Mountain View Cur
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| Mountain View Cur | ||
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| Country of origin | ||
| United States | ||
| Classification and breed standards |
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[edit] Mountain View Cur
Mountain View Curs are a specific breed of Cur Dog founded by Mr. and Mrs. Mike J. Bloodgood, of Bonnieville, Kentucky. It is a type of working dog used for treeing and trailing game; mainly squirrel and raccoon, but also large game. It is a member of the Hound group and is one of several varieties of cur. Generally a golden colored dog, approximately 22 to 26 inches tall, they weigh between 40 and 60 pounds, and are used for hunting and treeing raccoons, squirrels, and other wild game.
[edit] General History of Cur Type Dogs
The "cur" dog is one of the few working breeds that originates in the United States. They come from different lines, and breed types. While all have a common origination from the southern part of the US, they have similar but distinctively different hunting styles, traits, and separate origins. Most of the breeds of cur dogs date back to pioneer times, and were used to help put food on the table, and also served as a guardian to alert the family to the approach of strangers. Cur dogs played a huge role in producing game for the table, both hunting and rounding up semi-wild livestock that were "free ranging". A dog's working ability was of paramount importance, and had to provide above and beyond what he cost his family in feed. There are many short references to this type of dog in American literature but the exact history and make up of most of these "Cur Dogs" is vague due to the fact that most of it is verbal, and was not recorded on paper.
It is believed that the Cur came from Europe along with the people who came to America seeking new opportunities. It has been established through family history and research that Spanish Explorers brought the bob-tailed curs to the South. Hernando de Soto brought bob-tail curs to drive hogs and provide protection against wild animals, while he explored the South and discovered the Mississippi River.
Until World War II, the Curs were still an economic asset to the mountain people. Many of these mountain people bought food, clothes, and other necessities with money from furs caught by their dogs. Then came the War and the industrial way of life to the south, making jobs other than farmin available. As more mountain people became factory workers the Curs became scarce after the late 1940's.
However the Cur was not totally forgotten. Four men have been credited with saving and codifying the Mt. Cur standard, and saving the breed from extinction, even though most Mt. Curs bloodlines carry very little if any of the blood of the old pioneer Mt. Curs. These men were Hugh Stephens of Kentucky, Woody Huntsman of Kentucky, Dewey Ledbetter of Tennessee, and Carl McConnell of Virginia.
These men were the founders of the Original Mountain Cur Breeders' Association. Soon after, controversy over the breed standard caused Hugh Stephen and Carl McConnell to leave the OMCBA and they founded the Stephen Stock Mt. Cur Association (Registering long-tailed little black and white dogs).
Later the Tennessee Treeing Brindle Association (Registering any long-tailed brindle dogs), and the Kemmer Stock Breeders Association, who registers any and all OMCBA registered dogs.
The Mountain View Cur Breeders, selected only the very best certified tree dogs out of a certain pure Mt. Cur bloodline. This is why they are known as the "thoroughbreds" of the cur dog world. No other Mt. Cur strain has even been bred under standards as strict as theirs.
[edit] Breed Development and History
The was developed by Michael and Marie Bloodgood, now of Bonnieville, Kentucky. In 1987 the Mountain View Cur Kennel was formed in Afton, New York, where the breed was subsequently developed. Mr. and Mrs. Bloodgood obtained their first pair of yellow Mt. Cur pups in 1973. They turned out to be good tree dogs but lacked the nose to be great tree dogs, so they were sold and replaced with hounds.
After owning, raising, and training some outstanding coon hounds under the Black River Kennel name for over 20 years and finding it harder and harder to find hounds that handled well, They tried to locate some good curs that could keep up with, but would handle better than the hounds of that time.
The search for curs that could fit this bill, proved to be a difficult and challenging task. No expense was spared to locate and purchase curs from the best stock. Mr. and Mrs. Bloodgood tried 56 Mt. Curs originally, only finding 6 that were considered to be top tree dogs. It was found that 4 of the 6 were of a certain ancestry. When checking records, they found that half of the 56 Mt. Curs tried were of the same breeding (of the Kemmer Stock Cur Variety).
The decision was made to concentre on these 4 registered Original Mt. Curs, three females and one young male, all of which were related. One female was culled later because she produced ill tempered male pups, and another female because her pups lacked intelligence and ability, leaving one exceptional female (Mtn. View Dance) and one exceptional male ( Mtn. View Gold Nugget) for the foundation stock of the Mountain View Cur Breed. This selectivity resulted in 2 out of 56 OMCBA registered, or 2 out of 28 Kemmer bred curs meeting the Bloodgood standard. Later an outstanding male cousin to Mtn. View Gold Nugget (Mtn. View Buckshot) and an outstanding female (Mtn. View KY Lady) was added to the breeding program. Most of the IPDBA registered dogs today carry these dogs in their blood lines. A few other select Mt Curs have been added over the years under the same strict standards.
In 1992 the Kemmer Stock Breeders Association Registry was started, and in an effort to keep the line pure as possible, Mountain View Curs were orignally registered with this registry. When the KSBA began they started with all pure Kemmer bred Mt. Curs. However, due to a desire for stricter standards among the founders of the breed, and realizing that the Mountain View Cur's quality was unique from most other KSBA registered dogs Mr. Bloodgood and eleven dedicated breeders resigned from the KSBA. These eleven founders felt that they should register their dogs as a separate breed and with a registry that would certify tree dogs before they would be used for breeding, and would assure that no other stock could be registered in the breed.
In April of 1995 the American Squirrel and Night Hunters Assoc. was chosen to hold the registry. The name Mountain View Cur was chosen for two reasons. One was that founders knew of the great reputation of Mountain View Kennel, it being well known in the cur dog world. The second reason was that Mrs. Kemmer asked that their name not be used.
Because of policy changes in the ASANHA to register non-proven tree dogs, the Breed Advisors felt that the Mountain View Curs should have their own registry with its own policies. Therefore, in the fall of 1996, the Mountain View Cur Registry was formed as a subsidiary of the International Progressive Dog Breeders' Alliance (All breed Registry). A few years later the Mountain View Cur Registry was changed to the Mountain View Cur Association and all dog owners desiring to be in this registry registered ther animals and agreed to adhere to the same strict policies in the International Progressive Dog Breeders' Alliance 'IPDBA' registry. IPDBA now recognizes over 500 breeds of dogs.
The Mountain View Cur is a breed, a pure breed, no longer a family line or stock within a breed, but a separate breed that will stay pure.
The breed motto is to breed for Quality not Quantity, on Ability not Myth.
[edit] Breed Standards
COLOR: Blond, Yellow, Red, Brindle, Black, Brindle & Black, and Black & Brindle, often with white points.
HEAD: Dome flat, wide between eyes, heavy muzzle, short to medium ears set high with control, eyes preferred dark, prominent, and expressive. Neck strong and muscular.
BODY: Deep chested, back straight and strong, coat smooth or rough with a soft fine undercoat.
TAIL: Natural bob or docked preferred. Docking should leave enough tail to have a handle when grown.
FEET: Cat paw type, strong and well muscled, set for speed. No dew-claws on hind feet. Pups born with them, should have them removed.
LEGS: Straight, muscular, set for speed.
VOICE: Semi-open trailing preferred on big game and coon. Silent trailing preferred on squirrel, with a good clear tree bark that can be heard a long distance.
HEIGHT: Males at shoulders: 20-26 inches, average being 23 inches. Females at shoulders: 18-24 inches, average being 21 inches.
WEIGHT: In proportion to height and body structure. Not over 60 pounds and not under 30 pounds. Males being heavier than the females. Ideal weight being 45 pounds.
CHARACTERISTICS: Strong treeing and hunting instinct, cold nose for winding ability but will swing out with head held high and drift or cut a track in an effort to catch the game and will tree game that has left no trail. Easily discouraged from unwanted game. Courageous fighters on dangerous game. They have a strong desire to please their master. When bred to like they will produce a high percentage of “Natural” tree dogs.
[edit] References
Mountain View Cur Registry - [1]
