[Idigdirt]

I have a squirril dog problem maybe someone can help me with. I have a 3,1/2 year old fiest that can strike and work a track but won't bark treed unless he can see the squirril. When he does see it he looks like a $1000 dog he'll tree hard and stays treed.
Has anyone else had this problem. If so can you tell me something that might help me fix it.
Thanks

 

[ozarkhunter]

What would you have to have for him?:biggrin: I never really liked walking to a tree just see that it was a den tree.

 

[Idigdirt]

I don't realy want to sell him. I've only owned him a week. I tried him with the man I got him from he did great. But the 2 rats he treed were in plain site. I'm trying to figure out how to add his picture on here.

 

[ozarkhunter]

Im not sure but I think most of the feist and rat terrier dogs tree by sight. Mabe some one with more knowledge will jump in there.

 

[Idigdirt]

That could be I've only had hounds in the past. This is the first Fiest I've owned.
I tried to add a picture of him it said it would have to be resized. I don't know how to do that.

 

[ozarkhunter]

I have used photobucket.com to resize my photos.

 

[Idigdirt]

I'm at work our server is set so it won't let me do the photobucket.
I'll see if can get someone to do it from home and put it on. It might take a little bit. Or I can email you one

 

[ryanh_johnson]

Im not sure but I think most of the feist and rat terrier dogs tree by sight. Mabe some one with more knowledge will jump in there.

I raised rat terriers and a few fiests for about 8 years prior to switching over to Mtn. Curs....as far as most of them treeing that way, I only had 2 out of all my time that just treed by sight. So they dont all do that. From my experience of dealing with squirrel dogs at the age of your dog if he is just treeing by sight there is a strong possibility thats all he will ever do. I not gonna say it wont happen for him to tree by smell but its likely he wont. I know this isnt what you want to hear but im just throwing in my .2 cents and being honest with you. Ive never had luck in changing one like that.

But hey you do have a dog that will tree....thats a plus. All I have at this point in time are a couple young dogs, nothing to depend on all the time to tree.

Ryan

 

[smokin joe]

I raised rat terriers and a few fiests for about 8 years prior to switching over to Mtn. Curs....as far as most of them treeing that way, I only had 2 out of all my time that just treed by sight. So they dont all do that. From my experience of dealing with squirrel dogs at the age of your dog if he is just treeing by sight there is a strong possibility thats all he will ever do. I not gonna say it wont happen for him to tree by smell but its likely he wont. I know this isnt what you want to hear but im just throwing in my .2 cents and being honest with you. Ive never had luck in changing one like that.

But hey you do have a dog that will tree....thats a plus. All I have at this point in time are a couple young dogs, nothing to depend on all the time to tree.

Ryan

i second this. i had 1 fiest for 4 years that never would bark treed. he would however whine and whimper at the tree. he would trail some but mostly depended on sight. he got stolen from my driveway. the next fiest i had was a barn burner. had all the hunt anyone could ask for. she had a good nose and would trail a squrille ok but she was strongest with site. she could see a bushy tail from a mile away and keep her eye on it till i got there. she would bark some on a hot track but did most of her treeing by site. she was allways looking in the trees. this was ok by me because i did not comp hunt. my point is if you are not completly happy with a dog that hunts this way. you should give it a new home cause you aint never gona be happy. 3 years old and only treeing by site ? that is most likely all he will ever do. i have a cur that will stick his nose in the air when he winds 1 then trying to find just witch tree it is in. if he comes on a hot track you would think he was running a deer the way he barks. but most of the time it is a bushy tail he finds in a tree. good luck with your dog and make him your best friend. you will get more out of him that way

 

[Idigdirt]

Thanks for your replys. When I tried him he treed twice right off and did a good job of it. I guess when things are right he does good enough.If he's all he's going to be right now I can live with it if he locates 2 or 3 a day. I also have a Mountain Cur pup that I hope will take up his slack when he gets old enough. Thanks again

 

[wildgameassassin]

IMO if you have only had the dog out once or twice you have no idea what the dog is capable of. He may have been haveing on off day or the squirrels weren't acting right. Hunt the dog every day possible from now to the end of season, then you can see what the dog is truely capable of.

 

[Idigdirt]

Thats my plan. I have only been hunting with him 4 times 1 one of them was before I bought him.
The other three times were not perfect conditions, cold and high wind. Its very possible that the squirrels are smarter then me and they knew to stay home.
I'm not ready to cull him over it.
Thanks

 

[ramill]

Sounds like you have a perty decent little squirrel dog to me.:biggrin: I tend to like a dog who hunts by scent first and sight second but my dad prefers them to hunt by sight as he does not like to walk a long ways for a den or nest, if the dog trees you know the squirrel is there!! I have had several Mtn Curs and I have 3 Feist (and my folks have two fiest). Out of all the dogs we have had, none of our Feist hunt stricktly by sight! Now I have had several Mtn Curs who would only tree by sight for a while. It seemes as though they will tend to learn what the squirrels smell like and will start treeing a little more on just scent. But these dogs I had never did tree entirely by scent!
You may find that as he gets a little older he may start treeing a few by scent alone. OR, you may have just what you are seeing! If you are happy with the dog I would not worry much about it. For instance, I have a male Feist that locates squirrels like no bodies buisness but he don't bark much. He is learning but I don't think he will ever "blow the top out" on a squirrel. I love the dog, the way he hunts and everything about him except the closed mouthed thing, so I will hang on to him!

Rachel

 

[Idigdirt]

Thanks, it might be like wildgameassen wrote and I may have gotten worried about him to soon. I'm taking him out again in the morning I'm hopeing for a good day. If we do have a good day I'll tell about it on here and admitt my ignorance.
Thanks for your reply

 

[RichardMoo]

squirrel dog-fiest

I was wondering if any of you may know if a snake bites a dog on his nose can it affect his smelling for hunting? My fiest is 19 months old and was bitten by a copperhead snake on his nose in August. He seemed to be doing better with the squirrel hunting before he was bitten.

 

[ryanh_johnson]

I was wondering if any of you may know if a snake bites a dog on his nose can it affect his smelling for hunting? My fiest is 19 months old and was bitten by a copperhead snake on his nose in August. He seemed to be doing better with the squirrel hunting before he was bitten.

First off....welcome to the board!!!

Second....I'm not going to say it wont affect a dogs nose....but I have some get bitten as well and it just took some time to get used to being back in the groove of things without something latching onto their nose again!! I cant say that I blame him....lol!

I think he will get back into the groove of it.....just give him some time!! Good luck!!

 

[Idigdirt]

IMO if you have only had the dog out once or twice you have no idea what the dog is capable of. He may have been haveing on off day or the squirrels weren't acting right. Hunt the dog every day possible from now to the end of season, then you can see what the dog is truely capable of.

I'm glad to say you were right. He treed 6 Tuesday and treed 7 today in about an hour and a half.
I guess I worried about it to soon.
Thanks

 

[Idigdirt]

http://arkansashunting.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1894&stc=1&d=1202026759
I finely figured out how to post a picture of my squirrel dog. Here it is