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What is it that we mean by cold nosed? I think for each of us it means something different. I have read that all dogs can smell about the same, that this dog has the coldest nose of the different breeds and this dog is smarter that dog. I have worked on studies and read much about this and that. What I know about any studies is that they are done to prove something and most are bias from the start. Blood hounds do have a great nose and gray hounds have great speed but do we hunt with them for tree game? Bobcat are hunted all over this country and for each area their are dogs that work best according to the local hunters. I have dogs that are far more cold nosed than others that I have raised and I still feel that all hounds can smell about the same. Line breeding is the way to get what we want in a bobcat said by many.Their has never been a true bobcat dog bred, just what we think or does work the best for us as individuals. As far as cold nosed or hunt nosed depending on where you hunt,how many bobcats there are, and how you hunt determines if we want a cold nose dog. Here is the kicker I don't think it is the nose that determines cold tracking ability it is all the other things we need in a dog, brains, heart,ability to move a track,{ track smart} desire to catch game, train ability ect.... It does no good to have a dog that can smell a three day old track if he does nothing with it. So is it a cold nose that makes what we refer to being cold nose or is it all the other things that give the hound the ability to cold trail????? Dewey

I mean of course every one wants a dog that can do all the above , like you said if it has the heart to work the track then it doesn't need or it doesn't mean it has a cold nose . I'm still kinda stumped though , I watched a Black and Tan trail a cat the others dogs had no clue it was there , " note the rest trail good" . Idk but good question!

treetalkingjp: Until we can see scent or our dogs can talk to us we will never truly know what goes on at times. We make it up as if we know. I have seen dogs that I did not think were cold nosed out trail far better dogs at times. I thing in different scent conditions different dogs can perform at better or worst degrees. Be it hot or cold, dry or wet, bare ground or snow, open or brushy different dogs can handle different condition better or worst than other dogs. Sometimes what happens is just what happens with no way to explain it. Dewey

I actually think you hit the nail on the head! I think you answered all my questions that I've ever asked about cold nose dogs . That Black and Tan trailed a cat ground in the summer in georiga , the others are use to the snow up here in the smokey mountains. Dam maybe it is terrain! Maybe instead of asking for a cold nose dry ground dog from let's say a Arizona hunter , I look around for a dogs that come from stock hunted in the snow cause it snows all the time in bobcat season where I live. I've been going about dog buying all wrong lol! Thanks for this post !!!
Dewy I think you been with holding information on us . Ill just come to you next time for a question! By the ways my names Justin if we ever talk again .
Thanks again take care

:Justin

I wonder if the amount of moister a dog carries in it's nasal canal is a factor in what conditions the dog might excel in cold trailing.

I starting thinking about it after watching a blue dog I currently have literally "lick" a rock then open on it. The other dogs knew there was a cat in the area before she opened on it because she was catty. We ended up catching the little rascal a couple hours later.

Kinda got me thinking......and that is never good.

Any thoughts on this?

Don

U.R.E, I one hundred percent agree that how much moisture INSIDE a dogs nasle cavity has to do with how well a dog can smell a track. When a dog is running a track and he/she gets to panting there sinus cavity drys out and makes it harder for them to trail a track, You catch that dog up and get him cooled down give him some water and they trail or run the track like they first started. I've seen it many times not just with hounds but with bird dogs, shed horn dogs and I have a friend who is a K9 officer and I've played bad guy for him in the summer time and i've seen it happen with there dogs. Not saying that it's the way it is but just my opinion.

When I used to think of cold nosed dogs, I used to think of arizona dry ground dogs. However, I have seen enough of those dogs up here in Montana and they can't trail any better than my backyard bred dogs. They may be conditioned to the heat better, but their noses aren't any better. Brains, brains brain! When I start hearing about arizona smart dogs or west coast smart bobcat dogs....I will be all over that like a fat kid on a cupcake!

cat6dogs: I will be the first to say brains is one of the most important things that a dog can have but isn't it the complete package that makes the top dogs? I KNOW you can teach a dog to be a better cold trailer by teaching him to be track smart, by that I mean show him how to find the track on a lose. Watch a pup starting out. He does not seem to be able to cold trail or if he does he will usually gets hung up where there is a lot of scent or he runs all over and finds nothing. If he goes with the older dogs doesn't he soon learn to open and where to look for the track. Tim and U.R.E. moisture is a big factor. Also the shape of a dogs nose if it has a big square nose with lots of loose skin it has more receptacle[ cells] to pick up scent but again if you don't have a complete dog that will do them little good. The hard part for me in finding a bobcat dog is to get all the traits in one dog that I like. It is easier to find a pack that is trained together that has all I want in a bobcat dog. Each can catch a cat but you can catch a lot of bobs while you are looking for that perfect dog that has it all. Dewey

I think it has lot to do with personality of the the dog. You can have two dogs from the same line , bitch, handler,etc. But two different results. Same thing happens with us. two broters can grow up one a doctor one a construction worker. luck of the draw.