The squirrel hunter and his dog exemplify this trait; because a good squirrel dog can be so hard to find, and there isn't always one specific breed that works out all of the time, when a hunter does find his perfect dog, he cherishes it for many years.



While the two breeds that are most often thought of as squirrel dogs are the cur and the feist, hunters don't discriminate. They will use any dog that exhibits the characteristics of a good squirrel hunter; that of an excellent nose that can both track the squirrel and then alert the hunter and any other dogs to it. As long as a dog has these traits, a hunter doesn't care which breed it may be.

Squirrel hunting dogs tend to have abundant energy and stamina; they have such an excellent sense of smell that they are often able to track squirrels with their heads up instead of to the ground as most scent hounds. The squirrel dog often needs very little discipline and is very responsive to commands. They make excellent family dogs and for this reason a hunter often puts the squirrel dog in a league of his own. Once the perfect dog is found a hunter will often breed it for generations in the hopes of carrying on those same instinctual traits.

The general rule for squirrel dogs is that other hunting dogs don't often hunt squirrel well. The most popular breed for squirrel hunting is the feist. It is a small dog, usually weighing under 30 pounds and standing 10-18 inches at the shoulder. The feist is short-haired and comes in a variety of colors.

The other breed often associated with squirrel hunting is the cur. This breed was developed in medieval times in Europe and was a favorite of the peasant farmer and herders. The breed came to the New World with the settlers and was used for squirrel, bear, and wild hogs. They have an excellent sense of smell and are powerful and courageous fighters. Weighing from 40-60 pounds and standing 17-24 inches, they are a short-haired, muscular dog available in a variety of colors.

A squirrel dog is only able to last two to three hours continuously, often bringing in a dozen or two squirrels in this time. Regardless of the choice or breed, a good squirrel dog will be a hunter's greatest companion for many years if he finds the right one.