Slick i guess i dont have a proven answer.. I have had dogs more comfortable off the box i have had dogs more comfortable off the cab. The reason i prefer dogs on the hood is if you hunt alone alot as i do. or if you hunt with another buddy and you both want to ride in the cab, You can and you can see when your dogs or dog gets antsy and also see if there doing what there suppose to without looking in the back. Also u can learn if you dont already know which dogs are the real strikers and which are the followers. Thats just what i like.
Excellent answer.. I've been thinkin' about throwin' a piece of carpet over the hood with some bungees for the dogs to ride on for a while! Besides the fact that they'd have a better shot at winding into "quiet air" at the front of the truck, I usually end up riding on the box with the dogs and lettin' someone else drive so as I can watch my dogs... usually even the most suttle tell from the dogs means it's game on when I send them... with them on the hood you can read them much more easily
Some of my friends down in south Florida that I first started huntin' with showed me how efficient this style of hunting can be... a good rig dog that'll ride(unclipped) until he winds somethin' can bail off when he's ready and take care of bidness...
Really cool when done right.... When I hunt by myself I like this style alot... just ride with a dog or two up top and when they bail off.... wait for the bay.. then walk that ol' CD in...
I train all of my dogs to ride and rig(wind, whatever the hell you want to call it)... when I slow down and say "go ahead" they'll bail off and check out whatever I was wantin' them to check out... when I say "load up", well, they load their ass up
.... all without me ever gettin' out of the truck mind you
As I said, a very efficient way of workin' a property... in between big blocks that you want to cast dogs into, no harm in havin' a dog up top to tell you if you drivin' past one on your way!!!!
