Do you know how to fine-tune a dog to hunt squirrels?

I have a female catahoula leopard dog. She is almost 7 years old. She is awesome at tracking wounded deer (my boyfriend uses her for this in case one runs, he's a good shot, so that doesn't really happen a lot) and running rabbits (does it on her own) with the local hounds. I use her for obedience and agility. She is an all around great dog.





She is a natural at treeing anything, especially squirrels. She watches them in the trees, looks for them in the trees anytime she in the in the woods, or just even on a walking trail. If she sees them on the ground, she'll chase them straight up a tree and then attempt to climb the tree. Then she'll stand under the tree and stare at them until I call her off. The only thing is that she will not bark or make a sound. I understand a good treeing dog is that they will bark and bay at what is up the tree so the hunter can find the location.





This year I have decided to join my boyfriend in hunting. But what I'd really like to do is squirrel hunting with my dog. It would give us another activity to do together as a team. And she is so interested in squirrels that I know she'd love this as well. The only thing is she wont bark at them. Is there a way I can teach her bark/bay when she trees a squirrel? She doesn't run off from me in the woods either, only to tree a squirrel near us. So does barking even matter then?





Any suggestions from EXPERIENCED squirrel hunters who use dogs? I'm just looking to go out with my dog and have some fun. She is such a natural at treeing squirrels too.....I just need some tips to fine-tune this instinct.





(and yes, we eat all of the game meet hunt, and what we don't eat, I turn it into jerky or make dog food from it.)Do you know how to fine-tune a dog to hunt squirrels?
You have a great dog. The barking on a lot of dogs when they tree usually will come after you kill several squirrels with them and they realize the squirrel is what you are after. But due to her age you may jump start the process by really encouraging her when she trees. It is also important to try and kill every squirrel she trees. The reason she doesn't bark is because you have not killed the squirrels she has treed and doesn't know you want her to even tree them. But take the first squirrel you kill that she has treed, and let her muzzle it for a while then engage in a little tug of war with it for a minute or two. She will try and pull it away from you. If she refuses to let it go, lift up her ear and blow into it- she will drop the squirrel, then put it just out of her reach in a bush where she can see it. Encourage her to get the squirrel. Get her excited. She should start barking after a few trips and training efforts with the bushes and the squirrels.It is the breeds nature to bark at the tree. Curs make excellent tree dogs. I have had them that would tree squirrels in the daytime and coons at night. And like yours, since I do a lot of bow hunting the dog was great at finding deer after the shot when the blood trial could not be unraveled. Before I became a fanatic about bow hunting, squirrel hunting with a dog was my greatest sport.There is nothing like it.You have a very lucky boyfriend.(you have a dog that will track his deer after the shot) How lucky can he get? Good luck with your dog.Do you know how to fine-tune a dog to hunt squirrels?
Try to get her more involved with the whole process. After you kill a squirrel and are field dressing it, give her some of the good stuff, (heart, liver, and lungs). She will love the treat, but make sure you make her speak(bark)for it. If she's smart she'll get more exited when she trees the squirrel, knowing she is going to share it with you.
If the dog does not bark on ';tree';. Leave it alone they are for hunting POSTED Land........
the problem with her not barking is that she is a catahoula and thats what i use for hog and cow dogs and most of the time you dont use a dog to hunt squirell with you just look for them up in the trees but if you had a blue tick or beagle they would bark up the tree but most of the time a cur and catahoula are qiuet on trail