![]() “When talking to someone about purchasing a started dog, your goal should be to get a good understanding of what the dog will do,” said Loudin. “It is always best, if possible, to go hunt with a dog before you purchase it, but if you can’t, make sure the answers to the above questions aren’t vague. Has the dog been obedience trained to handle easily?.Is the dog independent or does it go to other dogs when they tree?.Has the dog been hunted with other dogs and if so, is it ill (tends to fight) in any way?.About how many squirrels have been killed over the dog?.Is the dog typically on the squirrel when it trees?.Does the dog stay tight on the tree, or does it mill around when treed?. ![]() Is the dog a hard tree dog (does it bark at the base of the tree)?.How deep into the woods does the dog hunt?.How does the dog move through the woods while hunting?.Adam Loudin has trained six generations of squirrel dogs from the same line of mountain curs, including three world champions, and two dogs that are in the Original Mountain Cur Hall of Fame. Loudin is the founder and co-owner of Mountain State Kennels along with his father, Chuck. Training a New PuppyĪdam Loudin grew up hunting with squirrel dogs and is well known in the cur world as a breeder and trainer. But even puppies have some drive or interest in hunting, so spend as much time with the litter as you can. Dogs, like people, are all different and will develop at their own pace. Expecting too much from a puppy, either in choosing a pup or in its training is a common mistake with new owners. A puppy that appears extremely shy or skittish, you’ll probably want to avoid. Remember, any of these traits are related to the age and development of the puppy. Future tree dogs may go around and “check trees” looking for some scent. Watch for pups that will put their nose to the ground and appear to be tracking. How to Shop for a Squirrel Dog Puppy Picking the right breeder is important. That can be in your yard, a nearby running trail, or a golf course (make sure you go in the evenings when golfers are gone). And you have to get them on squirrels as much as possible. They have to be exercised daily, which can be challenging if you live in a subdivision or apartment. Leaving it in a kennel all day, and paying little attention to it doesn’t create a good hunting dog.Īlso realize that both cur and feist breeds are high prey-drive dogs. But you have to spend time with that dog for the bond to develop. Most good dogs catch on and will want to please their owners. This helps when the dog learns what you are hunting and how you are going about it. The pup grows up with you and becomes part of the family. While pups can be troublesome, starting with a puppy is the best way to bond with a dog. House breaking (if you decided to keep your dog inside) and chewing on everything but the kitchen sink is just the start. Puppies are cute and do cute things, but they can also be a big headache. (I was fortunate that I lived in a house for the whole time I had my sun conure, even then my brother grew to hate him.So You’ve Decided to Buy a Squirrel Dog Puppy I *might* require them for some of the louder conure species, since people seem to give up /Aratinga spp./ conures a lot on account of noise complaints from their owners, owners' family, or neighbors. I'd probably require them for grays, amazons, and mid-sized cockatoos like galahs and corellas. I'm not sure where I'd draw the line, but if I were writing exotic pet regulations from scratch I'd definitely require permits for large macaws and cockatoos. (And large macaws have personalities similar to many mini-macaws and conures, birds which are considerably capable of inflicting surgery-requiring bites.) However she had almost a dozen macaws and her collection was slowly growing, because she could not find people capable of taking care of them who actually wanted a large macaw, *particularly* not ones with behavioral problems. Though it takes her longer, she also finds homes for the cockatoos, though it takes awhile, because cockatoos have charming personalities that a lot of people find worth it. ![]() The same is true for amazons and grays, which seem to be less prone to developing behavioral issues than macaws and cockatoos. There's plenty of people who understand the commitment and think it's worth it for a small parrot. The problem is that the people who know enough to properly care for a large parrot also know better than to keep one, particularly one with behavioral issues as a result of an irresponsible owner (macaws and cockatoos are particularly prone to this).Ī friend of my aunt's runs a parrot rescue, and she has no problem rehoming the small parrots.
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