…yee haw!
The Doclopedia #2,583
Old Posts, Annotated: A New Breed Of Dog
Notations are italicized
Northern Squirrel Dog
In many parts of Canada, hunting squirrels is a popular pastime with rural folks. (Along with drinking heavily, watching hockey, and trying to imitate US nitwits.) That’s why, sometime around 1890, a group of hunters started looking for a way to breed a type of dog that could climbe trees and flush the squirrels into the open. (Because just waiting for squirrels to come out where you can see them is SO boring.)Needing a small and energetic dog, they started with Chihuahuas. (Chihuahuas are a well known gateway dog.) Soon, they incorporated some Terriers and before long, they had their dog. Slightly longer in body than a Chihuahua and with a longer tail and broader feet, the Northern Squirrel Dog has strong legs and long sharp claws. (I might have just trained cats, but what do I know?)These claws and legs, along with a weight of no more than 4 pounds, allow the dogs to run up most trees almost as fast as squirrels do. Once up in the tree, the dogs bark constantly while leaping from limb to limb. They are trained to chase the squirrels to the end of a limb, but stay at least 3 feet back, so as to avoid getting shot. (6 feet if the hunter has been drinking.)
The medium length coat of Northern Squirrel Dogs is always black, for visibility, especially during times of early snow. When not hunting, these little dogs are very happy to be lap dogs. (Or to watch hockey.)
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