How to Train a Squirrel Dog

Co-authored by Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

Training a squirrel dog begins as soon as you bring your new puppy home. The first year with your pup requires your time and patience. During this time, you need to focus on socialization, tracking, and hunting. This means building your dog’s bond with you, as well as their instinct as a predator.^{[1]
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Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Socializing Your Puppy

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Bond with your puppy. Start this process immediately after bringing your puppy home. Pet and groom them regularly to get them used to physical contact. Play games like fetch and hide-and-seek to develop their loyalty to you. This will be helpful when giving them hunting commands. Games will also sharpen their hunting skills.^{[2]
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- Positive interactions will help you form a strong bond with your puppy. Offer lots of praise when learning commands, and play together often to build trust. Striking or yelling at your puppy causes damage to your relationship, even if you are trying to offer training feedback.
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Let them interact with other dogs. This is important if you plan to go squirrel hunting with other dogs. Dogs learn new things very easily between the ages of three weeks and 12 weeks. During this time, allow as much contact with other dogs as possible. Make sure the other dogs are properly vaccinated and protected against heartworm if your pup has not received all their shots yet. Reward your pup treats to form positive connections with these experiences.^{[3]
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Encourage interaction with other humans. If you hunt with friends, even occasionally, your puppy should be comfortable around other humans. Invite your hunting buddies over, or bring your puppy to their houses. Begin this process before the age of 12 weeks.
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Work on obedience. Begin obedience training at around 8 to 12 weeks old. Start with basic commands like “Come,” “Sit,” and “Stay.” Work up to more advanced commands like “Squirrel” and “Tree.” Start by leading your leashed pup to a tree and saying, “Tree” in an assertive voice. When you see squirrels, point to them and say, “Squirrel.” Reward them with treats to make this a positive experience.
- Puppies have a very short attention span from birth to about 20 weeks. Don’t expect your commands to work for more than a minute or two during this time.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Sharpening Your Dog’s Tracking Instincts

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Scatter treats. Dogs are born with incredible scent-tracking abilities, but hunting dogs need to rely on them constantly.^{[5]
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Research source} Before the age of 12 weeks, start by making a trail of dog treats in the house or in the yard. Sharpen the pup’s skills by hiding treats behind furniture or under rocks. This will help to sharpen their sense of smell.
- Use small bits of treats when training. An entire handful of treats may make your puppy sick. Using some of your puppy’s regular food is another training option, particularly if they are highly food motivated.
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Walk your dog in the woods. Around the age of 12 to 14 weeks old, start taking your puppy on short walks through the woods. Make each trip about 10 to 30 minutes. This allows the puppy to get "woods wise" (becoming familiar and comfortable with the different sights, sounds, and smells of the woods).
- Keep your puppy on a leash so it doesn't get lost in an unfamiliar location. Only work off-leash when your dog is extremely reliable with the “come” command.
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Train with raw meat. Tie a piece of meat to a string or leash, and drag it around the yard. This will create a scent path for the dog to follow. Start with easy distances of about 10 yards (9.14m) in a straight line. Gradually increase this difficulty by creating longer distances of curved paths. When your pup becomes really skilled, take the training into the woods. Reward your pup by leaving a small number of treats on the path.^{[6]
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- Don’t let your dog eat the meat to avoid the risk of bacterial poisoning.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preparing Your Pup for the Hunt

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Get the puppy used to the smell of squirrels. Around the age of three to six months old, start training with the pup with squirrel tails, hides, or dead squirrels. Use this time to train the pup to look up trees at the decoy and alert you when they find it. When your pup starts barking, reward them with treats.^{[7]
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Use a caged squirrel. This step is useful if you have limited resources for getting the pup into an area with squirrels. Trap and place a live squirrel in a cage. Set the caged squirrel in an elevated location like a stump, picnic table, or brush. Casually walk your pup near the area where the caged squirrel is located. As the pup’s curiosity increases, they’ll move in closer to check it out. Once they start barking, pet and encourage them.
- You can also do this with the caged squirrel having a rope tied to the cage. The rope will allow you to raise the squirrel up a tree so you can get the pup barking up.^{[8]
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  Research source} Once the pup consistently barks at a caged squirrel, move on to the next step. Be careful to not overdo the caged squirrel. Once or twice is plenty! You will release the squirrel at this point.
- You can skip this step if the puppy already barks up at a wild squirrel.
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Play catch-and-release. Turn a caged squirrel loose in an area where the squirrel's choices of trees are limited. Let the pup chase and tree the squirrel. Even if they don’t tree, reward the pup with treats and praise.
- Never release a caged squirrel more than a couple of times.
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Train your dog for gunfire. When your pup is about 14 weeks old, begin to add sporadic gunfire into outdoor activities. Start by having a friend fire a low-volume pistol loaded with blanks from a distance. Reward your dog with treats to train them to anticipate the sound. Gradually decrease the distance, firing the gun into the air. Eventually replace the blanks with real bullets or shells.^{[9]
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Take your puppy hunting. Your pup should be ready for the hunt by age five or six months. Start with several short sessions per week. Gradually build up to longer, less frequent sessions. Always reward your dog with treats and praise afterward.^{[10]
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Expert Q&A

Question

My dog is 3 years old, and a natural hunting dog. How do I stop him from chasing squirrels when we're not hunting?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

You will have to teach your dog a come/return command in this case until he is very reliable. Practice this command over and over in an area without squirrels to start. Another alternative is to never let him off the leash when you may be in potential squirrel territory.
Question

Would this technique work for gophers as well?

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD
Veterinarian
Dr. Nelson is a Veterinarian who specializes in Companion and Large Animal Medicine in Minnesota, where she has over 18 years of experience as a veterinarian in a rural clinic. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota in 1998.

Melissa Nelson, DVM, PhD

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

The only difference between this technique and training for gophers is that your dog should do more ground work for gophers. Since gophers don't climb trees; that is a part of the exercise that you can skip.