As hunting dogs conditioned to go to ground after burrowing prey, they have an inherent compulsion to dig.
Retrievers fall into the category of “gun dogs” — types of bird dogs from breeds that developed from the specific needs of hunters using firearms.
Pointers would work in unison with greyhounds — the former spotting and pointing out hares and other small game that the greyhound could then chase down.
Most sighthounds operate similarly to most predators in the wild — tracking and stalking prey until they can overpower and disable them.
Just like their counterparts in the sighthound category, scent hounds are capable of identifying, tracking, killing, and retrieving their prey all on their own.