Part 1
                
The CUR….aka Heinz 57….aka mutt….aka mongrel….aka designer dog.  Now, three of these are not planned matings, two are.   Of course we all know about the rage over breeding Labrador Retrievers to Poodles and selling the “mixed breed” Labadoodle pups for high dollar prices to yuppies.  The CUR is a selectively bred mixed breed dog.  They have been developed by crossing mostly hunting or sporting breeds to obtain the best traits frm each breed to be used in the field for specific hunting needs.  The following are the Curs that are currently recognized by the United Kennel Club (“UKC”) and that have specific field trials and standards.  

BLACK MOUTH CUR:  The origin of this breed is uncertain but it is believed to have originated in the Mountains of Tennessee and was developed to be an all around hunting and working dog around the family farm.  The Black Mouth is powerful, agile tree dog of medium size.  The body is square or just slightly longer than tall.  Legs are long, head broad with moderately broad muzzle.  Ears are set high and drop.  The tail is straight, set low and may be any length.  
The coat is short and close fitting.  The Black Mouth is a fast, hard hunter that finds game using eyes, ears and nose.  They are usually silent trailing dogs but are not faulted for opening slightly on a very hot track.  They should never bay like a hound on a track and should only fully open when at the tree.  

These are very courageous dogs and can be excessively possessive of family and property.  The color of this breed can be all shades of red, yellow, and fawn, black, brown, buckskin or brindle with or without a black muzzle.  Very small amounts of white are allowed under the chin, around the nose, on the neck, chest, legs and tip of the tail.  Minimum Height is 18 inches for a male and 16 inches for female.  Minimum weight is 40 pounds for a male and 35 pounds for a female.

MOUNTIAN CUR:  This is the oldest of the recognized Cur Breeds having a breed organization formed in 1957.  Prior to that time dogs like this could only be found in very remote, rural areas and there were no records kept on the breed.  This is a breed is powerful, agile tree dog of medium size.  The body is square or just slightly longer than tall.  The legs are long enough to allow the dog to move quickly and with agility in the rough back country.  This dog has a broad head and the muzzle is slightly shorter than the skull.  The ears are set high and droop.  The tail should be straight, low set and may have a natural bob.  The coat is dense but close fitting.  This Cur breed is fast hard hunter that runs a track with its head in the air.   They should run a track with a Clear bark that can be heard for a long distance.  This Cur can be courageous fighters when required.  This breed is intelligent and has a strong desire to please.  This breed is the most easily trained to hunt specific game. Mountain Curs make good family companions and watch dogs.  This breed is primarily black and can have tan or brindle points; blue, brindle, brown, red, yellow, blonde or buttermilk buckskin.  White markings are okay but should not be the primary color.  This breed should be between 16 and 26 inches tall and has no specific weight determination only that it need to be proportionate to size.

STEPHENS’ CUR:  Originally a strain of Mountain Cur the little black dogs were bred by the family of Hugh Stephens in Kentucky to be sufficiently distinct and were then recognized as a separate breed.  This breed excels at hunting squirrel and raccoon but also used in packs on mountain lion and bears.  This Cur is powerful, agile and of small to medium size.  The body is just slightly longer than tall; the legs are long enough to allow the dog to move quickly through rough terrain.  The head should be broad and muzzle slightly shorter than its skull.  Ears are set high with a drop.  The tail is set low and should be medium in length.  The coat should be dense but close fitting.  These are working dogs and when hunting they carry their head high on a track with a full open voice on a track and when game is treed should turn frm a bark to a bawl voice. This Cur should be Black and white marking are allowed but white should not be the dog’s primary color.  This Cur should be between 16 and 23 inches tall and should never weight over 55 pounds.

This article was researched frm the UKC breed standards and on the Breed websites.

I will continue reporting on the Curs (and Feist or terrier crossed) breeds in future articles.  I knew very little about these breeds before starting the research on them.  They have sparked an interest and I will let you know that there are three more recognized Cur/Feist breeds by the UKC and dozens that are considered by their breeders are separate breeds of dogs.

By Luanne Bragg

TalkHunting Pro Staffer, Luanne "Beaglepup" Bragg, started hunting (going hunting) with her Grandfather in the fall of 1965.  He loved to squirrel hunt and would carry her into the woods and sit her on a rock and let her hold his prizes.  He took Luanne on her first Pheasant and Rabbit hunts when she was 7.  Shortly after that he had a massive stroke and was never able to return to the woods again.  When Luanne was 9 her Father, who was about to retire from the Marine Corps after 20 years active duty, and Uncle decided that since she could shoot she could remove the ground hogs and crows from the farm fields.  Luanne spent the next few years watching all the wildlife and removing varmints from the farm.  She took herself deer hunting for the first time when she was 15 and took her first deer at 17.  There was a long time between Luanne's first deer and her next deer due to college and work and general life.  She did a lot of small game hunting with her ex-husband starting in 1985 and killed her next deer in 1988.  She has not missed a deer or turkey season since.  When not hunting she is fishing or working in her garden (when not WORKING...).

Luanne has raised, trained and field trialed Beagles in the UKC and ARHA formats for 20 years and has produced several Field and Show Champions and Grand Field and Show Champions.  There is usually at least one litter of puppies born on her place every year.

She holds a Real Estate License in Virginia and owns a Dog Boarding Kennel.  Luanne belongs to the National Association of Realtors, Central Virginia Beaglers Association, NRA, NWTF and Buckmasters.  She was born in East Liverpool, Ohio,  and started showing Appaloosa horses in 1969 and was the Pennsylvania Appaloosa Queen in 1980 and runner up to the National Queen Title the same year. When she gets the chance she still enjoys a long trail ride.  She graduated from Kent State University in Kent Ohio in 1982 with a degree in Applied Science. Luanne relocated from Ohio to Virginia in 1984.