Great season, definitely enjoyed following along. Have debated getting a squirrel dog as a family pet but just wondering what breeds and where to actually get a decent one. Also how much work do they require besides hunting multiple times a season to maintain their skills.
most squirrel dogs are some sort of Cur or Feist. I've never owned a Feist, so I can only speak on Mt. Cur, but I've only had two of them, so I'm no expert. These dogs are all pretty high energy and need lots of exercise and attention. If you are not able to run them regularly, are never home, etc., they might not make a good house pet. Mine are wonderful house dogs, but they run almost everyday and are not left alone very often. they are extremely smart and eager to please, so very trainable. getting a good one pretty well requires that you know what you want, how to spot it in pups, that you know people who are turning out well bred dogs and are willing to sell them to you. I'm not really in the "loop" of squirrel dog breeding, so getting another good dog may not be easy.
These dogs have innate treeing instinct. you cannot teach them to do it, per se, but you can certainly coach them along, encourage them, and put them in situations that will foster their instinct. you teach them obedience, but develop their treeing instinct. they are either going to tree squirrels or they are not. my dogs do ok because they are solid tree dogs that I take to the woods constantly. I let them do what they do and try to make them behave. I have the luxury of time to hunt them, and that is about 90% of the game, imo.
