Considering a coonhound puppy, but my landlord is unsure about vocal dogs...

[Baxter'smybaby]

having two hound mixes, both adopted as adults--I can say that the amount of barking with my guys is minimal. They do get excited, but I don't tolerate alot of carrying on. It can be done, and they are wonderful companions. But it is work--and everyone must be consistent with the expectations of dog. of course, I let them howl when it's ok--when we are outside playing, etc. But let them know inside that it is "enough", and they stop.
The one thing I would worry about with any dog--adult or puppy, is if it had separation anxiety. That would be difficult in your situation, as then there would most likely be alot of barking. But that is possible with any breed.

[lizzybeth727]

Originally Posted by Maxy24

I mean it's possible you'll end up with a quieter one, and it's possible to do some training to stop barking. BUT what if it doesn't work? Is this pup gonna land himself in a shelter or need to be rehomed? Is he gonna have to wear some sort of bark collar which punishes him for doing exactly what his breed has been hardwired to do for hundreds of years? The reason we have different breeds of dogs is so we can choose one that fits everything we want and NEED. In this case you need a quieter dog, hounds are not quiet.

[Dog-Training-Outlet]

What will you do if the dog turns out to be a howler??? Remember it is their instinct to do so...You may want to consider a breed that's much more likely to be quiet especially during the night.
It will be problematic if the dog is not and you may be forced to move or get rid of the dog.

Good luck!

[Maura]

At 3:00 in the morning, when there is a noise outside (raccoon knocks over garbage can, neighbor opens and shuts car door,...) your startled hound reacts by waking up and giving a big "Awroooo!", then stops because you have trained him to bark less. You wake up from a sound sleep, the people downstairs wake up from a sound sleep, the next door neighbor wakes up from a sound sleep. I just don't see this working.

[cvarnon]

I have a black and tan coonhound. He is pretty much mute.

[TheGoldenRetriever]

Originally Posted by Romy

If I was you I'd look for a breed known to be less vocal, or find an adult dog that doesn't bark much.

^^^ That (highlighted)

Your best bet is to look for an adult dog to adopt ... one that's already known to be the strong-silent-type.

Although it IS possible to train a dog to accept a "quiet" command ... the problem with getting a puppy (or a non-quiet adult) and training a "quiet" command is what about when you are not at home to give the "quiet" command? You're just in a much too precarious situation to risk a dog possibly barking or howling it's fool head off when you're not there.