Mountain Cur Dog History

[orchidhunter]

For those with interest in hunting with dogs. Mountain Curs are the pioneer dogs of the Southern Mountains. It has been said by many old timers that without Mountain Curs, or bear dogs, the Southern Mountains could not have been settled by the pioneers. Mountain Curs were a necessity for the frontier family. They guarded the family against wild animals and other dangers and caught, treed and holed animals for the family food. When moving to a new home, pioneers provided for the Mountain Cur puppies. Baskets were slung across the back of pack animals and the puppies rode. If no pack animals were available, family members carried the valuable puppies.
Our Mountain Curs came from Europe along with their owners, who came to America seeking new homes. Settlers landed along the Eastern coast of the New World. Restless souls moved down the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia into the Carolinas, across the Appalachian Mountains, along the Wilderness Trail into Kentucky and Tennessee and south and west into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.
It had been established through family history and research that Spanish Explorers brought the brindle, bob-tailed Curs to the South. Hernando de Soto brought the brindle Curs to drive the hogs and provide protection against wild animals, while he explored the South and discovered the Mississippi River. Hunters and settlers found the brindles when they came South.


The colors of Mountain Curs of early days are dominant today. Brindle, yellow, black and blue. Some have white markings. Different strains were known by their owners' names such as: Arline, York and Ledbetter. All these dogs have the same general traits, such as strong treeing instinct on all game, courageous fighters and intelligence. The Mountain Cur today is still a varmint dog! Hunting whatever game his master wants. He is also a guard dog, farm dog and family protector. This dog is put down and ridiculed by some uninformed people because of the word "Cur". In Mountain Cur the word "Cur" is used idiomatically and has NO meaning of "low" or worthless".

[hogdogs]

From my understanding... The mountain cur started out as one of the 2 distinctly different looks of plott hound. I understand that one side of the plott family went a different way in breeding them. It was decided to call the original type a plott hound and the other was the mountain cur. They surely has varied over the generations as is seen in the wide confirmation and color standards.
Brent

[L_Killkenny]

Our Mountain Curs came from Europe along with their owners,

This is the first I've heard of this. In all my research and experience in hounds, curs and terriers I've never seen or heard of curs being used in Europe. Hounds and Airedale terriers were brought from Europe with their upper class owners. The smaller terriers, to a lesser extent, were also brought over with their owners but have been more recently imported. In the old country, terriers were the poor mans meat, varmint and poaching dog. People unable to own packs of larger pack type dogs owned and breed most of the terrier breeds known today. A good % of them were developed in Ireland. These people didn't have the $$ to bring their dogs with them. Curs are the southern USA's version of the poor man's meat and varmint dog and in my opinion, distinctly American. Land owners needed a good dog and cared less about what the breeding of a dog was. They bred "the best to the best" regardless of breed. In today's cur breeds you will find a background of hound, shepard, terrier, etc. Further evidence can be had if you compare the appearance of today Curs with that of the "city street dogs" of 3rd world countries. In the streets of these countries dogs roam freely and breed whenever to whatever. The results are dogs that look almost identical to the Curs we enjoy in the US. 30-40 lbs, short coat, med. bent over ears and a medium snout. Some settlers may have brought a "Cur" like dogs with them but they would make up a very very small part of today's cur bloodlines.

Enough of the BS. Here's some facts!! Today's Mountain and Blackmouth Curs are some of the best hunting dogs going. Their popularity is catching on in droves due to the "specialization" of the hound breeds into ill-handling, deep ranging, stupid trail/tree dogs (most, not all). Curs will hunt whatever you put em on and still have enough brains and pleasant disposition to make good pets and farm dogs. They don't have the nose of a hound nor are they as small as a terrier for ground work but they're still the best thing going and most handle like a dream.

[orchidhunter]

LK, If you think that every dog that came over from Europe was a Pure Bred, you need to start over with your research. orchidhunter

[hogdogs]

The plott was a european bear dog brought over by the plott family in the mountains around, oddly enuff, plott creek in North Carolina.
Plott hound...

http://blueridgedreams.typepad.com/p...8/dscn6010.jpg

Mountain cur...


Note the resemblances... I do...
The word cur is used to mean home brewed breed. Not a pure long accepted breed.
Brent

[orchidhunter]

Brent, check out our website at www.omcba.com I think you will like what you see. orchidhunter

[Buzzcook]

What are the breed standards? For a breed that is by its nature an amalgamated pot hound (I hope I got the reference right), I'd think you'd have a hard time pinning it down.

The dogs I've hunted behind were a couple of lab mixes and a spaniel. Each time was for pheasants and each time the dogs did better than the hunters.

[hogdogs]

Like many cur dogs the breed standards are pretty wide.
Luckily they didn't adopt a color standard.
Brent

[orchidhunter]

Buzzcook, This is the standard for one of the strains of Mt.Cur, known as the Mt. View Cur there are many strains of Mt. Cur.--- 1. COLOR: Yellow (includes Blonde - Golden - Reddish), Brindle, Brindle & Black, and Black & Brindle, and solid Black. They often will have white points (feet, chest, muzzle, forehead).
2. HEAD: Dome flat, wide between eyes, heavy muzzle, short to medium ears set high with control, eyes preferred dark, prominent, and expressive. Neck strong and muscular.

3. BODY: Deep chested, back straight and strong, coat smooth or rough with a soft fine undercoat.

4. TAIL: Natural bob or docked preferred. Docking should leave enough tail to have a handle when grown.

5. FEET: Cat paw type, strong and well muscled, set for speed. No dew-claws on hind feet. Pups born with them, should have them removed.

6. LEGS: Straight, muscular, set for speed.

7. VOICE: Semi-open trailing preferred on big game and coon. Silent trailing preferred on squirrel, with a good clear tree bark that can be heard a long distance.

8. HEIGHT: Males at shoulders: 20-26 inches, average being 23 inches.
Females at shoulders: 18-24 inches, average being 21 inches.

9. WEIGHT: In proportion to height and body structure. Not over 60 pounds and not under 30 pounds in hunting condition. Males being heavier than the females. Ideal weight average being 45 pounds.

10. CHARACTERISTICS: Strong treeing and hunting instinct, cold nose for winding ability but will swing out with head held high and drift or cut a track in an effort to catch the game and will tree game that has left no trail. Easily discouraged from unwanted game. Courageous fighters on dangerous game, but not aggressive toward other dogs or family members. They MUST have a strong desire to please their master. When bred to like they will produce a high percentage of “Natural” tree dogs. orchidhunter

[P97]

Here's a picture of mine. Love her. Very good all around dog.

[orchidhunter]

P97, Good looking dog. Your right when you say the Mt. Cur is a "very good all around dog". orchidhunter

[Chui]

"Bulldog" blood has been added to Plott Hounds and I think it's a good thing if you need something to "go to war" with wild pigs. By "Bulldog" I mean American Pit Bull "Terrier" blood. I'm of the opinion that when you see the brindle coat is an indicator of "bulldog" blood somewhere in the breeding - even if it's a hundred years ago.

Check out the website www.boardogs.com for some superb dogs in New Zealand and Australia. I'd love to have some - but I have nothing to do with them as I don't hunt boar.

That's one beautiful Plott Hound, btw.

[mtnm]

I had a Blackmouth cur dog.

" Black mouth cur is the best dog in the world. Good for the family as well as hunters. Loyal and will give there lives to protect you. Insure you get yours from a good breeder such as Murphy's Black Mouth Curs in Mobile AL. They have kept the breed as it should be and spend almost too much time gettting them ready for there new owners. If your still not sure about it watch old yeller. Thats what a Black Mouth Cur is and will do for you."

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Blackmouth_Cur_dog

Also several Catahoulas.
They tell me they are simular.

My BMC was crossed with white english bull dog.
1/2 the litter was yeller and 1/2 was brindle.

Jeb Stuart- Catahoula dog with Gene

[mtnm]

The Catahoula Cur or Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog, is named after Catahoula Parish in the state of Louisiana in the United States. Of remaining dog breeds, the Catahoula is believed to have occupied North America the longest, aside from the dogs descended from Native American-created breeds. The breed is sometimes incorrctly referred to as the "Catahoula Hound" or "Catahoula Leopard Hound", as it is not a hound, but a Cur.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catahoula_Leopard_Dog

Big Jake Catahoula Leopard cow-hog dog up Kelly Creek with his family.

[mtnm]

The King of the stock dog breeds, most enduring... stamina is their middle name... CATAHOULA LEOPARD STOCK DOGS outwork and outfight all other breeds of stock dogs when protecting their master, livestock, and property. They are the largest and most aggressive of the cattle dogs, bred to handle wild cattle and hogs in the roughest, most remote country. Catahoulas will also hunt coon, bear, or whatever else they are introduced to. These dogs are not good city dwellers... they need several acres to roam to be happy. A farm or ranch is really their element.

Catahoulas are bred to go and find livestock in swamps, hilly canyons, thickets or forests, or mountains. They will trail, nose to ground, but prefer to throw their heads up and "wind" their prey, taking the shortest route to find, gather up or bunch, and circle and bay the quarry until their master
can reach them to take control.

Preferred size from 20-26", weight 50-90 lbs, with a few individuals larger although most males average 60-70 lbs in lean working condition, & about 24" tall. Short haired, long tail, natural flop ear (like a Dalmatian ear), they come in every color of the rainbow, but are best known for a blue/grey base with black/liver spots ("blue Leopard"), tan legs and face, white toes and chest. Many variations on this general pattern. Spots occur in all colors. Blue/glass or parti-colored "marbled" or "cracked"eyes are common in every litter. Often a dog will have eyes of two different colors.

Catahoula Leopards are extremely agile and athletic, territorial, protective of "their property". They are more primitive psychologically than most breeds and need consistent obedience reinforcement. The owner must understand the Alpha concept and stay in control at all times, but still be loving to the dog. Very loyal, loving, intelligent and independent... they really think for themselves.

http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/homepg.htm

ole yeller up Fish Creek

[mtnm]

Big Jake up Pagoda Ridge
Indian trail used by Lewis and Clark 1805 - My favorite lost secret place.



one more link -

American Catahoula Assc homepage
"The American Catahoula Association (ACA) is an organization dedicated to uniting owners and breeders of registered Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dogs. ..."
www.catahoulas.org/

[mtnm]

Packhorses and catahoula cur dog pup up Weitas Creek.
That was a good soft dog that loved dogs and people and everybody.

Except for the building inspector. When he showed up Jake would not let him out of his car. LOL>

[BIGR]

Thats why those dogs were so tough. They had to survive in the rugged and mean Appalachian Mountains. Not only were the animals mean and tough the mountain men were some of the roughest you could find. It was the land full of bushwackers and lawless men.

[armedandsafe]

I suppose this is the wrong thread to say that I was raising and training hunting poodles in the 60s.

Poodles are a good all-round dog, also. The only problem is that they do tend to be a bit headstrong. You have to be smarter than your dog.

These are not mine, of course, as I closed that business in 1963, when I moved to Alaska.

http://www.lakelandhuntingpoodles.com/Hunting.htm

Pops

[Big Bill]

My favorites were my Plotts. I think they are just a spit or two from Cur dogs.

[mtnm]

I had some headstrong Catahoulas. Blue was always fighting dogs- I am tougher than you- yes they would say and then he was ok. I loved and hated that dog. He was my first cur. Then Jake and Yeller were soft, pleasant and perfect. Soft but tough; like men should be.
Oakie is obedient and Jeb is difficult. Headstrong is not the right word- maybe wild is better. I see the red wolf in cur blood in Jeb.

Maybe the Red wolf shows up in all of them in their brains? Perhaps cur means you never know what you will get?

Like my Morgans, they are all different but have this one thing in common- two or three horses inside. My curs are too much dog, like my Morgans are too much horse.

I always wanted a working large Poodle dog. Never had one though, and never knew of anyone who owned one. Untill now...

[armedandsafe]

My stud was 90 pounds and waist high to me. When he was about 4 months old, I put a choke chain on him and fastened it to my belt. It never came off of him except when I was changing pants.

We finally came to an understanding. He wouldn't yank me off my feet and drag my face along on the ground. I would not pick him up by the hind legs and slam him back to the ground.

He turned out to be a prime hunter. I could use him for water retriever, pointer, flusher, hound and baby sitter. More than once we bagged rabbits, quail and coyote on the same day.

Sold him to an avid hunter whom he liked. Cried a little.

Pops

[mtnm]

I trained my last two dogs to drag me for tracking men in harness. WE track in a dog collar- I can barley control them... a harness and I'd be drug face down.

I used Leerburg Tracking through Drive and the book that starts them on 24hour trails. My dogs did great. Search and Rescue was mad cuz they could hardly track a 4 hour old trail with broke dogs, and my pups were ...

curs who are better than the best.

My SAR team did everything they could to de- rail my dogs. Silly people.

[guns and more]

This made me think of a time many years ago when my wife and I went backpacking in Ohio. We left the car at the trailhead and were met by a dog that walked with us, about five miles. He spent the night outside our tent, and walked back to the trailhead with us the next day. When we got to the car he took off.
What a great dog, I guess he just liked to help people.

[hogdogs]

Hope you fed the Samaritan pooch breakfast!
Brent