The Black Mouth Cur is named after its black muzzle and lips. When you think about a Black Mouth Cur, the first trait that comes to your mind is their high IQ. You can see these dogs playing lovingly and working hard.
The Black Mouth Cur is a hunting and cattle dog that has its origins in the Southern United States. Curs were used by pioneers to herd cattle, hunt wild boar, and guard property. Nobody knows their exact lineage but they are believed to have descended from ancient European and Asian Cur-type herding and hunting dogs. This breed played an important role in the settling of the American frontier. It is also claimed that the westward expansion by European settlers would not have been possible without this breed.
This breed has a very endearing expression and their medium-sized ears tend to fold over their heads in an adorable manner. Sometimes, their ears have a black or dark-colored wash that goes perfectly with the black muzzle.
APPEARANCE
Black Mouth Curs have a short coat and their coat varies in color. Their coat can be brown, yellow, red, or black. Some even have a brindle pattern. Some dogs of this breed can have coarser hair as compared to others. There is a possibility that some have a mask around their eyes and face. White patches may appear on legs, chest, tail, or face.
Their eye colors also vary from dog to dog. It can be yellow, green, or brown. For most of the dogs, the coat is dense and can even be buckskin-like. The muzzle is square-shaped with black hair on it. The toenails are white in color. The tail of the Black Mouth Cur can be of any size or shape like bobtail, long tail, medium tail, etc. Some cur dogs are born with a very small tail or no tail at all. Their feet are well-arched, compact, and have a moderate size. Toes are webbed and single or double dewclaws may be present. Their pads are cushioned and large.
SIZE
Curs vary in size depending on the breeding. Dogs within the same litter can be of different sizes. Male curs weigh more than 50 pounds [22.6 kg] whereas females weigh more than 35 pounds [16kg]. Males have a height of at least 18 inches [45.72 cm] and females have a height of at least 16 inches [40.64 cm].
The purpose of breeding affects the size of the dogs. For example, Tree dogs range from 35 to 50 pounds, while herding dogs can weigh over 100 pounds.
LIFE SPAN
Curs are known to have a long lifetime. The average lifespan of this breed is between 12 to 16 years. Many dogs even reach the age of 17 or 18. They remain healthy and lively throughout their lives.
SHEDDING
Black Mouth Curs are considered average shedders. It is a natural process of their hair growth cycle. The shedding varies from dog to dog and also depends on the health status. This breed leaves hair on clothes, furniture, and carpets but it doesn’t cover it. Most of the dogs replace their coats once or twice a year.
GROOMING
This breed has very low grooming needs. They need occasional grooming and no professional touch is needed. Other than that nail clipping and ear cleaning are required as they are prone to ear infections. They are dream dogs for owners who don’t want to deal with high maintenance.
Brushing their coat once a week is enough to keep them well-groomed. It is important to keep their face clean especially where folds are present.
TEMPERAMENT
Black curs are kind, fearless, loyal, and active. They are versatile and adaptive and remain happy as long as they have a task to do. This is a work-oriented breed so, without a job, their mood tends to get affected. This breed has a strong protective instinct due to which they tend to protect their owners and property.
They are generally tolerant towards other breeds however, they can be aggressive sometimes. They are highly aggressive towards non-canine animals and are known as cat killers. However, if they are raised with cats or other non-canine creatures, they tend to be tolerant of them. This breed is active and loves to dig holes. They chase anything that moves, smells, or makes noise including cars, birds, or motorcycles.
INTELLIGENCE
This breed is considered highly intelligent and great problem solvers. In fact, settlers needed intelligent dogs to hunt animals, so they chose Black Mouth Cur. They are known for their smartness.
AGILITY
A full-grown Black Cur is agile, powerful, and hard-working. Their legs are long that allows them to move quickly and with agility in rough terrain. Performing agility exercises are important for puppies as they get older to help fulfill their working instincts. Agility training exercises their mind and gives them opportunities to solve problems. It also prevents obesity, increases endurance and strengthens joints and bones.
EXERCISE
This breed is energetic and requires enough space to run around and burn off the energy. They need at least one walk per day otherwise, they tend to get bored and destructive. Therefore, they have high exercise needs.
They were bred to have a high energy level appropriate for long days of hard work. On average they need 60 minutes of walking per day. They need to live on a farm or house with a backyard with fencing to ensure proper exercise.
TRAINABILITY
Black Mouth Curs are social if trained properly. Training this breed can be a challenging task as they like to do their own things rather than follow instructions. Many dogs of this breed are totally stubborn and uninterested in training. Their owners need to maintain a constant dominance over their dogs in order to train them properly.
These dogs are highly sensitive to the owner’s voice and tone and they should never be yelled at in anger. They respond well to reward-based training. Despite the training task to be challenging, the dogs can be well trained and taught to do highly complex tasks. These dogs take more time and effort to train as compared to other breeds but, the effort is worth it.
They take two types of training quite easily: Hunting and Housebreaking. Most of these dogs are instinctive hunters and need no proper training to hunt. This breed is very clean and housebreaks quickly with proper training.
GOOD WITH FAMILY
Black Mouth Curs need human attention and are great with kids and family. However, kids should be supervised when they are around these dogs just like when they are with other breeds.
APARTMENT LIVING
This breed is highly active and is not meant for apartments. These dogs need open space to run around and have a daily dose of exercise. They need plenty of room to run, jump, and play. If left in compact spaces, they can develop a variety of destructive behaviors. An ideal home for these dogs is a large, securely fenced yard.
SEPARATION ANXIETY
Just like other breeds, Black Mouth Curs need to be around their owners. They become anxious when they are separated from their owners. These dogs show different symptoms like excessive chewing, whining, pacing, etc.
To help your dog overcome separation anxiety you have to give them the ability to cope. For example, try to desensitize departure triggers.
HEALTH ISSUES
The Black Mouth Cur is an overall healthy breed with very few genetic problems. They are healthy throughout their lifespan. However, owners should watch out for a few conditions that the dogs are vulnerable to. These dogs are prone to ear infections, epilepsy, mange, hip dysplasia, cataracts, etc.
It is necessary to clean the ears of these dogs as they tend to accumulate dirt, dust, and debris that lead to infections. They need regular vet checkups for their eyes and bone health. Their teeth should be cleaned regularly to ensure they remain clean. Following certain steps, your Black Mouth Cur will live a long and healthy life.
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