Southern Black
Mouth Cur
Developed in the South and Western US back in the
pioneer
days, and registerable through UKC and also
National Kennel Club
HEAD: Medium length, broad
between the ears, more so in the male of the breed. Stop moderately
pronounced, occiput visible. Muzzle should be of medium length,
snippiness should be avoided.
MOUTH: Should be strong. Fangs
should be thick, long and interlock. Flews should not be too pronounced.
NOSE: Well developed with
relatively large nostrils, is always black.
EYES: Set apart, round and medium
in size. Color of eyes may range anywhere between dark brown and
yellow. Darker preferred, with a thin black line on the edge of the
upper and lower eyelid giving the dog an appearance of alertness and
intelligence.
EARS: Should be of medium size,
set high and back, standing slightly outward at base then dropping with
a sharp bend to the side with front edge lying closely to the head. The
back edge should stand away from the head especially when the dog is at
attention, helping to contribute to the dog’s alert, intelligent look.
NECK: Strong, muscular, of fair
length and slightly arched. A light amount of loose skin under the
throat, but not to the point of being throaty.
BODY: Chest should be deep, wide
and well sprung. Back of medium length. Rump should be set slightly
higher than withers. Shoulders should be sloping. Front legs should be
straight, strong, and set apart. Hindquarters should be well muscled
and give the appearance of power and speed. Back legs should be set in
a wide stance.
FEET: Should be large and
compact, toes well arched, pads thick and tough, toenails thick and
strong. Feet should be webbed. Hair on feet should be short and neat in
appearance. Back dew claws, although not common, do occur and are
acceptable.
TAIL: Of fair length and curved
slightly. Should be held above the horizontal when dog is hunting or at
attention. Tail should not be docked. Natural bobtail or half tail is
not a fault, but should not be bred for as the tail is used for balance.
COAT: Golden-red is the
predominant color. Red, reddish-yellow, yellow and light yellow are
also fairly common. Red, yellow, buckskin or brown brindle; red or
yellow ring neck (white tipped feet and tail with a white ring around
the neck) and brownish red are other color variations.
May have white feet, white socks and
white blaze. White should not cover more than one third of the dog’s
body. Roof of mouth, gums, and flews should be black. May have black
muzzle or mask. Brown, black and tan, solid black, and black ring neck
are colorations that occur in rare instances in the breed. These colors
are acceptable and within the breed standard, however these colors
should not be bred for.
SIZE: Females: 19 to 23 inches.
Males: 21 to 25 inches (measured at shoulder).
WEIGHT: Females: 50 to 75 pounds.
Males: 60 to 85 pounds. Ten pounds lighter or heavier should not be a
fault as long as the dog appears balanced.
FAULTS: Too narrow or a clumsy looking head. Hound’s ears,
prick, or button ears. Eyes any color than brown or yellow. Weak mouth,
undershot or overshot jaw. Too long or too short a neck. Body that does
not look in proportion. Bowed front legs. Splayed feet. Flag tail. Long
or curly hair. Merle, white or liver colored coat. Pink or brown nose.
Pink roof of mouth.
From www.blackmouthcur.com in
regards to all types of Black Mouth Curs : "BMCs are by nature very loyal and loving
dogs. They have an intense desire to please their owner. They also have
a need to burn off energy through daily exercise. The breed has an
excellent nose for trailing (finding scent in the air) or tracking.
(finding scent on the ground), making them an excellent hunting
companion. When hunting, the BMC will also use his superb hearing,
outstanding eyesight, and his memory of where he has previously found
game. But a word of warning: the BMC has a very strong desire to please
its owners, and this sometimes causes them to attempt actions that
might endanger themselves, so an owner should be very careful what he
asks a BMC to do.
These traits make a
BMC an absolute pleasure to own when well-trained, but in the hands of
an inexperienced, unconcerned, or uncommitted owner, their intelligence
and drive can become very difficult to manage.
Breeding
plays an important role in the temperament of BMCs, so selecting a
reputable breeder concerned with both physical health and the
personality of the puppies is of utmost importance. Different
bloodlines exhibit traits differently, so question breeders about the
strong and weak traits of their bloodlines."
