Breed Characteristics:
Apartment Friendly
?How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?
Good For First-Time Owners
?Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?
Overall Sensitivity
?Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?
Tolerates Being Alone
?Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?
Affectionate With Family
?How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?
Kid-Friendly
?Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?
Friendly Toward Other Dogs
?Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?
Friendly Toward Strangers
?Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?
Drooling Level
?If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?
Easy To Groom
?Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?
Overall Health
?What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.
Prone To Obesity
?Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?
Trainability Level
?Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.
Intelligence Level
?Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?
Prey Drive
?Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?
Barking Level
?How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?
Energy Level
?Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?
Exercise Needs
?Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?
Playfulness Level
?Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?
The Mountain Cur is a working dog with a muscular body and a strong-willed mind. This is an agile hunter who has strong hunting instincts even today.
This powerful dog stands between 16-26 inches and can weigh up to 60 pounds.
With so powerful posture, Mountain Cur was bred for its working ability. This dog is rugged and as such was carefully bred for chasing small animals, such as squirrels and raccoons.
All in all, this dog has exceptional treeing instinct, next to great bark that can be heard a long distance. They are great fighters that are highly intelligent.
Mountain Curs will easily adapt to any job that you have for them. In the meantime, they will serve perfectly as watch and companion dogs. When trained right these dogs will easily respond to any command.
If you miss early socialization and well-structured training you can expect to have the Mountain Cur of damaging nature and destructive behavior.
This breed isn’t recommended to those who live in apartments because they require a lot of space and exercise daily.
Since they are often stubborn they do the best with experienced dog owners who can take the role of pack leaders.
Quick Facts
Real name: Mountain Cur
Origin: United States
Breed type: Working Dogs
Weight: 30 to 60 pounds
Height: 16 to 26 inches
Lifespan: 10 – 16 years
Litter Size: 3 – 8 puppies
Color: Blue, black, yellow, brown, or brindle
Coat: Short coat
Mountain Cur History
Little is known about this breed, but that they were brought to the States from Europe.
In fact, European immigrants located in the mountain of Ohioirginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, brought with them dogs to guard them.
Dog historians believe that these dogs in fact descended from ‘Cur’ breeds from Europe and actually appeared in the States sometime in the 1940s.
Mountain Curs are in fact pioneers when it comes to catching wild game, guarding homes, and protecting livestock.
Just like many other breeds, the Mountain Curs became very rare after WWII.
As WWII progressed many of the families who had these dogs left them in a rural area so they could work in factories across the States.
Thanks to dog lovers and various breeders the breed was preserved. In fact, four individuals joined in and did their best to preserve the breed.
Luckily, their efforts were more than successful and Mountain Cur standards were created.
In 1956, the Original Mountain Cur Breeders’ Association was created.
Soon after the Association was created, some challenges stepped in over the breed standard which lead Hugh Stephen and Carl McConnell to leave the OMCBA to found the Stephen Stock Mountain Cur Association.
As of the 1980s, the Mountain Cur was developed from the Mountain Cur by Michael and Marie Bloodgood of Afton, New York after WW2.
Mountain Cur Physical Appearance
Mountain Cur is a medium-sized dog. Commonly they have between 16 and 26 inches, while their weight is between 30 and 60 pounds.
If you manage to provide proper care, high-quality nutrition, regular exercise, and regular veterinarian check-ups you can expect this breed to live up to 16 years.
These dogs were built to work and their body supports that. They are stocky, rugged, and well-balanced dogs ready to go the distance.
Their coat will usually be short, smooth, or rough. As they have undercoats you can expect them to shed a fair amount.
As for the color, their coat can be yellow, brindle, black, or brindle and black. It’s not uncommon for his breed to have white points all over the body.
Mountain Cur Personality
Mountain Curs are described by their owner as intelligent and easy to train dogs.
They are also very outgoing, and even welcoming of strangers. This doesn’t mean that they won’t bark to inform you when there is a stronger around, but they won’t be too wary of unknown people.
Being shy or vicious is not part of this breed’s dictionary. They are big people pleasers and nothing makes them happy as making people happy.
Mountain Curs will always defend their family members and their territory. As dogs bred to work, these dogs will happily accept any opportunity to run, play, and be active.
Children should know their ways around dogs, and how to interact with them safely. They should know not to disturb dogs while they are eating, resting, drinking water, or resting in their crate.
Children should also know not to dog’s ears or tail. No matter how well children and dogs might get along, they should never be left without supervision.
As long as they are trained right and have been through proper socialization Curs should get well with other pets as well.
Mountain Cur Training
Training should start as soon as you bring your Mountain Cur home.
Did you know that dogs are capable of mastering basic commands as of eight weeks of age? This is why you shouldn’t miss an opportunity to train your dog from day one.
Make sure that you organize training sessions that are useful and practical.
How to create a great training session?
- Be consistent when it comes to training
- Make training sessions that are fun and engaging
- Always reward your dog after a well-performed trick or training session
- Make sure that training sessions are short and interactive
- Use only positive reinforcement
No matter how challenging training your dog is, never use any harsh training methods.
No dog should experience any negative handling. Dogs are living beings who can feel the pain, and you should treat them properly.
If you feel like you could use help with training sessions, think about one of the following two options:
- Hire a professional dog trainer. This way you will speed up the training process and even get some professional inputs for further training.
- Enroll your pup in puppy classes. This is a great way to bond further with your pup.
To make training effective, make sure that you provide additional exercise, next to regular walks. Regular exercise is a great way to keep your dog’s mind stimulated and his joints strong.
Mountain Cur Exercise
Some dogs are more than happy with a short walk around the block. However, that’s not the case with this breed.
Have you ever heard of that saying a tired dog is a happy dog? Dogs are on their best behavior when they have a job to perform and afterward enough time to rest.
Curs were working dogs who spent all of their time in the mountains, which is why they require a lot of exercises. Plus, they do great in rough terrain.
As active breed, they need at least 60–75 minutes of activity each day. Do they prefer any specific activity?
As long as they get to burn out that extra energy, they will be more than happy. This means that activities, such as hiking, jogging, and swimming are more than enough to keep them active and satisfied.
Mountain Cur Grooming
If you are not a big fan of grooming, you are in luck.
This breed is easy to groom, which means that a good brush and regular grooming practice will keep him debris and dirt free.
Brush your Mountain Cur once a week with the right grooming tool and bathe only when necessary.
Grooming is much more than merely providing regular brushes. Grooming is about maintaining a breed’s health by providing proper practice.
This means that you should do the following:
- Brush him weekly
- Clean dog’s ears when needed
- Bathe when mandatory
- Check gums weekly
- Check eyes daily for any sign of eye discharge
Mountain Cur Health
As mentioned earlier if you provide the proper care and regular veterinary check-ups, you can expect Mountain Curs to live up to 16 years.
As for their overall health, Curs are considered to be healthy dogs. If you are buying a puppy, make sure that you deal with responsible dog breeders only.
How to recognize a serious breeder from a person standing in front of a puppy mill?
Here are the main traits that make reputable breeders responsible dog breeders:
- They will screen puppies for major health issues in the breed and present you medical documentation on the puppy
- Show you the facilities and around the area to see where your puppy is growing
- Let you meet the bitch if not both parents
- Ask you a lot of questions – they want to make sure that you are a good fit for their dog
- Provide inputs on training, grooming, and overall general care
Responsible dog breeders will also inform you about any possible health issues in the breed and tell you what you can expect health-wise.
You may provide the best care possible and your Cur may still get sick. Curs can be prone to skin infections and irritation.
Make sure that you use brushing sessions to check the skin for fleas and any sign of skin infection.
This breed is also prone to ear infections, so make sure that you know how to clean a dog’s ears the proper way.
Is Mountain Cur For You?
Mountain Curs are high-energy dogs that are highly recommended for experienced dog owners.
More specifically, they are recommended for dog owners who know their way around high-energy dogs. That being said, if you’re not an outdoor person, think about getting a breed of calmer nature.
On the other hand, if you’re an experienced dog owner, who knows his way around high-energy breeds and wants a medium-sized dog that is easy to train, then this breed is for you.
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