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A cur was a dog breed used by cattle drovers in England. The breed is now extinct. In the United States a short-haired dog used in hunting and herding is called "cur-tailed", or "cur" for short. In modern speech, the term ''cur'' is usually used to describe a
mongrel dog A mongrel, mutt or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed and including those that are the result of intentional breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometimes preferred, many mongre ...
, particularly if its temperament is unfriendly or aggressive. The term is believed to be derived from the
Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
', meaning 'to grumble or growl'.


English cur

In
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
the cur, also called the drover's dog, was a distinct
breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
used by cattle drovers; they are now extinct. The cur was described by Ralph Beilby and
Thomas Bewick Thomas Bewick (c. 11 August 17538 November 1828) was an English wood-engraver and natural history author. Early in his career he took on all kinds of work such as engraving cutlery, making the wood blocks for advertisements, and illustrating ch ...
in their 1790 work ''A general history of quadrupeds'', as well as by
Sydenham Edwards Sydenham Teast Edwards (5 August 1768 – 8 February 1819) was a natural history illustrator. He illustrated plants, birds and importantly published an illustrated book on the breeds of dogs in Britain, ''Cynographia Britannica''. Edwards was bo ...
in his 1800 ''Cynographia Britannica'', as dogs principally used by drovers to drive cattle. Curs were described as heelers, nipping the heels of cattle to make them move and ducking below the subsequent kick, they were said to be common in England, particularly the
North of England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...
, but were virtually unknown in the rest of the United Kingdom. The cur was described as being larger, stronger and longer legged than shepherd's
collie Collies form a distinctive type of herding dogs, including many related landraces and standardized breeds. The type originated in Scotland and Northern England. Collies are medium-sized, fairly lightly-built dogs, with pointed snouts. Man ...
s with shorter and smoother coats; in colour they were generally black, brindled or grizzled with a white neck and legs and occasionally a white face, they had some feathering on their legs and half-pricked ears. A defining characteristic of the cur was many were born with short, stumpy tails, which gave the appearance of their having been docked. Edwards described the breed's ancestry as likely a mixture of collie,
lurcher A lurcher is a cross-bred dog resulting from mating a Greyhound or other sighthound with a dog of another type, commonly a herding dog or a terrier. The lurcher was for hundreds of years strongly associated with poaching; in modern times it ...
,
English Mastiff The English Mastiff, or simply the Mastiff, is a British dog breed of very large size. Likely descended from the ancient Alaunt and Pugnaces Britanniae, with a significant input from the Alpine Mastiff in the 19th century. Distinguished by its e ...
or
Great Dane The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...
. Their character was described as cunning, clever, ever busy and restless; it was said they could differentiate their master's cattle from those of strangers and they would separate the strange cattle from their master's herds. It is uncertain when or why the breed became extinct, it likely disappeared in the mid-19th century. Some modern writers believe it was the cur, not the collie, that was crossed with the
dingo The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...
to create the now-extinct Halls Heeler in Australia, making the cur an ancestor of both the
Australian Cattle Dog The Australian Cattle Dog (ACD), or simply Cattle Dog, is a breed of herding dog originally developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. This breed is a medium-sized, short-coated dog that occurs in two m ...
and the
Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog The Stumpy is a naturally bobtailed or tailless, medium-sized cattle dog similar and/or related to the Australian Cattle Dog which is commonly referred to as a “Heeler”, whereas, the Stumpy is not. The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog was ...
, the latter inheriting the cur's bobtail.


American curs

In the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, the term cur is also used to describe a distinctive type of short-haired dog that is used for both hunting and herding that was developed in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
. When describing these dogs, the term is actually an abbreviation of cur-tailed, as in a dog with a naturally occurring bobtail like that of the extinct English cur; many of the earlier examples of this type had a bobtail and some still do. A number of cur
breeds A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slight ...
have been
standardised Standardization or standardisation is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization ...
within the United States, some have been recognised by the
United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...
; these breeds include the
Black Mouth Cur The Black Mouth Cur, also known as the Southern Cur, Southern Black Mouth Cur and the Yellow Black Mouth Cur, is a medium to large sized breed of cur-type dog from the United States. Originating in the south of the country, the breed is a popular ...
, the
Blue Lacy The Lacy Dog or Blue Lacy Dog is a breed of working dog that originated in the State of Texas in the mid-19th century. The Lacy was first recognized in 2001 by the Texas Senate. In Senate Resolution No. 436, the 77th Legislature honored the Lacy ...
, the
Catahoula Leopard dog The Catahoula Leopard Dog is an American dog breed named after Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. It became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979. It is recognized by the United Kennel Club under the name ''Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog'', while the Ame ...
, the
Mountain Cur The Mountain Cur is a type of working dog that is bred specifically for treeing and trailing small game, like squirrel and raccoons. They are also used for hunting and baying big game like bear and wild boar as well as being an all-purpose f ...
, the
Stephens Cur The Stephens Stock, also known as the Stephens Stock Mountain Cur or simply the Stephens Cur, is a breed of cur from the United States. Overview The Stephens Stock is a small, compact scent hound-like cur that stands between in height and weighs ...
, the
Treeing Cur The Treeing Cur is a breed of dog that originated in the mid-west of the United States. It was first recognized by United Kennel Club on November 1, 1998, due to the efforts of Alex and Ray Kovac. "Most Cur breeders were not well off and so they ...
, and the
Treeing Tennessee Brindle The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a Dog breed, breed of cur. Since 1995, its records have been maintained through the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service Program. History The Treeing Tennessee Brindle's development began in the early ...
. These versatile dogs are used in a number of roles: for herding livestock, as well as trailing and locating lost livestock in thick scrubland; and in hunting a variety of game, including
squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s,
opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North ...
s,
raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...
s,
feral pig The feral pig is a domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorback and wild hog are Americanisms applied to feral pigs or boar-pig hybrids. Definition A feral pi ...
s,
cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
s, and
American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bear ...
s, locating game both by sight and scent. While distinctive, American curs vary greatly in size; the various breeds and strains can be from in height, and in weight.


See also

*
List of dog breeds This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on genomics, dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines m ...
*
List of extinct dog breeds The following is a list of extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces and types. List of extinct dog breeds, varieties, landraces and types References Citations Bibliography * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dog bre ...


References


External links

{{Hounds Herding dogs Hunting dogs Dog breeds originating in England Culture of the Southern United States Mixed-breed dogs Extinct dog breeds