Thinking about adding a cur

[Whitlock_FRM]

I've been researching a lot about curs lately. Been reading a bunch of stuff on here, predator masters, working dogs, and some on ukc. But you can't believe every post so I have some questions.

Do they really make good combination dogs? (Coon, squirrel, maybe bobcat and bear, also decoying looks pretty interesting) Can they really be called off a track and walked out of the woods without a leash? How do they do around they house? Do they bark much like some hounds or are they pretty quiet? What about non hunting trips like hiking, camping or fishing?

I know every individual will be different, just curious about curs in general. Thanks for any info.

[Jeff Eberle]

Lots of different cur breeds and lines, So just like picking a hound it will all depend on what line. Cur's are still just dogs and will do what ever you let them get away with. But you can not handle a cur like most do a hound. Cur's are not for everyone. What I have seen with curs is it wasn't the cur that didn't work out for the owner , it was the owner that didn't work out for the cur.

[slobberdoc]

I hunt both hounds and curs and will always have both in my pack. Personally I prefer a good hound, they tend to be more consistent as a group (meaning it's easier to find good big game hound with all the right "stuff" from the right breeding than it is a cur) and I love a big bawl mouth and floppy ears...
Just like hound breeds, there are huge differences within each breed depending on bloodlines. Yes they make good combination dogs, in my opinion, and seem to be more versatile than most modern hound breeds. Most can be called off a track and back to the truck--mine do--and so do all of my hounds. I think this is a handling/training issue, not a breed trait, but yes in general a cur handles better than your average hound. The voice of curs seems to be very inconsistent...my two curs, one is dead silent on trail until it gets really hot, the other is open on a cold trail. Most tend more towards silent or semi-silent and have choppy barks. As for as non-hunting situations your average cur will handle better than your average hound and stick around with you if that's what it knows you want. I have also taken pure hounds with on non-hunting ranch work and they handled like curs.
Like I said I have had both hounds and curs and my opinion is based only on my experience.

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Slobberdoc, you pretty much took the words out of my mouth.
Training is everything, all my dogs walk off a tree without leashes. Its all about the training.

[Old dog]

generally agree with all the above statements. I found with the kemmers I have had and have, that unlike a hound, they don't forget much. when I was younger I hunted a lot more often than I do now. I remember laying the hounds up for a couple of months and had to spend a week or so to get their heads straight again. not so with curs, they don't seem to get chain rot. as with most any dog, you get what you put into a cur. they also have a big desire to make their owner happy. even though my hounds were all very obedient, it seems like all I was, was a ride to the woods. not so with my kemmers they hunt for me. one of mine has a huge bawl mouth and is open on a cold track while the other has a chop and don't say much till its up and running. they both will get gone hunting but if I call them back they will pretty much hang with me . either one of them will gladly give their life for me or my family for sure. you can get all the info you want from the kemmer sites. allthingskemmer.com ksba.com. just be sure to state what traits you are looking for because slobberdoc is spot on about the different traits in the curs.good luck

[Idcurs]

What kind of cur are you guys hunting?Most curs are silent???????Many curs are open and any with Derril Fry's Striker blood will be bawl mouthed!!!!! As are some Leps.I have hunted curs for over 25 years and have had silent,chop and bawl in them.What I like about curs over hounds is the ability to decoy yotes today ,rig bear the next day and lion hunt next week.If you try to put a hound on a yote track you will have a yote dog after that most times!My curs ride in the truck with me,most of the time.They will hunt just about anything I put them on--and a couple I don't want.I hunt bear,lion,bobcat,yotes and hogs with the same dogs.Just like hounds some will like some kinds of game over others.

[Vance M.]

I agree with every thing said. I just want to say that in my experience with curs are that they are just more pleasurable to be around. When I am not working or hunting I like to do things with my dogs. Curs makes it a whole lot more enjoyable to do things with.

I don't know if you have spent any time around horses or mules but curs are kind of like mules. Some like them, some don't. The people that don't like them usually don't understand them.

[Spencer]

Old thread dug up.

When you go hunting with hounds, you do exactly that. You hunt with them. With Cur's, they hunt with you.

I have a Ladner bred BMC. Hard tree dog. with a whistle he comes off the tree. He goes camping with me, horseback riding with me, goes to work with me(I run the grounds department at a Country Club), hunts with me and sleeps with my son at night.
LOTS of energy, but I can manage that as he goes to work with me and has the run of the Golf Course.
After having Labs, beagles and Walkers, I will never be without a BMC. Perfect breed for my lifestyle

[Redneck]

I don't know how pertinent this is I know your thinking about getting a Cur dog , I own a Catahoula , that goes every where I go hunts with me with me off a leash unless there are loads if people around , she sleeps with me and wont eat until I eat dinner she has a chop bark on tree and trails awesome