Squirrel Dog Articles

The fox squirrel is much larger and much  more red in appearance than the gray squirrel which it is sometimes confused. Its body is a  reddish-yellow, with yellow face, and feet. The belly is usually orange in color. Tufts behind the ears and the tips of its tail are yellowish-brown. The tail itself is a reddish-orange with a mixture of dark gray or black hairs throughout.

The range of the fox squirrel is the eastern United States except for the New England states. They usually live in woodlots are 10 to 20 acres in size with a sparse underbrush, they tend to stay around fence rows. Fox squirrels use hickory, oak,beech, black walnut, maple, elm, trees for food and shelter. They have also been known to cut pine cones, eat mushrooms and even bone.  Mature trees provide the needed den and food sites for fox squirrels.

Like gray squirrels, fox squirrels use two types of nests: leaf and den. Leaf nests are made from leaves and sticks and are located in the crotches of tree branches. Dens are formed in hollow tree trunks. Nests are used for shelter and the rearing of their young.

Male fox squirrels initiate the chase of the female that leads to mating. Fox squirrels are polygamous, meaning the male will mate with more than one female. The male will play n  role in rearing the young. Female fox squirrels carry the young for 44 days. The young are born blind and hairless. They rely on their mother’s milk for at least the first five weeks of life. Young fox squirrels generally don’t leave the nest to forage on the ground until they are about three months old.

Mountain Curs were pioneer dogs. Many people have said that without dogs like Mountain Curs the United States could never have been settled by the pioneers.  Mountain Curs were necessary for the survival of the frontier family.  They guarded against wild animals and other dangers. They caught, treed and holed animals for the family to eat.

Mountain Curs originated from Europe and came over when their owners came to America seeking a new life.  When settlers arrived on the east coast they moved down the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia into the Carolinas, across the Appalachian Mountains, along the Wilderness Trail into Kentucky and Tennessee and south and west into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.

It has been established through research that Hernando de Soto brought these brindle, bob-tailed Curs to the South when he came to explore the South and discovered the Mississippi River. He brought the Curs to drive hogs and provide protection against wild animals,

The colors of the Original Mountain Curs are Brindle, yellow, black and blue.  Some have white markings around the feet , neck and muzzle.  Different strains were known by their owners’ names such as: Arline, York and Ledbetter.  All these dogs have the same general traits, such as strong treeing instinct, courageous fighters and intelligence.  The Mountain Cur today is a varmint dog just like it always was. Hunting whatever game his master wants.

The Mountain Cur is bred for its working ability. It is a stocky, rugged, working dog with a genuine, though somewhat generic, cur appearance. The heavy coat tends to be longer than that of the hounds but still basically short. It is smooth or rough with a soft fine undercoat. Breeders proudly report that 50% or more of puppies are born with bob-tails. Many are born with dew-claws on their hind feet and some with two on each foot. Very stocky, wide, and muscular with a strong wide head and the short, higher set ear. The neck is strong and muscular. The eyes are usually dark with a prominent, expressive expression. The head is dome flat and wide between the eyes. The muzzle is heavy. The ears are short to medium, set high with control. The cat like feet are strong and well-muscled, set for speed. The straight legs are muscular. The chest is deep and the back is straight.

Usually silent on the trail, they make consistent guard dogs but certainly are not ideal for suburbia, where there is no call to work. Trailing ability varies with strains, but they have enough nose to follow game and most carry treeing ability. Some lines are bred for tree dogs and others for baying. This very tough large game, raccoon, and squirrel hunter is willing to face a squealing razor back or an angry wild cat when it is cornered. They have a strong desire to please their master. Very protective of the property and family; and without an owner who is more dominant than themselves they can become over-protective. The Mountain Cur is noted for his courage. This hunting dog will catch a mad bull head- on in the nose and will hold his ground even against a bear when threatened.

The Mountain Cur is a very active working dog which needs a lot of daily exercise. When they are not hunting, they need to be taken on a daily, long, brisk walk or jog. While out on the walk the dog must be made to heel beside or behind the person holding the lead, as in a dog’s mind the leader leads the way, and that leader needs to be the human. In addition, they will benefit from a large safe area where they can run free. This breed enjoys outdoor activities and sports.

The modern Cur is still a traditional hunting dog. Seen still almost exclusively in the South, this farm dog is second to none. It can handle anything from squirrels and raccoons to bears, boar, and bulls. It is a first-class treeing dog, they are not very vocal on trail. The Mountain Cur has its own registry, the OMCBA, or Original Mountain Cur Breeder’s Association.

Most owners believe that if worms are found in a dog’s stool that the dog must be suffering from a disease. This is not necessarily true. Most dogs are infested at one time or another with worms. Some are born with them and others acquire them later in life. When they recover, they develop immunities that help keep the worms in check. You can distinguish between a disease state from the mere presence of parasites by a change in the appearance of the stool combined with a decline in the general healthier of the dog. Take note of decreased appetite, weight loss, upset stomach, anemia, mucus and or blood in the stool, etc.

Dogs develop a resistance to certain worms; those having a larvae phase that migrate in their tissues like hookworms, roundworms, and threadworms. The effect is on the maturation cycle. The larvae remain dormant as cysts in the tissues instead of becoming adults in the intestine. Whipworms and tapeworms have no migration stage and cause little buildup of immunity. Resistance to roundworms appears to be related to age.

High stress events such as trauma, surgery, or travel can activate dormant larvae. This leads to the parasites being found in the stool. Also Immunosuppressive drugs can cause the activation of dormant larvae. During Pregnancy, roundworm larvae are activated and migrate tot eh unborn puppies, Heave parasite problems may appear in the litter even if the mother was dewormed. This can happen because none of the deworming agents are effective against larvae encysted in the tissue.

Most puppies are infested with roundworms. Other worms may e present as well. You are advised to have your puppy’s checked by a stool sample before treating for worms. Puppies should be dewormed at two to three weeks of age and again and five to six weeks. If eggs or worms are still found in the stool, subsequent doses should be given. There are many types of dewormers on the market the most popular for puppies being Nemex which is gentle and very effective on Hookworms and Roundworms. Nemex is not however effective for whipworms or tapeworms. Panacur is better for tape and whip but be careful with panacur and use as directed!

Adult dogs should only be dewormed when there are signs of infestation. A stool examination is the most effective way. Most dogs carry roundworms as encysted larvae, but intestinal infestation by the adult worm in a healthy dog is very rare. Hookworms are likely to be a problem during periods of high stress. Deworming may catch in intestinal phase but is not effective against encysted larvae. When whipworms are present, usually several doses of treatment will be required.  Tapeworms are very common, the worm segments are easy to see in the stool. Fortunately they cause few problems and can be eliminated. Threadworms are very uncommon. There are very few medications that treat Threadworms.

If you choose to deworm on a regular basis, Panacur is a great choice because it has a very wide spectrum and is not a harsh preparation. Panacur can easily be given once or twice a year every year without difficulty.

Before breeding a bitch, have her stool checked. If parasites are found, she should be thoroughly dewormed. This will not protect the puppies from all infestation but it will help put her in the best condition for a healthy pregnancy.

Good sanitation and maintaining clean, dry living conditions for your dog are the best methods to keep reinfestation down. Cement is best for keeping clean but gravel can be substituted, dirt is the worst for keeping sanitary. Lawns should be cut short and watered only when necessary. Stools in the yard should be removed at least once a week. Fleas, lice, mise and other rodents are intermediate hosts for the tapeworm. It is necessary to get rid of these in order to control the disease. Your dog should not be allowed to eat raw meat or intestines from other animals to keep from catching tapeworm.

Kennels that continuously have problems with worms often have other problems too like skin, bowel, and respoiratory ailments. Steps should be taken to improve the management of a kennel, especially sanitation measures.

Grey squirrel ( (Sciurus carolinensis), is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the southeastern United States. An abundant and adaptable species, the gray squirrel has been introduced to, and thrives, in several regions of the United States.

The genus, Sciurus, is derived from two Greek words, skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail. This name alludes to the squirrel sitting in the shadow of its tail. The specific epithet, carolinensis, refers to the Carolinas, where the species was first recorded and where the animal is still extremely common.

As the name suggests, the gray squirrel has mostly gray fur but it can have a reddish color mixed in. It has a large bushy tail with a white underside. In many areas both white- and black-colored individuals are sometimes found.  There are also genetic variations within these, including individuals with black tails and black colored squirrels with white tails. The tracks of an eastern gray squirrel are difficult to distinguish from its cousin the fox squirrel and Abert’s squirrel, though the latter’s range is entirely different from the gray’s.

like many members of the squirrel family, the gray squirrel is known as a scatter-hoarder; it hoards food in numerous small stores for later recovery. Some stores are short-term, especially those made near the site of a sudden large quantity of food which can be retrieved within hours or days for burial in a more secure site. Others are more permanent and are not retrieved until months later. It has been estimated that each squirrel makes several thousand stores each season. The squirrels have very accurate memory for the locations of these stores, and use distant and nearby landmarks to retrieve them. Smell is used once the squirrel is within a few feet of the store. It is one of very few animals that can descend a tree head-first. It does this by turning its feet so that the claws of its hind paws are backward pointing and can grip the tree bark.

Gray squirrels build a type of nest, known as a drey, in the forks of trees. The drey consists mainly of dry leaves and twigs. Squirrels may also nest in the attic or exterior walls of a house. In addition, the squirrel may inhabit a permanent tree den

Gray squirrels are more active during the early and late hours of the day, and tend to avoid the heat in the middle of the day. Gray squirrels do not hibernate.

Natural predators of the gray squirrel  include humans, hawks, skunks, raccoons, domestic and feral cats, snakes, owls and dogs. On occasion, a squirrel may lose part of its tail while escaping a predator. While gray squirrels do fight among themselves over food sources, they have been known to mob potential predators such as domestic cats. They also have a complex, tag-team defensive system involving distracting would-be predators with vigorous shaking of their tails.

Gray squirrels breed twice a year, December to February and May to June, though this is slightly delayed in northern areas.^] The first litter is born in February to March, the second in June to July. There are usually up to 6 young in each litter, but this number can be as high as 8. The gestation period is about 44 days. They are weaned at 7 weeks and leave the nest after 10 weeks.

Gray squirrels can start breeding as early as 5 and a half months old, but usually breed for the first time at a year old.  They have lived to be 20 years old in captivity, but in the wild it usually only lives to a maximum of 12 years old.

Like most other mammals, communication among eastern gray squirrel individuals involves both vocal and posture. They have various vocalizations, including a squeak similar to that of a mouse, a low pitched noise, a chatter. Other methods of communication include tail-flicking.

Gray squirrels eat many types of seeds, acorns, walnuts, and other nuts, and some types of fungi found in the forests.

They have a high tolerance for humans and inhabit residential neighborhoods they will raid bird feeders for corn, and sunflower seeds.

In the wild, eastern gray squirrels can be found large mature, dense wooded areas that generally cover 40 acres of land and up. These forests usually contain dense vegetation that provides food sources and cover. Gray squirrels generally prefer constructing their dens in a large tree and within the hollow trees. They also have been known to take over abandoned bird nests. In human populated areas gray squirrels are found in parks and backyards of houses and in the farmlands of rural environments.

A squirrel dog is a working dog that hunts and trees squirrels in the wild. They can be any breed from cur, to feist, to West Siberian Laika. The job of a squirrel dog is to go out a tree wild game by letting the hunter know where the squirrel will be by barking “treed” when it locates a squirrel. Barking treed means to stand at the base of the tree and bark until the hunter arrives to shoot the squirrel out to the dog. Or in a competition setting it is the handlers job to spot the squirrel in the tree so the judge can give the dog points for accurately locating a squirrel.  The sport of squirrel hunting with a dog is a lot of fun. Following a well trained dog through the woods until it sniffs out a trail or spots a bushy tail and gives chase and keeps it at bay until you arrive is an amazing thing that many people enjoy all over the country .\

 
Squirrel hunting with dogs is a popular sport primarily in the southeast US from East Texas to the Carolinas. The most popular breed these days is the Original Mountain Cur although the Feist has a very large following as well. Other breeds popular in the sport are the Treeing Cur which is usually a combination of hound, Mountain Cur, bird dog, etc. There are also Kemmer Stock Cur, Mountain View Cur, Barger feist, Mullins feist, Canadian Cur, Leopard Cur, Treeing Tennessee Brindles, Stephens Cur, S Blackmouth Cur, Treeing Feist, Barger Feist, Thornburg Feist, Cajun Squirrel Dog, West Siberian Laika, Rat Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Fox Terrier, German Jagdterrier, Airedale Terrier, Treeing Farm Shepherd, Norwegian Elkhound, Finnish Spitz, Walker Hound, English Hound, Bluetick Hound, Redbone Hound, Black and Tan Hound. Each breed, strain or bloodline has different strong and weak points and each have their own supporters and detractors.