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Just seeing what other people think went hunting around a dog and to me he was just way to mouthy he opened from the minute the dogs struck like he could see the cat the whole time I am positive he didn't cause my dogs were cold trailing but in country that cats start to become dog smart wouldn't this be a hindrance on your percentage of caught game I mean I am no pro and still learning but just. Seeing how u seasoned pros thoughts are on dogs that in my book just get way to worked up and just blow the tops off the mountain tops with out even jumped the cat first

I cant stand a dog that barks too much on a cold track, if they are jumped and moveing good then they can bark every breath. if a dog barks once every 2 min or so coldtrailing that is perfect for me, as long as it has moved the track. The type of dog that barks all the time costs u cats .
Lets say u are in the woods and there is a person tracking u down . if that person tracking u is quiet he can sneak right up behind u and u would be suprised when he jumped out behind a bush and said boo.
if the person tracking u is singing ITS A FAMILY TRADITION by hank williams jr. u would know exactlly where he was at all times and could just walk out in front of him . u could even make some tricky little circles and hide behind logs and stuff like that. sounds kinda like a cat race dosnt it. who would u want looking for u the silient guy or the guy singing.

jc

My best two dogs bark every minute on a track. Cold or hot. If they don't open, that track isn't going to work out unless you do some walking. I do have some silent trailers coming up now, I am unsure if I like it.

As I type this I hear a hound across the creek working a track. She is very vocal & yes that will make it harder for her to catch bobcats. The hound belongs to my nieghbor & is the only races I get to enjoy. In the past I have hunted with some packs that some would have considered too mouthy to catch a tough bobcat. They sure did not catch all cats, but caught thier share. Catching cats in my experience depends how well those vocal dogs move the track. If a well conditioned vocal hound moves the track fast enough to break the cats pace it will catch cats. Yes, one will spend more time catching cats with conditioned vocal dogs, but I hunted to hear the race. Some of the dog wise cats in my experience have been very difficult to catch with the tight mouth dogs. Take away the modern tracking equipment & how much fun would it be to hunt with dogs that are tight mouthed here in this terrain? To each is own breed & hunt hounds the way you enjoy them while you can. Just somethings I have experienced. Thanks Al

As long as they don't bark twice in the same spot, I'm happy.

Personally, I don't think it matters how much they bark, to me that's more a preference thing. If good dogs are coming, he's in trouble.
Before the Garmen era a silent dog wouldn't be very fun to hunt. Even now its nice to hear the dogs. Don't get me wrong tho, don't need dogs barking just to bark, they best be on a track.

I like a dog to be vocal but I mean if there cold trailing or figuring out a lose I don't like them screaming there heads off gettin way to excited cause to me I love listing to the race and being able to judge how the dog is taking the track and I like to here when they get it goin and don't get me wrong I hunted a dog that was dead silent till she treeded it or saw it and to me that was no fun I like to hear the dogs working a track but a dog who blows up from the time u start till its done I just find it annoying and it makes for alot harder races if its a older track that's just what I have seen with dogs being over vocal

Yes a dog that barks nonstop was not going to find a home here. A dog that barks every two minutes on a cold track is plenty open. Even very open hounds had periods on tough loses where they could go five minutes or so between barks. Catching cats is not easy & some real smart veterans learn to tighten up thier barks on those sneaking ( or trotting ) tough cats. Or is it those cats leave such slight scent that not much to bark about? I am convinced I owned a hound that usually was very vocal but on those wise cats he became very tight at times. Know for sure he caught more than one cat on the ground by doing that. Recall a cat race where pack broke over a steep ridge, above me coming down hill straight towards me. I/m thinking where/s Rowdy about that time he caught a small female on the ground within fifty yards of me. The pack was probley a hundred yards behind him sounding jumped. JC that was the sire of your Cindy & your dads kelly females. No he sure was not perfect but he did want to catch and had days he impressed others who hunted with him. Recall one day hunting with a friend Rowdy had treed two cats & managed to be the only dog at those trees. As he ways trailing another track that friend made the comment if his dogs did not get in on that track he would cull them. Best I recall all the dogs got on that one & it beat all of them. Rowdy also had days when he looked bad. That nieghbors dog is still working a track across the creek. No idea what she is after, but she has a beautiful voice. Maybe, JC or Werner might want to check her out?Thanks Al

If you are newer to cat hunting, I would be more concerned with how talented a dog is at lose pick-up, pressure, locate, tree and other issues, rather than how much the dog barks.
Good dogs can come in a variety of styles. I would see if the barking continues if the dog is hunted alone and if he can run a track alone to make sure he is not just me-too barking.

Al, good info to think about and good stories to boot. I'm on board with what you've said.

A lot of great advise given already. If a hound keeps a good stedy pace on a cold track and knows how to kick the pace up on a jumped cat with few to no mistakes the party is over. So a lot of bark or no bark if the hound is abobcat dog it does not matter. Andy

Dont get me wrong i love catching them but to me listening to my dogs work is pure enjoyment to me

i thought he said mouthy. if a dog is moving the track i dont mind him opening , but a dog that is barking all the time is a coon dog to me .
jmo.

jc