For a coon and squirrel dog I would suggest a Black Mouth Cur. I have just started hunting with two myself. They are still very fresh and far from finished, in fact, barely started. They show tons of interest though. They go crazy on drags and chase anything with fur. I am currently trying to break them of deer and coyote. Oh, and song birds too. Ha! I got mine from Joey Hutson and couldn't be happier. He has heavy Ladner lines. Super sweet in the house. Just protective enough. Listens unlike a hound.

I also heard about a guy training one on grouse too. I guess they could be trained to stay close.