Hello to all,
I have some questions about Cur's. I have been studing about Mountain Curs and Blackmouth Curs. I am looking for a new dog and the curs have caught my attention and am trying to find out if a cur breed is the best for me and my family.
I live on 52 acres in S.W. Montana bordering the Bitterroot National Forest. I have had several breeds over the years and all my dogs become constant companions. About two years ago after the demise of my last dog(a Doberman) I looked to get a new dog. I studied and narrowed it down to a rhodesian ridgeback, American Pitt Bull Terrier and a Rottweiller. Talking to ridgeback breeders, I shyed away because the breeders told me that because of all the elk, deer, and other game as well a neiboring cattle ranches the ridgebacks have a tendency to wander off and could get shot(dogs are fair game up here). The Pit, which seems like a very intellegent a loyal breed, my wife boycotted because of the reputation.
Anyway, I decided on the Rottweiller. I did much research on breeders as I wanted a good all purpose dog with good genetics for hearding, hunting, trailriding and family protection. I purchased a German rottweiller as an 8 week old puppy that's grandfather was Igor Von Mussendorf the #1 French ring champion Rottweiller ever. All his other bloodlines are also hearding, cart pulling, police protection and Sch III.
I have worked with him since a puppy and he has filled the bill to a tee. The only exception is I am the only one that can handle him. He quickly grew to 115 pounds and is of a very dominant nature. My wife and children are scared of him as he growls and will nip at them if he is in the mood that he does not want to be touched. I have tried correction and tried to break him with choke collar and physical correction and he does not change.I am getting to the point if I don't know if I can trust him around my family. He goes beserk even if I am wrestling with my kids or hugging my wife. So, I am in the process of placing him in a different home.
With all that said, and a brief history. Would a Cur be a proper choice for me and the family? I don't need another attack dog(that was not my intention with the Rott) I have guns for that. I do want a dog that is a good family protector though, that will heard, trailride, hunt and be loyal and notwonder off.
Thank you in advance for any replies.
I would think that an Orig. Mt Cur would fill the bill. Some Blackmouth will work but mostly just hunt from my understanding. Now Catahoulas or Leopards...(sometimes considered one and the same) are more prominant in the west, esp. Texas. They are used as herding as well as blood trailing dogs on the big hunting/cattle ranches. There is no more loyal dog than a cur. I have had them kill predators and then come curl up by me with the blood still on them. They are AWESOME. I currently don't have any, just sold my last young female. I am disabled and my son is in college so I can't work young dogs like they need for hunting. Most Ranchers I have seen write about using curs say they train themselves. Can't say for sure, but I have sold pups to farms here in the east and they train themselves as herders, predator/pest eliminators and family pets. They are the most eager to please dogs I have had the priviledge to raise. They require a lot of love and praise when young and they will be your buddy forever.
I have to ask though, what about the blue/red heelers??? That is the most common farm dog in these parts.
Anyway, hope this helps. You can go to the OMCBA web site as well as Sqdog.com and get all the info and links you will need re: Curs. you can also find you some dogs if you wish.
Good Luck,
Dave (Dryridge Cur Kennels) Former Home of DryRidge(now Sports)Razor and Dryridge Mt State Judy (now Franklins Judy)
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Bowhunting is just like church....only quieter
Thanks for the reply, I am trying to learn about the different stocks, i.e. Kemmer, Original & Mountain View.
Would it be better to find a breeder out west, where the dogs are more into bigger game and less treeing is needed? I do not know if it matters or not if I get a dog that from the east that has been bred more for treeing coons. Or, would a western bred Mountain Cur be bigger in size that an eastern bred dog?
I'm coming to think that a Kemmer might be better for what I'm looking for. However, I might be wrong.
I've got a 3year old Lepord cur my wife bought. This dog is the best we have had as far as trust goes. We have three kids 12,6,and 2. She lets my 2 year old son hug, beat and wrestle with her and she just loves it. She has never tried to fight other dogs when I take her hunting. If I turn her out at the house she just sticks around the yard.You could'nt ask for a better dog to have around a family. They say the cur breed is a dog that is intent on pleaseing it's owner and I am convinced of that.
I still think Leopard over Kemmer for your use. I am not sure that there would be a benefit of west over east.
You can find them in Texas I am sure. I would go to the Leopard Cur Breeders Assoc. web site. Do searches for the sites. Look at Catahoulas as well. Again, not knocking Kemmers at all, but I just don't think they are the best farm dogs. Just my opinion though.
Good Luck,
Dave
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Bowhunting is just like church....only quieter
Thank you everyone for the replies. I have narrowed down a breeder for a Mountain Cur and a breeder for a Blackmouth. I am actually considering getting one of each. For each particular breed in question, which would be better, male or female?
My reply is too late for the OP, but I just read this thread and wanted to respond to the info he got from Rhodesian Ridgeback breeders.
I have had RR's since 1972. I never hunted until 4 years ago when I married a hunter. I am active on several RR forums, and I see comments all the time made by people who are left-wing, urban dwellers who are anti-gun and anti-hunting. One of the most frequent comments is that the RR's have such a high prey drive that they will run away chasing a (deer, squirrel, cat, whatever) and get hit by a car and killed. It is true that cars are the #1 killer of RR's in this country, but I say Bah! to them. If the dog runs away chasing any kind of animal, wild or otherwise, then the owner has not properly trained his/her dog.
All dogs should be trained to come when called, and no amount of "prey drive" should inhibit their recall. We live on a 240 acre farm and have 3 RR's, including our 7 month old pup, and a Black Lab. NONE of our dogs is allowed to chase deer (we do not hunt deer with dogs in MN). A few weeks ago we were out walking in the woods and 2 fawns approached us- we think that they thought the RR's were mama deer, lol. Only one of our dogs even acted interested in the fawns and he was just curious. I said "no deer" and he stopped in his tracks. Eventually we moved, which scared the fawns and they took off running, while all of our dogs stood quietly at our sides- off leash. People who are not hunters/outdoorsmen hear that RR's have a "high prey drive" and I think their brains disengage- they then assume that the dogs cannot ever be off leash or exposed to any type of wildlife.
Same deal with cats- I have heard RR owners say that RR's can never be trusted around cats- hah! We have 3 house cats at present and 2 of them frequently share the dog's beds. The other night one of our rescue RR's was whining like crazy, keeping us awake, so I got up in the dark to put him in a crate in the living room. I did not realize until after the dog went into the crate, turned around and tried to lay down, that one of the cats was sleeping in the crate, lol. This is a dog who we adopted when he was six years old and his background was unknown to us. We raise rabbits and have free-range chickens all over our place and none of our dogs ever bother any of them. In fact, last year we had a bunch of New Zealand rabbits escape from a pen in the barn. They hung around the yard and barn forever and not one of the dogs ever bothered them. I have a photo of two of the RR's sunning in the yard while one of the rabbits grazed nearby.
If you want a RR you need to talk to a breeder who knows the breed and who has kept them in the type of environment you live in- not some urban dweller who has no understanding of wildlife and/or the dog's role on your place. The pup I have now is hunting birds, has tracked a hog for us which hubby shot, and is the perfect farm dog for us- he also placed third in the Puppy Sweepstakes at the Rhodesian Ridgeback National Specialty 2 weeks ago. I posted some pictures of him in the hunting dog forum- all taken when he was 7 months old. If anyone wants to take a look here is a link- http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.a...585667&mpage=4
I have MT curs, Kimmer curs, BMC, and catahoulas, just like with any thing you buy check out the breeder and make sure you are going to get what you want, I love my dogs and would not trade them for any thing, all of my dogs are hog dogs i use them in the woods to hunt. I think what ever you buy you will be happy with here in TX we have big dogs and little dogs but the MT. Curs seem to be smaller around 35-45LBS I like big dogs and there is a lady that breeds big Catahoulas her web site is Windridge farms or somthing i have a female that is 17 months old from her and she will weigh almost 60lbs now and i think she will get bigger. All any dog needs is some training and most will do what you want.
We have mostly feist dogs (smaller cousins to the curs). But also one 8 week old Original Mountain Cur.
Get ahold of the book, "Squirrel Dog Basics" by David Osborn. I know you are not lookin' for a squirrel dog but the breed descriptions in there would be valuable to you. You can find the book online.
As far as west vs. east...All cur and feist dogs are originally from the east...Most very recently too. Cur and Feist dogs are extremely versatile and can be trained to perform a variety of tasks. Can be trained to hunt a variety of game but are easy to break from what you don't want.
Better about stickin' around "The Homestead" too.
We are in South Dakota, in case you were wondering where some folks are in relation to you.
-Marc Gray
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-Squirrel_Hunter_Gray
Marc and Beth's Outdoor Adventures - Treeing (aka Mountain) Feist Squirrel Dogs
Cur Question
