For every hunter there are many items, tools, equipment and hunting dogs that can be used. Hunting dogs are great companions to take along for the hunt. They will also provide the hunter with the ability to flush out the game, tracking it down and in some cases retrieving the fallen game. For hunters of squirrels there is another type of hunting dog that can be used. These dogs are the squirrel dogs.

In general any type of dog can be used as a squirrel dog. The main purpose of these dogs is to seek out squirrels and corner them so that the hunter can arrive in time to make the kill. While it is possible to train any breed of dog to be a squirrel chasing dog there are some particular dogs that can be used for this branch of hunting.

The real squirrel dogs that have been used for many years are the Terriers, Dachshunds, Feists and  Curs. These dogs have been trained as squirrel hunting dogs for many generations. The best of these dog breeds are the Curs. These dogs have some kind of Terrier genes in their blood lines.

The main types of Curs that are  acceptable for squirrel hunting are those of the American Leopard, Mountain, Blackmouth and the Treeing Tennessee Brindle. They all help the squirrel hunter to bag the squirrel they want by locating the prey. The best and well trained squirrel hunting dogs will be able to locate the whereabouts of a squirrel simply by the noise they make.

As most squirrels can be found in wooded regions where their favorite food source is, this is where you should expect to see your hunting dog heading to. Once the dogs have found the squirrel they will chase the squirrel to a place where the prey will have some difficulty jumping to another tree or even hiding under some rocks. The hunters will be able to shoot the squirrels once they have found the hiding place on the tree and the dogs have been secured.

In addition to helping hunters find small game such as squirrels, there are competitions that the squirrel dogs can be entered in. These contests demonstrate the level of training and skill that a squirrel hunting dog displays. The more well-trained and experienced the dog the higher chances the hunters will have of bagging their game.

While the many different breeds of hunting dogs are excellent for helping hunters, squirrel dogs are great companions for the hunter of squirrels. With these squirrel dogs at your side you will find that you can catch your day’s limit of squirrels with ease and enjoyment.

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As soon as you get your pup, start teaching him how to learn. A seven week old pup is very capable of learning.  It is a very important time frame in the life of your pup. Use it wisely. Puppies cannot learn anything locked in a crate or left in a dog run, so make your pup a part of your family and your life.

Puppy training should be done in small doses with bits of food as rewards- Hold a small piece of cheese over his head and say sit. When he finally accidentally plops his butt down, say good and give him the piece of cheese. This can be done about 10 times in a row or until pup acts bored or distracted. Always stop a lesson before the pup gets bored. If you do this two or three times a day, your pup will know the word “sit” in a couple of days. By then the pup knows “sit” in this setting but does not really know the word thoroughly, such as if he were outside and you did not hold a treat over his head.

Teach “down” using the same principle. With pup in the sitting position, bring your hand to the floor in front of pup and say “down.” He will quickly learn to lie down to get at the tidbit in your hand. It is good for your pup to know the “down” command in order to later lie down quietly in a holding blind or duck blind.

Have your pup wear a soft leather or nylon collar  soon after they are separated from the litter. After a few days, they adjust to having it on. At this point snap a lightweight lead on the collar. Let the pup guide you at first. Do not pull or drag him. Eventually, try to guide the pup or coax him into following you with praise, tidbits and rewards. After several days, the pup should be readily walking on lead. Encourage him with praise and food to stay close to your side. Keep his attention.

Take your pup off leash for walks in the woods or park. This will introduce him to various cover changes, footing, smells and sights. Have him wade thru puddles, navigate ditches and negotiate stairs. This also teaches him to follow you. Since he is in a strange place, he is likely to want to stay close to the only thing that he is familiar with-you. This helps bonding and establishes you as the leader. Sometimes, when your pup gets distracted, hide on him or change your position. When he discovers that you are gone, he will probably get a little worried and start whining or looking for something familiar. Now call and coax him to you and pet and praise him-this can help establish yourself as the leader and the puppy as the follower. You have become his leader and protector.

Have your pup fetch rolled-up socks or other soft, lightweight toys and coax him to you. Kneel to his level, clap, praise and move away from him if he hesitates to come. Most young pups will come when they think you are leaving them. If you have an independent pup, you might start his retrieves by using a hallway in your house to limit his options.If he does not come, you may want to spend a few days on the “come” or “here” command, using the treats as a reward before going back to retrieving.
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If it is warm (water temperature over 50 degrees), pups can swim at an early age. The easiest way is to wade into the water and coax your pup in with you.If he won’t go in, wait and try again in a couple of days. Try playing with him and other dogs in and around the water. He will eventually swim; be patient. He may be 10 or 12 weeks old before he decides to venture in; don’t force the issue.

When your pup is retrieving toys, introduce a thrower to him. Use white or contrasting colored objects. Have the thrower stand 10 or 15 feet away, ’hup, hup’ to get the pup’s attention and toss the object. Release the pup as soon as he wants to go. Only do three or four retrieves at a time, then take a break. Do this once each day or every other day.

Instead of trying to stretch the distance your pup goes on his retrieves, keep them short so as not to tire him. Gradually make the retrieves more complicated. Have a little change of cover, run across a mowed path, angle a safe ditch or cross a large puddle of water. Also try having a person stand short of another person who throws, so he runs past the first person on his way to the object.

Try to get the pup to run at the object and not at the thrower. If he is running at the thrower, then the thrower is too far away. Shorten the distance between you and the thrower and lengthen the actual distance of the throw, so the pup runs at the object and not the thrower.

At some point, a pistol shot can replace the “hup, hup.” It is not that important how you get the pup’s attention. But you don’t want to startle him with the noise of a gun. If you don’t have other dogs that you are working, introduce gunshots at a distance, so as not to startle your pup.

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Flushing spaniels combine hunting, flushing, and retrieving skills.
English Springer Spaniels are popular gundogs for a variety of cover but are
closely followed in popularity by English Cocker Spaniels.
Both breeds are adept at finding and flushing then retrieving game from thick
cover. Clumbers, Sussex, and Field Spaniels are also popular for their slower,
methodical hunting pattern. The American Water Spaniel and the Boykin Spaniel
are noted for their water work.

When trained, Beagles are particularly adept at chasing through thick briars
and brush after rabbits. However, spaniels are also excellent rabbit hunting
dogs. Spaniel field trials in the UK use both game birds as well as rabbits.
Many hound breeds are excellent at treeing raccoons.

Sighthounds are different from scenthounds in their methods and adaptations.
The long lean head of the sighthound gives it a greater degree of binocular
vision. Their speed, agility and visual acuity are particularly adapted for
coursing game in open meadows or steppes. They are independent in nature, and
are worked singly or in a “brace” of two or three dogs. Sighthounds are
generally quiet and placid dogs compared to other hunting breeds.

Retrievers are good swimmers so are used for retrieving game shot down over
water. Retrievers skin secretes an oily substance that sheds water.
Retrievers are good at retrieving birds on land or in water.

Hounds have sensitive noses that are used to locate small animals like rabbits
and squirrels. Hound breeds include the bluetick, red tick, walker, and redbone.

Flushers are frequently used for pheasant hunting and can be trained to work
within gun range. Other flushers, like the cocker, the Boykin and several types
of spaniels pursue game until it goes for cover.

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Hunting DogTraining Tips
Even if you are an avid hunter, there would have been many instances of misfiring and even if you have aimed right you would not have brought back the hunt for the obvious reason that you could not find it. Should you be carrying a hunting dog with you, this would not have been the result because a hunting dog would simplify your job whilst not cutting any frills on the thrills you may be experiencing while on a hunting trip .

Whether it is a small game of hunting a lakeside duck or a countryside turkey to a big game of hunting an elk or a buck, a hunting dog can scent blood in a jiffy and would take you to the point. With this snapshot idea of a hunting dog, you need to know that a great hunting dog is not available in a nearby pet shop or even an online store. All you need to know is that you should train your canine to make one great hunting dog. Don’t think, though, that this training is easy but to get desired results, you need to know some tips and probably even you can tame a obstinate canine.

Pick the right breed for hunting

Remember that a show-style breed is far different from a hunting dog. The first and foremost quality is a breed that has a good function of smell. You can look at those that are tamable as well as those that can brave long outdoor activities; in fact, the breed should love to stay more of outdoors.

Time needed to train a hunting dog is far greater than training a canine for other jobs, and it calls for a lot of patience on the part of master.

Condition the canine: train your hunting dog to be tough when faced with adversities of outdoors. This will be perfect priming for your canine before the game of hunting begins.

Take him out more often, say at least once a week and see that you are supplying him with sufficient nutrition for this extra exercise as well as regular growth. Give him good quantities of water so he doesn’t get dehydrated.

Train him to chase a target or follow a trail, using decoy rabbits or fowls to tease the canine and allow him to learn stalking the target and teach him to bring the target to you. Use a whistle as an indication of command and let him get used to your word calls. Teach him to focus even when there are disturbances around. However, this should more likely be done during advanced training and not at pup stage.

Most important is to make your training as enjoyable as possible. Reward your canine for any signs of excelling in the training and he should find it enthralling and exciting.

And, remember that if you have trained your hunting dog properly, he will never like to eat the hunted animal but will love to return it to his master.

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Hunting Dogs History
The origin of the hunting dog dates back 20,000 years ago when Mesolithic man made use of early dogs to hunt for food, shelter, and clothing. While hunting is only a pleasure now, and rarely used in the western world for food, an ancient hunter’s life depended on his hunting success. 9,000 years ago the dog’s role changed though; this is when livestock was tamedand the dog morphed from hunter to protector and guard. By the Bronze Age, 4,500 B.C., there were five different types of dog in existence; the pointers, shepherds, mastiffs, greyhounds, and wolf breeds. Early cave paintings from this time show that dogs worked alongside hunters, being bred for their distinct job.

During this age man really began to manage the dog species to his needs. Today’s modern dog channels these primal ancestors, and not only is it why the dog has the exceptional nose to track prey, but it’s where his instinct comes from to hunt. The evolution of the dog is intricately linked with the evolution of humanity.

Hunting dogs were bred for certain types of hunts; the bird dogs were meant to flush fowl and some to fetch it from the water. Some were bred to tree raccoons, others to hunt rodents.

Today there are hundreds of breeds that all trace their genes back to these ancient hunters. Within each type there are more subcategories based upon a dog’s definitive characteristics. The hounds are broken up into sight or scent hounds; gun dogs consist of retrievers, setters, spaniels, water dogs, and pointers. Curs and Lakeland terriers are subcategories of the terrier. What all of these dogs have in common though, is their allegiance to mankind for thousands of years.

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