Can I Train My Westie To Hunt Squirell With A Treat Or Bit Of Food?
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
I was told, squirell pelts work, but we dont go hunting till the first week of october, and i want her to come with us and find us some squirell. So, can i train her with food, or a treat or somthin i can get from walmart, or tractor supply or somthin?
Related West Highland White Terrier posts:
- How Can I Get My Dog Back From My Sister In Law, She Is Just Watching Him?
- West Highland Terrier And Food?
- We Have A New Adopted Dog (apprx 1 Yr Old)that We Cant Get To Pee Outside.we Dont Want To Crate Train. Help!?
- How Can I Prevent My Dog From Peeing When He Gets Excited???
- Are There Any Westie Owners Who Have Good Ways Of Training Their Rambunctious Puppies?
Westie breeds have been trained for years to hunt according to history. I’m sure you could train yours to sniff out squirrels. The only problem I see with it is what happens after your pet trees the squirrel. The Squirrel isn’t going to just stand there while the dog approaches…And the Squirrel will avoid making himself visible by staying on the opposite sides of tree so you won’t see him. Hunting Rabbits would be a different story since they can’t climb trees, but Squirrels are hardly the wild game you would use a dog to catch.Of course, It’s up to you if you want to try.
I’m not sure what a westie is but my old dog (mutt) would would find as many squirrels by smell as I could by sight. I found I was walking past squirrels in trees I had not seen! I think I was pretty lucky but my dog was hooked on squirrel hunting after I took him out with me and let him gnaw on a squirrel I had shot. After that he was an expert at finding fresh squirrel scent.
This website has some interesting squirrel dog info on it: http://www.sqdog.com/
Good Luck!
Hi again, sure hope to get a best answer. You can use a stuffed animal or anything from a rolled up newspaper to a dish towell. A hide would be best. Or something with fur. It sounds like you have access to a feed and farm supplie store go there and look at the dog training supplies. They should have lures or urine for training purposes. Use the sent to do simulated hunts as I said last question. The main thing is you want her to be excited about hunting. Look online for sents. They seem expensive at around 10 bucks for a cup but it will go a long way and it is my expierence that it is far easyer to buy than collect yourself. Check your local game laws but nothing would work better than a live squirrel in a cage to tease your pup. You can trap them in live traps or possibly even buy one. I hope I have helped I love to see people excited about their dogs and hunting
The whole idea is for the dog to tree the squirrel, and then circle the tree raising cain which will make the squirrel come around on the side facing the hunter.
Hunting squirrel with a well trained dog is so easy it is almost unsporting. The main sporting part is the effort it takes to make a head shot to prevent ruining meat and pelt.
Pirate Girl,
Since Westie’s were bred to hunt, I don’t think you will have much trouble training the little guy to hunt squirrels,
I’d say try to find a friend who has a squirrel tail or two to use for training. Next suggestion is to find a good book on training gun dogs and get their ideas.
Good luck.
Doc
yess