Otterhounds have a deep bay, a lovely melodious sound, which carries amazingly well. (Please note that a hound voice is probably an acquired taste....) Some OHs are fairly quiet, and some seem to like the sound of their own voice. It's probably indicative of something that there are a large number of paintings and drawings of Otterhounds with their heads thrown back and their mouths open - caught giving voice. It's also no accident that the OHCA newsletter is "The Voice". Many Otterhounds seem to be "mutterers"; they grunt, groan, sigh, etc. Otterhounds are also talented "singers" and will happily vocalize with other hounds or with people.

Listening to the "music" made by a large pack of Otterhounds was considered one of the special pleasures of the hunt. Unfortunately, it's quite possible that your neighbors will not like hearing your hound. Citronella bark collars are effective at stopping some OHs from excessive vocalizing, and have the added benefit of giving the dog a pleasant lemony smell.

As a large dog with an impressively deep voice, an Otterhound can make a good watchdog, but their friendly nature makes them poor candidates as guard dogs. They'll "woof" or bay at an unusual noise, but you'd have a hard time training most for "attack" work.