The Mountain Cur - A Brave Working Dog Appropriate for Small but Also Big Game
The Mountain Cur is a working dog that was developed for treeing and trailing small game, such as squirrel and raccoons. Member of the hound group, like all curs, it can also be used for big game hunting and baying, for example in bear and wild boar hunts. It can also serve as an all-purpose farm dog or a water dog.
This dog is especially bred in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, but it was brought to the U.S. from Europe. It was brought by mountain settlers so that it could guard properties and also chase and tree game. This dog became very valuable, as it helped in providing meat and pelts for both personal use as well as for trade. After having been bred for almost 200 years in rural mountain areas, when World War II came, many families moved to cities to work in factories as part of the war effort. By the end of the 1940s, this dog breed started to be a rare one. Efforts were then made to save the breed and set a standard and in 1956 the Original Mountain Cur Breeder?s Association was founded, followed by the Stock Mountain Cur Association. The United Kennel Club has registered the Mountain Cur in 1998.
Bred for its working ability, this type of cur is stocky, muscular and rugged. It has a heavy coat that can be either smooth or rough and an undercoat also. Color-wise, it can be yellow, black, brindle or mixed brindle and black and it can present white spots. The eyes are commonly dark colored. Some of these curs are born with dewclaws on just their hind feet while others with two dewclaws on each of their feet. It has a strong, wide head with a heavy muzzle, as well as a strong neck. Its feet are built appropriately so that it can easily gain speed and the legs are muscular. Its chest is deep, while the back is straight. It commonly reaches 18-26 inches in height (46-66 cm) and 30-60 pounds in weight (16-29 kg).
Where its temperament is considered, this type of cur is not the kind of dog that is submissive and easy to control. It is very brave and it will not get intimidated not even in the presence of large, angry wildcats. On the trail it will keep silent, but that does not mean that it is not appropriate as a guard dog also. Although the role of guard dog is appropriate for it, the calm life of suburbia where its work may not be consistently called for is not its ideal life. Apartment life does not suit it.
Many of the mountain curs have treeing abilities, while their trailing skills will vary from one strain and to another. There are lines that are bred to become tree dogs, while others for baying purposes. Owners must take the dominant role in the pack, as dogs will consider humans to be pack members. Once it knows its order in the pack, it will show desire to please its masters and also be protective of the property.
The Mountain Cur is a very brave hunter, appropriate for small game like raccoons and squirrels, but aggressive and courageous even in the presence of bulls and bears.
Descendent of the Mountain Cur, the Mountain View Cur Is an Intelligent Hunter
The Mountain View Cur is an active hunting dog but also a trustworthy and enjoyable family member. Part of the group of working and hunting dogs, it was developed in the ?80s starting from a strain of the Original Mountain Cur. Since its origin is certain and the term ?cur? is generally used for dogs whose origin is not known, some argue that its name should no longer include this term.
These curs are most commonly light blond to dark yellow in color, ninety percent of them to be exact. The remaining ten percent can be brindle, black or a mix of black and brindle. White points can be found on nearly all of them, specifically on their chest, feet or their muzzle. Size-wise, an average female weighs about 35-45 pounds (16-20 kg) and an average male weighs 45-55 pounds (20-25 kg). Fifty percent of the dogs are naturally born with a bobtail, while the rest are docked when they are just a few days old. While dewclaws are common in the Original Mountain Cur, the Mountain View Cur is born without dewclaws on its hind feet in 99 percent of the cases. The few that are born with dewclaws will have them removed at birth.
As hunting dogs, these curs check in every 20-30 minutes when sent for raccoons and about every 15 minutes when cast out on squirrel. A leash is hardly necessary for them, as they are always aware of where the master is and stand when the master stops. They can load and kennel on their own and they can scent game that is hundreds of yards afar. They are fast and can also be very silent. Seventy percent are semi-silent on the trail, twenty percent are silent trailers and ten percent are open trailers on coon. Displaying little interest in non-tree game, these curs are natural straight tree dogs. When hitting the tree, they will bark to show location.
These dogs have been bred with the intention to hunt raccoon and squirrel, however they can also prove successful when it comes to big game such as bear, bobcat, lion, boar. They are also appropriate for hunting rabbit, grouse, turkey, hare, coyote, opossum. They can prove skillful in herding cattle also. Being highly intelligent dogs, with a great scent ability and good self-control, interest has grown in these dogs for operations of search and rescue, drug control and law enforcement needs. These dogs are also great for protecting family and property and are loving with children.
Owners of these dogs must achieve the role of the leader of the pack from a canine perspective. Humans living with dogs become their pack and must offer the dogs a good sense of what their order in the pack is. In order for the dog to follow rules and orders, it must understand that the human is the leader of the pack and the decision-maker. So long as the master learns how to handle the dog, their relationship will be a success, especially since this type of dog is very glad to be able to please its master.
Intelligent, agile and with a good sense of when it should be aggressive and protective and when not, the Mountain View Cur is a great hunting dog and family protection.
