Can You Train a Blind Squirrel Dog?

[Fletch_W]

I think I have some version of a brindled mountain cur. She's about 12 or 13 weeks old, came home with my wife from work one day, it's been through major head trauma and lost an eye. And the other eye don't work too good. She seems to smell things very well, and can hear very well most frequencies, just not the frequency of "No!" or her name.

1- Does this look like a Mountain Cur to yall?

2- Can you train a blind Mountain Cur (or whatever it is) to hunt squirrel?

 

[stonecreek]

Could be or could have some brindle pit in it also. Would be a challenge to turn a blind dog into a working dog. Being able to see is essential in navigating the woods. Trees, creeks, roads, briars and vines etc... would be an issue. Got an old blood trailing Airedale going blind in left eye and that has caused minor issues at this stage. Good luck

 

[oldways]

I think stonecreek is right it what be tough for that pup creeks, fences and a lot dangers in the woods for a blind pup.

 

[Fletch_W]

Update- vision seems to have returned almost completely in the one eye, and hearing has gotten a lot better. How would I go about trying to see if this dog will hunt squirrel? So far, she seems to not care at all about the numerous squirrels in our backyard of hardwoods and pines. She just wants to play with humans, doesn't have a care in the world about all the squirrel scent and activity. She's still really young though. Lost cause?

 

[Dbender]

How old is the dog now?

 

[Fletch_W]

Around 17-18 weeks.

 

[mizzippi jb]

Squirrel tail tied to a stick or fishing pole with a few feet of line. Drag it around. Let her chase it. No chewing on it or actually catching it other than real briefly. Snatch it away a lot and entice her with it. Hold it on a tree where she can see it. Let her jump up trying to get it. Encourage her to bark.

 

[stonecreek]

Keep the pup in the woods as best you can with deer season let the pup build up some prey drive and at that age start working on a foundation of commands such as recall etc... most of all let the pup be a pup at that age. I had a Cauley fiest years ago that didn’t turn on till 1.5 years of age but when he did it’s was on for the next 7 years. Great tree dog.