Luna is a Mountain Cur mix from Powell, Ohio and a graduate of the Homestead Dogs 3-week Puppy Obedience and Socialization Training Camp. Lovely, Luna!

Mountain Cur

One of the few breeds from the United States, The Mountain Cur is an American original.

The Mountain Cur was first recognized in the Appalachian Mountains as the United States began Western colonization. The breed quickly grew in popularity as an essential companion for these early colonizers. So prized, settlers commonly transported puppies by hand during migrations, including Daniel Boone.

Highly intelligent, The Mountain Cur eagerly mastered new skills and could herd, guard, track and hunt, providing a valuable asset to early settlers. Many historians heap significant credit to The Mountain Cur for many settler’s success and survival.

Despite this, there doesn’t seem to be much consistency or documentation available on the breed. The Mountain Cur appears to be a descendent of a larger Cur breed made up of a dozen or so sub-breeds ranging from Florida to Canada.

The American Kennel Club doesn’t recognize them, but lists them in their Foundation Stock category. The United Kennel Club, however, does recognized them.

Elsewhere, Wikipedia and Merriam-Webster defines Cur as a “mongrel or inferior dog”…Wikipedia expands on this, adding, “a surely or cowardly fellow” (sometimes I don’t feel too bad about not mastering the English language).

Most sources do agree The Mountain Cur, and Curs generally, were developed from a wide variety of breeds over time, but were distinct enough to warrant it’s own breed.

Trainability:
Results may vary. The Mountain Cur is highly intelligent and loves to have a job to do. They are highly loyal and even tempered and have been successfully trained to make great therapy dogs.

Read more about the Mountain Cur at the American Kennel Club and the Original Mountain Cur Association.