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I have to say that Mike's trail dog topic brought this to my attention. I was just wondering what type of tree dog you all prefer. Not so much the mouth on them although you can include that. I want to know if you like a dog on the wood, a dog that just backs off and actually looks at the quary, or a sit down tree dog. I personaly like a sit down tree dog although you don't find many of them anymore. I then prefer a dog that will back off so it is getting that direct scent and looks up at them. Last of the three for me is a dog on the tree. Let me know your openions.

I perfer a dog that stands back and keeps there eye on the game, that way if they bail and run as I get there they will be right on the game and can tree it quickly, I've seen dogs that are right on the tree have a bear bail from the back side and run before the dog knows whats going on.

I like ones that sit back and keep an eye on the prey. Unfortunately I have none of these types any more as my dogs, get more experiance the more the want to knock the bark off, waste energy and hurt their feet and let the odd lynx out the back door

Shorty, this is my liking and opinion. I focus mainly for bear but do some lion hunting for the fun of it. I like the dogs to locate the game then back off and look at the bear. Now, I don't care for a dog that barks 100 BPM. When a bear is in a tree he/she is resting, and most likly will jump the first time a human gets to close. A dogs that barks 100 plus times a minute for hours is a tired dog. If my dogs bark 20 BPM and I have 3-4 dogs out, that is 80 BPM, enough to find the dogs.

I have dogs that do all three, and a few that climb if they can. A melting pot of styles seems to work best at a tree for me. I really don't have a preference as they are all doing there jobs. As long as they aren't climbing, jumping, chewing, or face barking I like a dog stretched out on the wood. I also like the ones that sit down and plan to be there a while, and the ones that stand back and keep an eye.

Most of mine will sit/stand back, until I get there, then go get on the tree a few minutes, (just in case I don't know what tree it is) then come over and sit by me and tree.

just need something loud and steady.........as long as they have the game, it doesn't matter to me.

I like a steady barking tree dog. Looking at the game preffered. Chop on tree is also preffered.

I prefer the sit back and watch the game kind. But only about half of mine are that way. The other half have no manners at a tree and usually there is a ring of bark eaten off all the way around what ever unlucky tree the game climbs. And all surrounding trees and bushes are de-limbed. I dont really like this but I kind of figure they cant all be perfect and as long as they never hurt each other I dont care if it looks like they drove a dozer around the tree.

I like a sit back looking at the critter tree dog. I also like a dog on the wood without all the jumping and brach chewing.

I like a sit back tree dog for two reasons, always has an eye on the game and they will stay out of alot of trouble if you hunt around other peoples growly hounds.


Wish I had some now that would stay back.

Well I am not as picky here becasue if they are still there barking and the fur is up I am a pretty happy guy.

But if I had my druthers I like a dog to stay back off the tree lock his eye on the critter if he can see it or stay in the drift channel of the scent and stay alert and bark. Doesn't nned to bark like a jack hammer but I do want a loud tree dog and one that I can hear. If you have jumpy lion or cats this dog will not let them bail on not see them. I have seen some treeing idiots that had a lion jump right out over their heads and run off and you can't drag these idiots off the tree and put them on the track they just run back to it and lock down.Let me tell you this makes Mike very irritable.

My Gunner dog was the classic at the tree. Set on his rear back a ways and just look up there and Yow! Yow! Yow! for hours, but they would never bluff him in jump.When I had he and Booger together I never could figure how Booger just seemed to know when lion was going to bail. I mean he wasn't a very flashy tree dog but I saw him stay all night with two lions in two different trees some 50 yards apart and when i got there he still had them and he was only barking four or five times, and then shut up go to the other tree bark, and then back and forth he had a trail. Ofcourse when i got there the female lion bailed but luckily I had a leash on him and didn't have to spend all day going after her. But when they got ready to bail he would seem to know excactly where they would hit and the direction they would run.


I don't like tree runners or those that really belly rub and fall back because before long you are going to have a fight, and that can ruin a young dog. If you have that kind get in there and tie them back. Many many bear dogs are killed at the tree becasue they get so wound and when the fight starts they wolf pack up and kill the dog on the bottom and you have to make up a story about how the bear did it.

eye to eye.

Very calm sit back and sit down. I will not hunt a dog that mills at all. It makes me angry to the point I get ill. Extremely loud and carry.

One more thing, I hate a dog that climbs and hate a dog that jacks a tree the most of any kind of tree dog.

Put em in the tree and hold them there and call me to the tree, don't care how. I hate a dog that leaves the tree to greet me and lets animals jump out when nobody is home. Turn the camera off, cause I am gonna have a fit when this happens.

I got a little of each too. My older male Plott will bark a little on the tree but he drops back and stands watching the bear treeing. My young bluetick will stand on the tree till you tie her back. I had a redtick once that would always circle the tree in about a 10 yard circle from the tree till I got there. I like the one that sit back a bit and just watch. Have had a couple come down the my plott has always been able to be on them right when they got to the bottom of the tree and get them back up quick.

Thanks
Matt