In defense of Plotts...I grew up in the country in upstate South Carolina, and we were blessed with many dogs of various descriptions. A few were purebred but most were not. Our Plott, Polk, was by far the most intelligent, laid back, greathearted, and loquacious dog I have known. When I would return from work or school at the end of the day, Polk would greet me with a sweet modulated rumble that was neither bark or howl, looking me straight in the face, for minutes on end..........I swear he was telling me how his day had gone. He was an excellent watchdog, without being aggressive or highstrung in the presence of strangers. He did love to wander, and visited neighbors for miles around. He did not bother their dogs or eat their chickens.

JTT