American Cur Dogs: Everything You Need To Know

The American cur dogs are known for growling or grumbling. They are bred, particularly in the United States of America, and are known for hunting and herding. They are the aggressive lot.

According to the experts, this dog breed was active in settling the Europeans in the different states of the US, such as Georgia, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and the Carolinas. These dogs are found in the southern states of the United States.

But these days, they are available in most parts of the country. Louisiana and Texas have even announced that American cur dogs as their state dogs. The American cur dogs are not pure-bred. The American Kennel Club (AKC) doesn’t recognize cur dog breeds.

So, these dogs are not allowed in the competitions organized by AKC. However, there is a Foundation Stock Service of AKC that allows rare breeds. They recognize the American cur dogs and allow them to breed further. Also, other kennel clubs recognize the American cur dogs.

You can enroll your cur in competitions organized by such kennel clubs. For example, most of the kennel clubs in the United Kingdom allow American cur dogs to take part in their events.

Origin of Name

A bobtail occurs naturally in the American cur dogs. Hence, they are called curs.

Behavior

The three features that make the American cur dogs quite popular are:

• Intelligence
• Athleticism
• Loyalty

The best part of this breed is that they can both be used as guard dogs and friends. They are affectionate towards children and thus make a great family dog. However, they won’t share their space with other animals.

Originally bred to hunt down animals, the American cur is one of the dog breeds driven by their hunting instinct. They are motivated and excited to do their training. They are immensely useful and can perform different tasks.

They are known for their growling. So, if any unwanted intruders get into your space, your cur dog will act as an automatic alarm to make you aware. But since these dogs can be used as guard dogs, it doesn’t mean that these dogs don’t play with you.

They are athletic, and they love to play with you on any playground. They are loyal to their owners. Their loyalty allows you not to leash them all the time. Since they are loyal, they don’t run away from you. Rather, these dogs can be domesticated without any issue. However, they are independent. They don’t stick to you always.

Height

On average, their height ranges from twelve to twenty-six inches. The male curs appear much taller than the female ones.

Weight

Their average weight is twenty-five to ninety pounds

Life expectancy

They live on the earth from ten to thirteen years in general. However, life expectancy depends a lot on how their owners treat them. If the owners feed the dogs as prescribed by their vets, the life expectancy increases.

Coats

They have short hair. It makes life easier for their owners since they don’t shed too much. However, there are a few whose coats are medium in length. Most of their coats have markings.

Appearance

Their chests are wide and stout. A glance at it tells you that it is highly athletic. Their dropped ears appear in their long hound muzzle. These features make them sharp trackers.

Eyes

The eye colors of American cur dogs are a treat to watch. They vary in great length. The various colors you can see in the cur dogs include:

• Green
• Black
• Amber
• Blue
• Brown

Breeding places

Their breeding centers are in the southeastern states of the US.

Favorite activities

They love to hunt and herd. Hence, these dogs are a favorite among farm owners. Large farm owners use these dogs to guard the entire farm. They are effective, especially for hunting purposes. They love to climb up the trees and hunt possums, squirrels, and raccoons.

These dogs are braveheart and thus also love to participate in hunting the American black bears, cougars, and pigs. Isn’t that interesting? Indeed, it’s a dog breed with many qualities. No doubt, it’s an absolute favorite for many households throughout the United States.

Training

They are highly athletic and energetic dogs. So, these dogs need extensive training and need long runs. They need training for at least one and a half hours every day. The best practice is to divide these ninety minutes into two halves.

You can plan one session of forty-five minutes in the morning. The other session of another forty-five minutes can be organized in the evening. The best thing about this breed is that it is easily trainable. It’s good if you can afford a trainer for it.

The trainers have specific scientific methods to train the curs since this breed loves to hunt. However, if you want to train it yourself, it can be fine too. Only ensure that you take it to a playground where it can run at lengths without much interruption.

They love to wander around the woods and search for animals, such as squirrels and mice. If you don’t allow it to run long, it may show signs of distress. Also, it can become overweight. It can affect its life expectancy as well.

Breeds of American Cur Dogs

The American cur dogs are available in various breeds that you need to know. Those breeds include the following:

• Blue Lacy
• American Leopard Hound
• Canadian Cur
• Camus Cur
• Kemmer Stock Mountain Cur
• Catahoula Leopard Dog
• Parnell’s Carolina Cur
• Mountain View Cur
• Mountain Cur
• Treeing Tennessee Brindle
• Stephens Cur
• Southern Black Mouth Cur
• Yellow Black Mouth Cur