# Squirrel dog training



## shdybrady19 (Jul 5, 2009)

I really want to get a dog to train for squirrel hunting. And I see the common advice is to get a dog thats already started. Well I have an american bulldog and can be dog aggressive. I had a blue nose pit and bought it as a puppy and never cut him. And they had disputes. I had to get rid of one of them. So this time around I plan on getting a female and want to introudce it to my dog in the beginning and train it myself. Is it really hard to train a dog to hunt? And does it affect a dogs hutnting abilities to spay or neuter it?


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## Doug B. (Jul 5, 2009)

My advise to anyone with an aggressive dog would be to get rid of it. I absolutely will not tolerate a dog that is aggressive to other dogs.

It is not hard to train a dog, but first you have to realize that you don't train a dog to hunt, or to tree, or bay game. It will either do it or it won't. All feist, or all curs won't make a squirrel dog just because they are feist or curs. But you have to give them the opportunity....in other words keep them in the woods where they can figure it out. You can train them to fetch, or load in the truck, or to come when you call them, etc.

I would not recommend having a hunting dog speyed or neutered, just because, if it does turn out to be a good dog, and it has been fixed, then there is no way to pass on what it has. You may want to squirrel hunt after this dog is dead and gone, and you will have to start over again instead of staying with what you already have.

Just my opinion......


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## Nga. (Jul 5, 2009)

Get you a good pup from good proven dogs and spend the time with it. If your a fair weather sq hunter then yes it is hard to get one to do it right. If your dedicated and the dog has it it's not hard just time consuming. plan on wearing out 2 pair of boots and the 3rd pair your going to start really enjoying your dog.

The main thing is exposure to sq at least 3 times a week. More is better in this department.


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## shdybrady19 (Jul 6, 2009)

my dog isnt aggressive. He is just territorial in his house. I take him to petsmart and I could even take my two dogs out of the house and it was all fine. It was just in the house that was a problem. BUt I am pretty confident I can dedicate the time. Ill be sure to look into bloodlines


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## howl (Jul 8, 2009)

If you expose a puppy to an aggressive dog it will learn to be aggressive as well. Consider the time, effort and money you will put into your new squirrel dog and compare that to whatever the aggressive dog is worth.


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## GA DAWG (Jul 9, 2009)

Yep you need to get a female..Matter of fact I saw running around leons last week..Purty as a picture..No collar on and in heat! I started to just bring her home..Somebody dont care much about her


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## olhippie (Jul 19, 2009)

...I raise Decker Rat Terriers and have "never seen one" that wouldn't hunt! It is, as has been said, a matter of exposing the pup to game early on, get them excited by your encouragement. Trap live squirrels and use them in your training program. If you've played a tease game with your pup using squirrel tails, encouraging the pup to chase, and tree after the tease tail, and giving GREAT PRAISE when your pup conforms to what you desire of him, then introducing a live squirrel to chase to tree should be about all that you need do at home training. ...The "fetch-it" command ought to be worked at home from early on as well. From there it's get them to the woods where the squirrel population is good.

.... As was said in an above post, nothing hones the hunting skill of your dog like TIME IN THE WOODS. Many dogs have all the instinct necessary to be great hunting companions, they just need direction in what game to focus that hunting instinct on, to please you.


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