The Hound Group is a designation used by most major English-language kennel clubs (American Kennel Club (AKC), Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), The Kennel Club (KC) and the New Zealand Kennel Club (NZKC) being the most notable).

Most hounds share the common ancestral trait of being used for hunting. Some use acute scenting powers to follow a trail. Others demonstrate a gift of stamina as they relentlessly run down quarry. Beyond this, however, generalizations about hounds are hard to come by, since the Group encompasses quite a diverse lot. There are Pharaoh Hounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Afghans and Beagles, among others. Some hounds share the distinct ability to produce a unique sound known as baying.