This golden reminds me so much of my first dog in appearance, and if she found a dead, squirrel that exactly what she would do with it. This dog looks like it’s found a long dead squirrel to bring home as a present. However, it gets me thinking about a possible other use for the golden that I did not consider.
I’ve never heard of using a golden as a squirrel dog, but my guess is that they are not going to be as good as the feist dogs that are usually called “squirrel dogs” in my native land.
However, goldens have a great sense of smell, so they can find the “bushy-tails” probably as well as any hound. I don’t think, though, that they would be of any use as “treeing” dog. Goldens just don’t tree. (By tree, I mean chasing game into a tree and then barking like mad to tell the hunter where the game is.)
The golden would have an advantage over the feists, though. Once the squirrel is shot and falls among the undergrowth, the golden would have a very easy time finding the animal. Plus, the golden could actually bring the squirrel back to you!
In Europe, retrievers are used on fur. They are almost never used in that way in this country. Often the dogs are sent after shot hares, which can do a lot more damage to a dog than any squirrel.
My guess is that squirrel retrievers will become somewhat more common in Britain, for the UK has declared war on the gray squirrel, which is an introduced species. And they are eating them.
[…] no one has come up with using a golden retriever as a squirrel dog. Maybe I’m the only […]
Well, we haven’t used them on squirrels, but we do have a dead squirrel in the freezer waiting for field training to start. Any type of game is good for training and hunt tests in Finland require retrievers to pick up feather and fur (avoiding fur is impossible in order to pass the tests).
An American retriever can avoid touching fur its entire life. I think that’s a shame.
Is squirrel hunting that popular in the States? Perhaps that is why?
I don’t see squirrel on the diner menu that often. Although there is a dish here in PA called “scrapple”. Not really sure what is in that???
Maybe rabbit? although I don’t see rabbits climbing trees. Unless you can reveal some new mysterious breed of tree dwelling rabbit?
What would be so viscous about a hare or rabbit that could hurt a Retriever? Just curious if its a bite or if its some disease like rabies?
Well, squirrel hunting is popular in some rural areas. I’ve actually eaten them, and they are quite good.
Scrapple is a fried pork dish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple
Well, if a retriever is sent after a wounded hare, it can still kick and bite as the dog carries it.
That’s why you should never let a retriever retrieve a shot crow or raven. They can do lots of damage to the dog’s eyes, lips, and muzzle, if they are just wounded.
In Britain, it’s becoming more and more popular because they imported our gray squirrel and it took over. It has nearly replaced the native red squirrel of Britain. They are also hard on hardwood saplings. So they want to kill them. And now they’re being served in posh London restaurants.
I find this ironic because squirrel is the quintessential West Virginia game meat.
That looks great. I had a poodle that would do that. At first she would only fetch but as time went by she learned to look for the little furry critters and would bark up the tree when she found one. Turned out to be the best squirrel dog I ever had.
I think that a golden makes a great squirrel dog. Mine trees and barks, its all about the dog I guess.