MyDogBreeds
Both Stephens Stock and McNab are originated from United States. Stephens Stock may grow 14 cm / 5 inches shorter than McNab. Stephens Stock may weigh 28 kg / 62 pounds more than McNab. Both Stephens Stock and McNab has almost same life span. Both Stephens Stock and McNab has almost same litter size. Both Stephens Stock and McNab requires Low maintenance.
The Stephens Stock is a member if the Cur dog breeds. They are a scent hound bred in southeastern Kentucky by the Stephen’s family. For generations the dogs were simply known as the “little black dog”. The Cur breeds are dogs with a mixture of ancestry and the Stephens Cur is no different. However, the name Cur now means a working dog from the South in the United States. They were known as hunting and guard dogs, chasing wild boar, squirrel and raccoon. They were also called the Mountain Curs throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
These mountain working dogs came close to extinction by the 1940’s but four separate breeders set out to save the Mountain Curs. They were the founders of the Mountain Cur Club and involved Woody Huntsman of Kentucky, Carl McConnel of Virginia, Dewey Ledbetter of Virginia and of course Hugh Stephens of Kentucky. Later the name of the club was changed to the Original Mountain Cur Breeders Association or OMCBA. The Mountain View Cur, the Treeing Cur and the Stephens Stock Cur were the results of their efforts.
In the 1970’s Stephen’s decided that his Cur was different from the original Mountain Curs and should be a separate breed. He formed the Stephen’s Breeders Association and the breed was recognized as distinct from other Curs. However, it was not recognized by the UKC (United Kennel Club) until 1998.
The attractive McNab dog is also known as the McNab Shepherd or McNab Collie. This very lively dog originated in the Mendocino region of Northern California, being specifically bred to withstand tough weather conditions and rough terrain.
The dog is becoming popular outside of California now. A Scottish rancher with the surname McNab left Scotland and arrived in California in the 19th century. He crossed Scottish Border Collies with Shepherd dogs and the ranchers in California started using these dogs for herding livestock.
Today they are still being used as herding dogs in California and other countries. The dog isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club. It was in 2014 that a group of McNab Shepherd breeders established the McNab Shepherd Registry so as to work towards the advancement of the McNab Shepherd.
The Stephens Stock Cur is a breed of medium size, dark dogs – either very dark grey or black. Their heads are domed, and the muzzle is short with dark eyes. The breed’s chest is broad and deep with a neck of medium length and either a rough or smooth coat. They are smaller than the other Curs like the Black Mouth Cur or the Mountain View Cur.
They are strong and capable of treeing their prey. Their body is longer than it is high, and they have powerful and long legs. Their appearance is sleek and elegant. The nose is dark and square, and their stance is alert and that of a watchdog. This is an athletic hunting dog that is aggressive in the field and chilled at home.
The McNab Dog is a medium-sized working dog. The appearance of this dog varies quite a bit. For instance you may come across a dog with erect ears or floppy ears or a long tail or one that is naturally bobbed.
When it comes to size, you will find that between the males and females they stand at roughly 40 – 64cm and weigh anything from 14 – 30kg.
Most of these McNabs are black or red with white feet, white tipped tails and white markings around the face. The coat is weather resistant and fairly short and dense. You also get tri-colored McNabs. Eyes are usually a brown or copper color though you might find some with bluish eyes as well.
These are such intelligent dogs so with training and socialization you’ll find he is able to learn easily and quickly. He is a self assured dog, so he will respond well to an owner who is firm and fair, patient, kind and consistent.
He is best suited to life in the country as he needs lots of place to run around. If you don’t live on a farm, take the dog for long walks every day as he requires lots of exercise and mental stimulation. He is a loving family member too, getting along well with kids in the home as well as other pets. He is also a good guard- and watch dog, taking his job as protector of his human family very seriously.
1. Children friendliness - They are tenacious on the hunt but once at home they love children.
3.Adaptability They are adaptable if you can get them the exercise, they need every day. They won’t do well in an apartment without going to play and run somewhere else every day.
The McNab makes a splendid pet and is known to be even-tempered, being friendly and tolerant with his entire human family.
He gets on well with children in the home as well as other pets. He has always been a hard working pet and doubles up as being an excellent guard dog too. Those who have had the McNab as a pet say that you couldn’t get a more excellent family canine friend.
The Stephens Stock Cur is a fairly healthy breed, fairly isolated in the hills and mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. They are prone to a few health conditions but there are no genetic and breed specific issues.
• Ear and Eye Infections. Keep them clean and keep debris out of both ears and eyes after hunting.
This dog doesn’t really have genetic health issues, but they can suffer with hip dysplasia, a problem that many dogs battle with, whether small or large, young or old.
They can also suffer with epilepsy and an eye disease such as entropion where the lid of the eye is turned inwards. Check its ears and teeth regularly for infections and keep up to date with his vaccinations.
The McNab is a health dog breed so you aren't likely to face any of these common dog health issues.
1.Feeding the puppy -Feed puppies a quality food desired for medium breed, high energy dogs. Puppies should eat 3 times a day about a total of 2 cups.
2.Feeding the adult Feed a high quality dog food with plenty of protein and designed for medium size dogs. Feed a total of 3 cups over 2 meals a day.
4. Games and Exercises – This is a very high energy treeing hunting dog with remarkable speed and agility. They need exercise – both physical and mental. One walk a day will not do it for these dogs. Have a fenced in yard or take them to organized activities like field trials, agility, flyball, hunting, search and rescue or barn hunt. They love to hunt with their people.
You can feed your McNab dog commercial dry kibble, but then you want to be sure its the best quality one. Buying inferior foods means that you’re getting a whole lot of ingredients in the food that are bad – sugar, salt, preservatives, fillers, colorants etc. Rather go for the best brands that will ensure that your dog is getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs.
Homemade food is also important and foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice and pasta as well as cooked or raw vegetables chopped up and added to his dry kibble can make for a delicious, wholesome treat. It will be to his benefit if you can every now and then give him some raw meat as well. Make sure to see that he has a constant supply of fresh, cool water.
McNab Shepherds are very active dogs and they are going to require quite a bit of physical exercise as well as mental stimulation. They are dogs who have been used to herding livestock and he loves this busy life. It is why he wouldn’t be happy living in the city but is better suited to farm life or in a home with a large garden. Long walks and hikes will suit him as well as swimming and joining in every game there is.
The McNab is considered to be a low maintenance dog and grooming the short thick coat will be required twice a week. Always check around the eyes and ears as well as inside the mouth for problems and infections.