Finally after many hours of searching finally found a dog seems to come from a good bloodline it's currently 4 months old, so let's here your tips and tricks on training. I know basic commands and obedience are important I've done quite a bit of training from that aspect with a bunch of dogs over the years
Training squirrel dogs
- Thread starter Rabbitkil
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2019
- Messages
- 1,074
Just take it to the woods. A lot. If bloodline is good, it will teach itself to tree. After starts good young dogs like to leave the tree to go hunt another as soon as you get to the tree. Leash it to the tree or close
to the tree and it will fix that. Dont fuss at it for anything squirrel related. Make it fun for the dog too.
to the tree and it will fix that. Dont fuss at it for anything squirrel related. Make it fun for the dog too.
oaktreeplanter
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2020
- Messages
- 43
Sounds like a good way to start. Keep 'em in the woods and busy!
Benelli 4 Life
Well-Known Member
Just take it hunting
Remington700
Well-Known Member
The main thing is keeping it in the woods. If it is a good bloodline it will already know what to do. You can't train hunting into it. Squirrel dog central has some good info on training. I have a cur and she's a pretty good dog.
The important thing is the first few times he trees is to get there fast and kill the squirrel. Not killing will lead to leaving the tree. Take a friend and use shotguns, when he starts to tree you have to kill the squirrel. Then it's just hunting as much as you can. Most dogs will have it figured out in a couple of seasons. Don't start him in February, squirrels hang by the holes too much and you'll have a hard time killing one for him. Slick trees discourage young dogs and get them to leaving the tree.
Last edited:
My Kemmer pups used to be gun shy to shotguns As pups so started them out on .22 shorts just plinking as puppy's then up to 22 longs over the summer graduating them to a 20 gauge in early season. It's not a lot of trouble to insure a pup doesn't become gun shy. My TN mountain feist won't flinch at any gun fire.
Last edited:
Obedience is the most important thing the first few months imo. Doesn't matter how good it will hunt if you can't control it- it wont be fun.
Second is like everybody else said, take it to the woods every chance you get. Like was said above, i like to leash mine at the tree and have since she was a pup. The only negative to that is your dog won't be able to learn to timber the squirrel. Last is have fun with it, and dont expect too much too soon from the dog. It is learning every time just like you are.
Second is like everybody else said, take it to the woods every chance you get. Like was said above, i like to leash mine at the tree and have since she was a pup. The only negative to that is your dog won't be able to learn to timber the squirrel. Last is have fun with it, and dont expect too much too soon from the dog. It is learning every time just like you are.
From what people say when they look at her pedigree she comes from good blood, ive had her in the woods everyday that I have had off work. Her nose is always to the ground and I can tell she's trailing a squirrel from the sign I see. followed one all the way to hollow base den tree she circled it a dozen times but couldn't figure it out, I believe what is really going to flip the switch is when she come across one on the ground to get after.
Keep doing it, the switch will flip if its in her. When mine was yours age one thing I did a time or two to help her, was take her to a city park with smaller trees- the squirrels will let you and the pup get close and she will be able to see them run up and sit in the tree. That should set her off. I made a leash of weedeater cord that was 30 foot long just so i'd be in accordance with the city's leash law
hillbillyfab
Well-Known Member
We've got a mountain cur we hunt squirrels and coons with. There's a thread somewhere on here I should maybe do a little updating. I just wanted to add like other's have, obedience. It's the one thing that makes a trip enjoyable or not for me. It seems like once you and the pup have a good understanding about this, the hunting side of things just start getting inline. As for the training when it comes to hunting, just keep exposing the little pup to the outdoors and the rest just comes. Good luck and happy hunting.
bluedogman
Active Member
I'd get basic obedience down then just hunt the hair of of him. No amount of training beats time in the timber.
I had a female rat terrier I killed a truckload of squirrels with , I started hunting her at 9 months and she had a squirrel run up a tree right in front of her and she went nuts treeing. I knocked it out to her and she was made for the next 16 years. We killed 2 more that morning. I worried about her a lot hunting. After a while she would go as far as she had to to get treed and be way off by herself treeing. I always worried a coyote would snatch her off the tree but it never happened. She weighed 10lbs on a fat day.
My cur pup turned 4 months old yesterday and is already 23lbs, that's one of the reasons I decided to go with cur instead of feist / rat terrier places I hunt have lots of coyotes.
That's my plan for her put her on coons soon as I get her good and trained for squirrels since it's main priority.
What did you end up getting?
Cur, from my understanding ( I know nothing about bloodlines ) she's from fairly decent bloodlines
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2019
- Messages
- 1,074
pretty dog.
I am wanting to get a good squirrel dog for next year. Preferably a cur but set on any one breed. Can any of y'all direct me to a breeder or trainer with proven bloodlines. Would rather have one that is started but don't mind a pup as long as it is coming from good stock. PM me if you know of any for sale. Thanks
