The Mountain Cur is an intelligent and energetic breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The origin of the Mountain Cur can be traced back to 19th century United States, when the breed was brought into the country by immigrants settling in Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Enthusiasts believe that this breed existed for several hundred years in Europe prior to its introduction to the United States, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.
Throughout its history, the Mountain Cur has been most commonly used for hunting, scenting, tracking, and retrieving game such as fox, and as a watch and guard dog, proving its superior abilities to work endlessly while providing protection and companionship.
Today, while the Mountain Cur has attained a regional popularity as a hunting and companion dog, the breed remains rather rare outside of its native United States.
Personality Traits
Best known for its energetic and outgoing nature, the Mountain Cur loves to keep busy with work or play. These dogs thrive on strong and dependable relationships with humans, and often look to their owner for leadership and guidance. This breed is highly intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Mountain Cur is obedient, loyal, and loving. The Mountain Cur is not suited for full-time indoor or apartment living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors, taking long walks, and having plenty of room to roam, run, and play.
Train-ability
Due to its eagerness to please and impress its owner and willingness to learn, the Mountain Cur generally responds well to basic training and commands. This intelligent breed has the ability to learn to perform most any task its trainer is willing to take the time to teach.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Mountain Cur. These dogs require a confident, patient, and caring handler with a stern yet gentle approach to repetitive exercises and tasks.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Mountain Cur, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This active breed is always on the go, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. When properly socialized from a young age, the Mountain Cur gets along well with older children and other pets. These dogs are alert, territorial, and protective, making incredible watch and guard dogs by announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors, and serving as a deterrent to would-be intruders. The Mountain Cur is obedient, loyal, and loving, making an excellent hunting dog, family pet, and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Mountain Cur. These energetic dogs require large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Mountain Cur not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
The Mountain Cur has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these dogs are surprisingly quick, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Mountain Cur must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
This breed is not recommended for households with small children. While the Mountain Cur gets along well with small children, these dogs are known for excited jumping and full-body wags, which may lead to accidents with small children.
As previously mentioned, the Mountain Cur remains rather rare outside of its native United States and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Mountain Cur is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, likeliness to develop cancer, progressive retinal atrophy, distichiasis – ingrown eye lashes, cherry eye, chronic ear infection, sensitivity to anesthesia, and bloat.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Mountain Cur? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://www.heydogs.com/m/mountain-cur.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mountain_cur
