Among coonhounds, he’s known as,”The People’s Choice,” a dog eminently suited for the task for which he was bred – tracking and treeing wild raccoons in their natural haunts. Treeing Walker Coonhounds are alert, “wicked-fast,” and “hot-nosed” hunters who have otherworldly endurance coupled with a desire to please. Unique to Coonhounds (and most scenthound owners, for that matter) is the importance of a dog’s “voice,” and there’s no mistaking a TWC’s distinctive, clear bugle bay, or his steady clear chop with changeover at the tree. Each Treeing Walker’s “tongue” is unique enough to allow that dog’s owner to identify their dog from great distances.
Think we’re kidding about the whole “distinctive” and “loud” thing? Listen to the dog in the video below:
By comparison, listen to the dog’s voice in the video below. It’s entirely different from the voice of the dog in the previous video. In the field, the owners of these two dogs would easily tell their dogs’ voice apart.
A Coonhound’s clear, ringing (and loud!) voice carries a long way. This is extremely useful during a hunt, particularly during night hunts when the dog’s voice is often the only way the hunter knows where he is. Check it out:
The dog’s voice also helps indicate where things stand as far as the dog is concerned. A clear, steady “chop” often accompanies the discovery of a good scent, and when a critter is treed, the voice changes yet again to a short, choppy bark. All this said, owners report that their Coonhounds are typically quiet indoors, though they can occasionally serenade their people. Then, as Jerry Dunham, the founder of Texas Coonhound Rescue once noted, “They tend to peel the paint when they vocalize.”
Image of Treeing Walker Coonhound from the AKC with consent