Blackmouth Cur - History

History

Blackmouth Curs have varied historical documentation dependent upon region. Among them are the Ladner Yellow Blackmouth Cur from Mississippi, Red Blackmouth Cur from Alabama, Weatherford's Ben Blackmouth Cur from Texas, and the Florida Blackmouth Cur.

The first Blackmouth Curs registered were Ladner Blackmouth Curs through the National Kennel Club in April 1964. Mr L.H. Ladner had such extensive written documentation of his family's breeding that the NKC recognized the breed. These curs are used to tree squirrel, raccoon, bobcat, mountain lion, and bear. They are used for hunting hogs and feral cattle. They also are distinguished by being used by the search and rescue emergency services.

• Weatherford's Ben Texas Blackmouth Cur: Weatherford's Ben comes from a line of curs well-documented in the book Big Thicket Legacy.{{page needed|date=August 2012}} They are used primarily for herding cattle.

• Florida Blackmouth Cur: Florida Blackmouths, used for herding cattle, are featured in old paintings hanging in local barber shops and homes, so their existence and history in Florida is documented.

• Red Alabama Blackmouth Cur: The Red Alabama Cur is believed to have originated in Alabama, though there are Red Blackmouth Cur in Florida and Tennessee. These cur were supposedly registered as property in the courthouses around Howardtown about 40 miles north of Mobile and nearby Tibbie in the 1940s. They were used as multipurpose pioneer dogs that would hunt, protect the home, and gather in the cattle and pigs at slaughter time. Several breeders in Alabama, Mrs Murphy among them, continue to work toward retaining and improving the Red Blackmouth Cur. Through the efforts of several Blackmouth Cur breeders, the United Kennel Club later recognized the breed, featuring Howard Carnathan's Bruno, a Red Blackmouth Cur, in their standard photograph.

Blackmouth Curs now range from the east to the west coast, and as far north as Canada. The Ladner Blackmouth Curs are also known to be in Mexico, Argentina, Haiti, Russia, India, and throughout Europe.

Also very closely related to the Blackmouth Cur is the Mountain Cur. The Mountain Cur dogs are slowly being sorted into individual types.