Black Mouth Cur Information
This dog breed is also known under the names of: Ladner Blackmouth Cur or Southern Cur.
Puppy and adult examples of the Black Mouth Cur Breed. Both images (cc) Julie Murphy.
- Exercise Needs: High.
- Typical Health Problems: Prone to ear infections.
- Average Life Expectancy: 12-14 years.
- Grooming Requirements: Low.
- Training Difficulty: Middle.
- Diet: Normal.
- Price and Cost: Puppy prices start around $300 and maintenance costs are relatively low.
Introduction
Like the Catahoula Cur, the Black Mouth Cur (BMC) is a hunting dog breed that has developed in the rural areas of the southern parts of the United States. They were a multi-purpose breed of homesteading dogs that would one day herd the cattle and the next day go with their owner on a hog hunt. Today they are more often used as hunting dogs, especially treeing and hog hunting, but some bloodlines are still bred for their ability to herd livestock. They are a hardy, intelligent breed that will protect its master, family, livestock and territory at costs of their own lives if need be. They are gentle to children and animals they know, but will be reserved with, and even wary of, strangers. Their name derives from their hairless lips that let the black skin pigment shine through and also from the black mask many of them do have.
History
Little is known about the origins of this cur dog, some say it comes from Mississippi, others that it was first created in Tennessee and others again that it originated exactly in the east of Texas! And nobody knows what the parent breeds of this dog are neither. What we do know, is that similar looking dogs have been known since at least the 19th century in the south and south-west of the United States and that today they are appreciated all over the country, and also in Canada, by hunters, farmers and ranchers alike. Recognized since 1998 by the UKC (United Kennel Club), this breed is also represented by a number of smaller, independent, kennel clubs and breeder associations.
Appearance
A middle to large sized dog that stands between 16 to 28 inches (40 to 70 cm) high and weighs between 35 to 115 pounds (16–56 kg), depending on registry standards. Their whole appearance is harmonic, athletic and square, or only slightly rectangular, with a broad back and slightly arched neck. The legs are long, strong, straight and well muscled and the paws can be webbed, or not, but should be always tight and compact. The tail is carried not much higher as the back line, and, while some breed registries accept naturally bobtailed dogs, others do not. Artificial shortening of the tail, except for medical reasons, is strongly discouraged. The coat is short, dense and lies close to the body and the texture can vary from fine to rough, but a long and/or wiry coat is considered a serious fault. Most Black Mouth Cur dogs are yellow or brown colored with shades that range from beige over fawn to red, but black or brindle (striped) dogs also occur. Small white markings are allowed, especially on the chest and toes, but the total shouldn’t exceed 10% of the overall coat color. Dilute colors are accepted by some registries while spotted (merle), mottled or collared patterns are considered as serious fault, such as albinism is, by all of them. Despite its name, the black mouth is not considered a breed standard and while most dogs have it, it’s missing doesn’t exclude the respective dog from being bred. When present, the lips should be dark pigmented as well as the inside of the mouth, with exclusion of the tongue. The nose should be dark, but brown, reddish or liver colored ones are accepted, but differently colored eyes are considered to be a fault and blue eyes, often connected to congenital deafness, will always mean an exclusion from any recognized breeding program and registry. The eyes are either yellow, brown or even green, and the color of the lids and rims should be the same as the one of the lips. The ears are proportionally small, compared to the head size, and are hanging down, close to the head, but set high. The teeth meet in a scissor bite, with both overshot and undershot bites being a reason for exclusion from any breeding program.
Temperament
The Black Mouth Cur dog lives to please it’s master and to fulfill his wishes, be it during the hunt, as a guard dog or as an all-round farm and ranch dog. Gentle, caring and even tempered with all what it considers to belong to its master and family, these dogs can be very reserved towards strangers and hostile to everybody, and everything, they consider as a threat to their charges. Fast during the hunt, this dog shouldn’t bark too easily, but find the game with all its’ senses and only chop, yodel or ‘ring’ when it made contact with the game and/or treed it. Being too ‘barky’ is considered a as serious a fault, as is being too shy or too aggressive.
Training
This kind of dog tends to bond with one master, and, to a lesser extent, with the family of the master (or mistress 
). Training should start early, but only after said bond has been made and established firmly. The best training method is to decide on one family member that will be mainly responsible for the handling of the dog and to concentrate on positive reinforcement techniques. This dog will do literally everything for it’s beloved master as long as it understands what is asked of it. And, clever as they are, they are quick to understand the task at hand!
Exercise Needs
This is a working dog, not a city dweller, period! The BMC needs a lot of regular exercise and is not inclined to live the life of a couch potato; occasionally fetching the TV remote simply doesn’t cut it for this breed that can follow trails for miles and miles and/or be out herding livestock all day long. Often considered to be an additional ‘farm hand’ these dogs need regular, continuous exercise and tasks to perform in order to be happy. And a happy dog is a good dog
Grooming Requirements
Low, the occasional brush with a pet glove and the very occasional bath are enough to keep the BMC good looking. Care should be taken to control and clean the ears frequently. As with all hunting dogs, that have drop or hanging ears, this breed tends to suffer from ear infections that are often caused by trapped foreign bodies. Especially when kept in a hot, humid climate, the ears of this breed are prone to infections and should be controlled regularly. A good tip is also to, when the dog is resting, flap its’ ears back to allow for better ventilation.
Common Health Problems
Apart from ear infections (see above), this is a very hardy breed with no typical health problems.
Price and Costs
Black Mouth Cur puppies prices start as low as $250 and depend more on the proven working and hunting abilities of the puppy’s parents than on good looks. Maintenance costs are low when it comes to grooming, but a high quality, protein (meat) rich diet is beneficial.
Other Important Points to Consider
- When considering buying a BMC, you should also consider what you want to use it for, as many breeders specialize in bloodlines that are either good in treeing, hog hunting or herding etc. Buying a puppy from a breeder, that keeps dogs that are apt at the tasks you wish your future dog to perform, will make training and work so much easier for you! While its is perfectly possible to train a puppy from a ‘hog hunting stock’ for treeing, it is so much easier to do so with a puppy that comes from ‘treeing parents’ in the first place.
- This dog tends to bond to one master, while staying loyal to the extended family of him. Best training and handling results are given, when this is taken into account, and the dog has one assigned main handler, rather than a whole family trying to get a handle on the dog.
Summary
A true pioneer dog, the Black Mouth Cur dog is by no stretch of imagination a city dweller! It can do well in a country home, provided that enough exercise and mental stimulation is provided, but it will be deeply unhappy in an apartment. This dog lives to please its master, and while it is able to work independently, will do best when working in a team. The happiest dog will be the one, that lives on a working farm or ranch, and that gets taken hunting regularly with its preferred human.
Nicknames and common misspellings include: Black Mouth Mountain Cur, Black Mouthed Cur, Blackmouth Cur and American Blackmouth Cur.
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