Personally, I like the hounds to be very open on a track. When you're really tuned into your dogs, it's a great way to understand what they are doing. I can tell if it's an older track, if they have just jumped it, or if they have put the rabbit to hole. As far as training your dog to bark more, or to be more open I'm not exactly how you would go about that. We own and operate Red Briar kennels in north central Ohio. We specialize in guided rabbit hunts and dog training. I've found that most dogs (like people), have varied personality traits. Some are mouthy, others more quiet. Some make great jump dogs, while others are better in a pack and are great at making "checks", or finding where the rabbit went when he makes a sudden change in direction. I think the biggest thing that a dog would have going for it is desire. That is not something that you can teach a dog. That is something that is bred into them. They have it or they don't. If you're dog is not barking alot, but has great desire,well,...then maybe you're not so bad off. I've also found that if the hound is young, they sometimes don't make as much noise as a good seasoned hound. Their confidence just isn't there yet.

You might go back and look into the hounds breeding also. Sometimes it can be found, that previous hounds in their bloodlines shared a similar trait such as being tight lipped. There could be several reasons why your hound isn't as vocal as you like. Either way, continue to run the hound, give it some time, and maybe he'll surprise you.