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===Socializing Your Puppy===
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===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.<ref>http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/hunting/2016/08/how-train-your-own-squirrel-dog-pro-plus-4-breeds-consider</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 1 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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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.<ref>http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/hunting/2016/08/how-train-your-own-squirrel-dog-pro-plus-4-breeds-consider</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 1 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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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
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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.<ref>http://www.sheltermedicine.vet.cornell.edu/documents/SocializingYourNewPuppy.pdf</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 2 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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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.<ref>http://www.sheltermedicine.vet.cornell.edu/documents/SocializingYourNewPuppy.pdf</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 2 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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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.<ref>http://huntingdogs.us/what-does-socializing-your-puppy-mean/</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 3 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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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.<ref>http://huntingdogs.us/what-does-socializing-your-puppy-mean/</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 3 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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===Sharpening Your Dog’s Tracking Instincts===
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===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.<ref>https://ift.tt/2FlHwF7> 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
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#Scatter treats. Dogs are born with incredible scent-tracking abilities, but hunting dogs need to rely on them constantly.<ref>https://ift.tt/2FlHwF7> 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.[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 5 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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#*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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#*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).[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 6 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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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).[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 6 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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#*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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#*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
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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.<ref>http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/2014/08/retriever-training-sure-fire-scent-trailing</ref>[[Image:Train a Squirrel Dog Step 7 Version 2.jpg|center]]
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#*Don’t let your dog eat the meat to avoid the risk of bacterial poisoning.
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#*Don’t let your dog eat the meat to avoid the risk of bacterial poisoning.
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===Preparing Your Pup for the Hunt===
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===Preparing Your Pup for the Hunt===
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