The Mountain Cur is a type of working dog that's mainly used as a "Bay dog" in the sport of wild boar hunting. The majority of Mountain Curs are bred specifically for hunting wild boar. They're also used for treeing and trailing small game, like squirrel and raccoons. Curs are a member of the Hound group and is one of several varieties of cur. They can also be used as water dogs. Mainly bred in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, it has been registered with the United Kennel Club since 1998. The Mountain Cur Breeder's Association was formed in 1957. 

History

The Mountain Cur was brought to America from Europe by the settlers of the Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee mountains ( recently Arkansas ,and Oklahoma) to guard the family and property, and chase and tree game. These dogs enabled the settlers to provide meat and pelts which could be sold or traded for other goods. The Mountain Cur was bred and maintained for nearly two hundred years. With the advent of World War II, many of the families who had bred them left the rural areas and went to work in factories in the war effort. By the end of the 1940s the breed was becoming rare. Four individuals, Hugh Stephens and Woody Huntsman of Kentucky, Carl McConnell of Virginia and Dewey Ledbetter of Tennessee are given credit for saving the breed from dying out and setting the Mountain Cur breed standard. Mt. Curs were the pioneer dogs of the southern Kentucky and Tennessee mountains. It has been said that without Mt. Cur Dogs the pioneers could have never been able to settle in these mountains. Mt. Curs were a necessity for the frontier family. They guarded the family against wild animals and other dangers and caught, treed, and holed game for the family's food. Mt. Curs were held in high regard by the pioneers and few were sold out of ones family. It is believed that the Mt. Cur came from Europe along with their owners who came to America seeking new homes. It has been established through family history and research that Spanish Explorers brought the bob-tailed curs to the South. Hernando de Soto brought bob-tail curs to drive the hogs and provide protection against wild animals, while he explored the South and later discovered the Mississippi River. Until World War II, the Mt. Cur was still an economic asset to the mountain people. Their Mt. Curs helped feed the family and many of these mountain people bought food, clothes, and other necessities with money from furs caught by their Mt. Curs. Then came the War and the industrial revolution, making jobs available in the Cities. As more mountain people became moved to the Cities to become factory workers the Mt. Cur became scarce in the late 1940s. However the Ole' mountain men did not forget the Mt. Cur. Four men have been credited with saving the Mt. Cur from extinction, even though many Mt. Curs bloodlines carry very little if any of the blood of the old pioneer Mt. Curs. These men were Hugh Stephens and Woody Huntsman of Kentucky, Dewey Ledbetter of Tennessee, and Carl McConnell of Virginia. In 1956, these men founded the Original Mountain Cur Breeders' Association. Soon after, much controversy over the breed standard caused Hugh Stephen and Carl McConnell to leave the OMCBA and they founded the Stephen Stock Mt. Cur Association (Registered only long- tailed little black and white dogs). Later the Tennessee Treeing Brindle Association ( Registering any long-tailed brindle dogs), and the Kemmer Stock Breeders Association, who registers any and all OMCBA registered dogs, regardless of bloodlines. The Mountain View Cur was developed by selecting only the very best certified tree dogs out of a certain pure Mt. Cur bloodline. This is why they are know as the "thoroughbreds" of the cur dog world. No other Mt Cur Strain has ever been bred under their strict selection and breeding standards. 

Appearance and Size

Coat: Heavy, medium short.Color: Brindle, black, dark brown, black and brindle, yellow and can have white pointsHead: Broad square with top being a flat plane between the high set ears.Eyes:Green, blue, or dark brown, expressive.Ears:Short to medium with a high set and tightly controlled.Muzzle: Heavy with wide nares. Teeth form a scissor like bite.Body: Stocky, muscular, square and slightly longer than it is tall. The tail can be docked but long enough to form a handle for show. 50% or more of pups are born with a bobbed tail.Legs: Straight, medium long, muscular capable of speed.Feet: Oval shaped, muscled with feline-like pads. Can have back dew claws. 

Personality

The Mountain Cur is intelligent, easily trained, and neither vicious nor shy. They tend to be very energetic and generally do not make good indoor pets. They are known to always try to please their masters. 

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Mountain Cur" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.