Curs?

[StillandSilent]

I am not quite understanding the concept of curs. I had always thought that "Cur" was simply slang for a male mutt. But I have heard people here refer to their dog as a "something cur". Is cur a grouping of dogs, similar to say sled dogs, or a group of breeds? Or something else entirely?

[BostonBanker]

As a new cur owner, I'll take a shot at answering. Until about five months ago, I thought cur just meant mutt. It turns they are actually bred selectively.

My dog is a Mountain Cur, which is apparently a UKC recognized breed. I know that Black-mouth Curs are another common variety - I think they are also a breed. There seems to be a bunch of different types of curs bred; I'm not sure how many are actually "breeds".

They are multi-purpose dogs that were commonly used by settlers, particularly in the southern US. They do lots of hunting (squirrels, raccoon, boars, and even mountain lions). Some lines herd, and some are watch dogs. Old Yeller (in the book, not the movie) was a cur.

Although I certainly didn't seek out a cur to adopt, I'm madly in love with mine. She spends all day working with me at the horse farm I manage, is unfailing good-natured and polite with all people, loves hanging out on the porch in the evening, and is going to clean up in agility in another year or two. I don't know if she's typical of the breed, but I can't say enough good things about her.

[Danegirl2208]

i know along many pit bull owners..a cur is basically any dog that is not a game bred pit bull

[LabBreeder]

There are Catahoula Curs, Black Mouth Curs, Mountain Curs that I know of. They are recognized breeds and you can find information on them at various sites.
http://rarebreed.com/breeds/blackmouth_cur/blackmouth_cur.html
http://rarebreed.com/breeds/catahoula.html *Catahoula Leopard Dog...Catahoula Cur*
http://rarebreed.com/breeds/mountain_cur/mountain_cur.html

The following site lists ALOT of cur breeds. http://www.sqdog.com/

[rutylr]

There are Curs
Curs were developed by early settlers in the southern and western United States as all-purpose dogs. Curs are excellent tree dogs, used to hunt squirrel, coon, mountain lion, and bear. They are used in Louisiana and Texas to hunt wild hogs. They also serve as outstanding stock dogs.
and Feist
The Feist breeds are descended from the terriers brought over by English miners and other working class immigrants. These terriers probably included crosses between the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Manchester Terrier and the now extinct white English Terrier. Some of these dogs were crossed with Whippets or Italian Greyhounds (for speed) and Beagles (for hunting ability). Eventually, these tough little terriers evolved into today's squirrel hunting Feists.
some Cur and Feist sites
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/activities/squirreldogs.html
http://omcba.homestead.com/index.html
http://www.sqdog.com/
http://b.webring.com/hub?ring=squirreldog

the people who breed these type of dogs take it very serious.

I often refer to my Pit Bull puppy as a Scatterbred Cur (as she is not tightly line bred like most)

[Gempress]

I have a blackmouth cur and a catahoula. Curs were bred as multi-purpose dogs, usually herding and hunting. Unlike hounds, curs were actually bred to be silent on the trail. They also hunt with a combination of scent and sight.

[StillandSilent]

Thank you all. When I attempted to search "Cur" on the internet, I was directed to some rather um... interesting websites that had nothing to do with dogs!

[Snark]

Foxhunters refer to any dog (regardless of breed or lack thereof) as a cur if it's not a foxhound... FYI :)