This category of hunting dogs all come from North America and are bred to chase prey (such as raccoon and opossum) that run up trees in order to escape being caught. Once the dog has caught the scent of its prey it will chase it to a tree and stand baying under it until the hunter arrives. These dogs have been bred to have strong instincts not to give up the chase once their prey has escaped to a tree, but to stand their ground until their human arrives.