In many ways these are different groups of dogs. The Gun Dogs are active and orientated towards the broken hunt, in which the prey is pointed out to the hunter and then retrieved at the hunter's command. The Prey Capturing Hunting Dogs (Hounds, Terriers, Dachs and Hunting Spitz) in contrast are the agents of the hunt and seek out prey and capture it will little direction from the human hunter.
In the prey capturing hunting breeds the primitive drive to seek out and capture game has been retained. In many cases it is enhanced and seeking of game seems to be a reward in itself in the absence of the kill. Seeking and killing are well separated from eating the game. In most cases territoriality is somewhat supressed so that these dogs are likely to roam the neighborhood hunting and chasing rather than stopping at your property boundaries and driving intruders off. In general scent hounds and sighthounds are fairly low energy in relation to any activity other than hunting and when confined will lie around most of the day (lazy as a hound dog). In contrast in the Gun Dog (Bird Dog) breeds have a higher general activity level and may be constantly on the go, even when confined.
General hunting dogs. These include breeds such as the Weimeraner who have strong hunting instincts, athletic bodies but lack the extreme specialization for speed of the coursing hounds, the acute scent orientation of the scent hounds or the exclusive bird orientation of pointers and setters. They blend in with retreivers in talent. They are active dogs capable of accompaning an owner on a full days hunt, either on foot or horseback. Generalized hunting dogs may hunt by sight or scent and usually are expected to pursue the prey and aid in its capture rather than just freezing and indicating the presence of the prey. These dogs are long legged and athletic and many of them approach the coursing hounds in body form. Size ranges and bulk are based on expected prey size and type. Because these dogs are often hunted on dangerous game such as bears or wild boar they are selected for courage and pluck as well as eagerness to hunt.
These dogs were hunted in dense cover and as well as open territory and so giving voice or tongue during hunting was selected for so that the hunter could keep track of the direction of the hunt.
Gun Dogs are breeds developed since the invention of firearms to aid the hunter of birds. They are used in upland game hunting and in the hunting of water birds. It is important that gun dogs are not afraid of the sound of a discharging gun (this fear is termed "gun shyness"). Gun dogs are generally divided into Retrievers and the Setter/Pointer/Spaniel Group. The latter are called Bird Dogs because they freeze in a stylized fashion when they detect the presence of a bird.

Retrievers. Generally associated with duck hunting the retreivers are active breeds utilized in the retreiving of fallen game, especially from water. They tend to have water resistant thick coats with an oily texture.
Bird dogs - Bird dogs are specialized for "birdyness" - that is interest in flying prey being hunted on land - not typical for a hunting canid since flying prey generally is out of the reach of a ground living carnivore. Setters and pointers freeze when they locate birds in cover. The larger breeds, the setters and pointers, will range rapidly over a field and freeze when locating the birds. They were often used in by a hunter on horseback. Spaniels are smaller dogs with shorter legs in relation to the body, they were generally used by a hunter on foot.
Setters crouch down to indicate the presence of a bird, Pointers freeze into a point. Spaniels are much shorter legged with the fringed coat of Setters but may have the pointing behavior of Pointers.

Scent hounds. These dogs form a well defined group of dogs with a strong orientation towards scent hunting. The smaller breeds are traditionally used on rabbits, the larger breeds when used on larger or more dangerous game are used in packs. The pack hunting dogs have the drive to actively kill cornered game. When used on prey that will retreat to a burrow the pack also would include a terrier to to dig the prey out. Because scent hounds are used for forest and brush hunting they are also bred to give tongue or bay during the hunt and their voices are selected to have the low tone baying sound that carries well over considerable distance. A good huntsman can identify his various hound by their voices. However this behavior of baying can make them undesirable as pets in situations where owners are sensitive to noise or where neighbors live close to you. Small scenthounds are generally hunted from foot, medium sized and large scent hounds may be hunted from horseback or leashed if hunted from foot.
Coursing hounds - Hunting dogs who are more highly developed as high speed runners than the wild canid ancestors. The primary trigger for their pursuit is the sight of fleeding prey which they overtake and capture during its flight. Generally hunted in pairs on small game such as hares or jackrabbits or in greater numbers if the prey is large and can fight back such as wolves or deer. In most traditions of hunting with coursing hounds the hounds kill the fleeing game. If the game is brought to bay at a standstill the hounds were aided in the kill by the hunter. The larger coursing hound breeds were hunted from horseback and they are suitable for hunting in open landscape, not heavily forested regions. They hunt silently.

Dachshunds - These small hunting dogs were developed in Germany and exist in many varieties of size, coat type and color. Although bold and eager to hunt they are more tolerant of other dogs than the working Terriers. Their short legs are unique in the hunting dogs (other than terriers), and adaptation for going into borrows after game. The name means "Badger Hound" and they are bold enough to take on such a strong willed opponent.