, they use it for other reasons. Take, for example, Bailey here. Apparently he doesn't think much of a particular singer's performance...Click to listen to his commentary!
3. The Most Australian Thing You'll See This Year
In journalism, it's said that "Dog Bites Man" will never be a headline, but "Man Bites Dog" could be. This video, courtesy of Outback Australia via ViralHog, begs for a headline far cleverer than your usual man-bites-dog. In it, a group that has gone out wild-boar hunting with dogs comes across something much more exotic: a buck kangaroo that is none too happy about the hounds on his turf. What happens next simply must be seen to be believed, and is without a doubt the most Australian thing you'll see this year. (Don't worry; the dog and the 'roo both make it through OK!) Click here to get 'Strayan.
4. A Day In the Life of a Norwegian Elkhound
Here's another hunting breed that you might not be familiar with: the Norwegian elkhound. Although they don't even break the top 25 most popular breeds in America, the Norwegian elkhound is actually one of the oldest known breeds of dog—they've been found in ancient Viking burial grounds, interred with their masters. They're used as herders, guard dogs and, as the name implies, for hunting large cervids. Their job is to locate the animal, hold it at bay and/or drive it towards the hunters while barking to alert the hunters to the deer's presence. They may even provoke the animal into chasing them, which has very much the same effect as driving it toward a hunter. Sounds tame enough, right? Wrong. Click this video to watch!
5. OK, Now I'm Cheating
Why is this video on this list? Well, we recently got another memo that we had previously missed: All Internet sites must feature at least one cat. So here's one. Let it serve as a warning to bird dogs everywhere: If cats ever figure out how to come when they're called, the retrievers, terriers and spaniels are really going to have to step up their game. Click here to see why cats are the ninjas of the animal kingdom.
