MyDogBreeds
Both Cockalier and Mountain Cur are originated from United States. Cockalier may grow 28 cm / 11 inches shorter than Mountain Cur. Cockalier may weigh 15 kg / 33 pounds lesser than Mountain Cur. Both Cockalier and Mountain Cur has almost same life span. Cockalier may have less litter size than Mountain Cur. Cockalier requires Moderate maintenance. But Mountain Cur requires Low maintenance
Known also as the Cockalier Spaniel, the Cockalier is a sweet crossbreed – a mix between the Cocker Spaniel and the Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
Both of these spaniels do have some differences. The Cockalier is a designer breed that hails from the USA. Because he is a hybrid breed the Cockalier isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club, but as a hybrid, it is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC).
From The United States in the hound group comes the Mountain Cur. This breed was developed especially to “tree” their prey and to trail other smaller game. They treed and bayed larger prey like the wild boar and bears in the mountains and they trailed the smaller ones like the raccoon and squirrel. There are many types of curs and this breed is just one. Curs can be water dogs, farm dogs, hunting dogs and guard dogs. However, they are not great family dogs because they were born to hunt.
The Mountain Cur comes out of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Virginia. The ancestors of the American Mountain Cur came with European settlers almost 200 years ago. They worked with the settlers to hunt for animals that would provide them with pelts and meat in order to survive on the frontier. The breed became rare when the descendants of the settlers moved to the factories after the second world war.
The breed was brought back by four ambitious men who saved the Mountain Cur. They form the Original Mountain Cur Breeder’s Association of OMCBA in 1956. But they argued over the standard and 2 of the 4 left to form their own association: The Stephen Stock Mountain Cur Association. By 1957 the Mountain Cur Breeder’s Association formed but it took until 1998 for the Mountain Cur to be registered with the United Kennel Club.
The Mountain Cur is a tough, courageous dog as are all the Curs. They are willing to face large and ferocious prey. They are fearless watch dogs, using their trait of being quiet on the hunt to their advantage. The Mountain Cur wants nothing more than making you happy. They have been known to corner bears and even bulls. Given the independence and intelligence of the Mountain Cur it is important that the human be the pack leader, or the Cur will assume the role. If angry the Cur will growl and bite, so being the pack leader is vital for humans.
The novel “Old Yeller” was written about a Mountain Cur – a yellow shorthaired dog with a bobbed tail and terrier blood. Like all Mountain Curs “Old Yeller” hunted and treed prey, fought a bear and held onto the nose of a charging bull. The Cur was the first American purebred dog. Other early lines come from the Appalachian Mountains and near them in southern states. Mixing hounds and terriers created this tough, courageous dog whose tenacity and grit are second to none. Today the Mountain Cur has been split into four distinct breeds: the Mountain Cur, The Mountain View Cur, the Stephens Stock, and the Treeing Tennessee Brindle.
The Cockalier is a medium-sized dog standing at between 30 and 38cm in height and weighing roughly between 5 and 12kg.
The coat of the Cockalier is silky and wavy. The coat is medium length and can be in colors such as golden, red, black or maybe white and brown.
The ears are fairly long and floppy, the eyes brown and expressive and the tail docked. If left, the tail is long and feathery.
The Cockalier is lively, gentle, intelligent and friendly with his human family, though he can be a little bit aloof with strangers.
He bonds very strongly with his family. They’re robust and are playful with children. They’re active dogs too and love nothing more than a hectic ball game. They don’t know when to stop and can become utterly exhausted if you don’t stop the game.
Have him trained and socialized and then he becomes even more amicable and he’s smart enough to learn basic commands without any trouble.
Bred to be a hard working hunter and protector, the Mountain Cur is rugged and stocky. They are muscular with strong neck, wide head and expressive dark brown eyes. Some may have blue or green eyes, but they will be darker instead of light. They have a heavy muzzle, high set short ears and feet that are catlike, muscular and strong. The Cur has straight legs, deep chests and 50% are born with the tail bobbed.
Their coat is short and heavy. The colors could be yellow, red, blue, brindle, black and brindle, yellow with white points, dark brown and red.
The Cockalier is such a clever dog and he wants to please. He just loves his human owners, protecting them against strangers. He doesn’t take too kindly to strangers, preferring to devote all his love and loyalty to those he knows.
He just craves attention and wants to be in your vicinity all the time. He is also good with children and will get on well with other pets in the home.
Once you’ve had a Cockalier in your life, you’ll want to reconsider having one of them again as they make awesome pets and companions.
They are friendly with kids but don’t make good house pets.
Tree climbing
They need space and they do not make good indoor pets
He is very intelligent and learns quickly.
The Cockalier is a healthy dog breed and can reach between 12 and 15 years of age. Look out for common canine health issues such as hearing loss and ear infection and vision issues.
Cockaliers that have an ear infection will shake their head and scratch their ears. The inside of the ears may be red and there may be an unpleasant smell coming from the ears. Your pet will need to see the vet.
This is a common disease with King Charles Spaniels where the mitral valve wears out and leaks and is associated with a heart murmur.
The earliest sign of a leaking mitral valve is normally a heart murmur, but it doesn’t mean heart failure is imminent, but congestive heart failure will eventuallt occur. Your dog will tire when walking, be lethargic and also have a cough. It will definitely be time to see the vet.
There are a few health issues that the Mountain Cur is susceptible to. They include:
When you choose one of the commercially manufactured dog foods there are, you want to avoid those more inferior ones that have ingredients in them that can cause your dog to get sick.
Look for the high-quality ones and choose the foods that have natural, wholesome ingredients in them. The vet can always help you with your decision to select a food that will of benefit to your pet.
Try to give your pet some good homemade food too such as some raw meat occasionally as well as boiled chicken, vegetables and brown rice. Fresh, cool water should be constantly available.
The Cockalier is going to require some brushing because he sheds quite a bit. Some dog owners prefer to get the Cockalier professionally trimmed. During grooming, check your pet over for any unusual lumps.
Your Cockalier will also need to have his nails trimmed, and because of the long ears, you will need to look inside the ears to ensure there is no redness and signs of infection.
Some dog owners don’t have the time or they don’t want to probe inside their pet’s ears and then a doggy-grooming-parlor can be a good idea as they do all this for you.
The Cockalier is an energetic dog, requiring a lot of exercise and games. These dogs love water games and will love you spraying him with water from the garden hose. Failing that, he’ll jump right into the swimming pool with you. Ball games are just up his street, and he will remind you every day that it’s time for his walk.
Mountain Cure puppies should eat four bowls of high quality dog food in four separate meals each day until 3 months old. From three months to six months feed them 3 times per day and from six months to a year just twice a day.
The adult Mountain Cur would eat 3 cups of high quality dog food in one or two meals per day. Don’t overfeed them as they have a tendency toward obesity.
Athleticism
This breed is an active dog and he needs to get plenty of exercise. He needs daily exercise – daily walks – and enjoys canine sports like barn hunt and agility. They do well in field trials.