Definition & Meaning of "gun dog"

What is a "gun dog"?

A gun dog, also known as a sporting dog or a bird dog, is a type of hunting dog that is trained to assist hunters in locating, flushing, retrieving, and/or pointing out game birds, such as ducks, pheasants, quail, and grouse. These dogs are typically bred for their keen senses of smell, sight, and hearing, as well as their ability to work closely with their human handlers to locate and retrieve game. Gun dogs may specialize in different tasks, such as retrievers that excel at retrieving shot game from water or land, pointers that use their keen sense of smell to locate game and then "point" to its location, or flushers that flush out game from dense cover for the hunter to shoot. Gun dogs are invaluable hunting companions and are trained to work in close partnership with their handlers to enhance the hunting experience and increase the chances of a successful hunt.