Webster’s definition of a Cur is straightforward but likely outdated when referring to modern cur dog lines. To the casual reader and Black Mouth Cur owners everywhere it may even seem downright unflattering; but for the record it reads as follows:
- a dog that is a mix of different breeds : a low, bad, or disliked dog
Definition of a Cur Dog- Early Days
In the early 1900’s American families dealt with lean times brought on by events like the Great Depression and prohibition. Breeding was a matter of necessity for early homesteaders and hunters. It is a true statement that old time breeders would “breed the best to the best”. In simple terms they would take the best two dogs and breed them regardless of aesthetic purposes or color. Working dogs were bred for performance and the security of food, land and livestock. Furthermore, the dogs were bred to preserve the most desired traits in mans best friend and to solidify a family line of proven hunters. The kind of dogs that wouldn’t let you down when it mattered most.
Breeding only the best to the best required early Cur “breeders” to cover many miles while mixing dogs from different states and towns; so the early Cur dogs were no doubt a mixed breed. Thus the many different but refined lines of Cur dogs that we have today. Each dog has a specific purpose and is utilized for its strengths and consistent attributes such as hunting, treeing or herding. Below is a list of some of the more popular documented Cur breeds today:
- Catahoula Cur
- Mountain Cur
- Original L.H. Ladner Black Mouth Cur
- Feist Cur
- Stephen Cur
- Original Southern Black Mouth Cur
The photo below is an example of an original line bred Weatherford’s Ben Black Mouth Cur.
To this day it is still possible find undocumented Cur breeds all over the southern United States. These dogs are not sold or registered; they are family lines that have been used for generations.
21st Century Definition of a Cur Dog
The Black Mouth Cur lines of the 21st century bring us a further refinement of an already excellent all purpose working breed of dog. Individual “breeders” have emerged to further refine their respective lines of the Black Mouth Cur dogs. BMC lines like the J.D. Howard, Weatherfords’ Ben, and L.H. Ladner have pushed the breed in slightly different directions in order to refine the dogs to be the perfect example of each families desired uses. The result has been a constant evolution of some of the finest tracking, hunting and cow herding hog dogs that exist today. They are far from a “mixed” breed and even further from “mixed up.” For the record we are only making references to respected breeders of the BMC that are following a genetic schedule with intent to further the excellence of the line.
The continuation of a top notch working line of dogs requires a lifetime of breeding that is dedicated to maintaining the consistency of desirable attributes in a dog. These attributes will allow the new generation to continue breeding only the “the best to the best”. Ibarra’s fine line of Southern Black Mouth Cur dogs are as versatile and gritty as the Southern Black Mouth Cur dogs of the old days. Our J.D Howard line BMC puppies are some of the finest hunting and working dogs on the planet today. We appreciate your visit to our website, and we encourage you to check back often for updates and future breedings. If you would like to know more about our impressive line of Black Mouth Cur dogs, give us a call at (530)200-2349.
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