Mountain Cur vs Hellenic Hound - Breed Comparison

Developed in Southern Greece, the Hellenic Hound was bred to hunt hare and is an ancient breed. It is a medium sized breed with strong scent and tracking skills. It is believed to have been in existence for thousands of years. The ancestry of the breed included the Lagonikoi or laconikoi, native to southern Greece in ancient times. The breed was spread by sailors on Greece trading ships and colonization.

Todays Hellenic Hound is found throughout Europe. Kept somewhat isolated by the mountains, the breed was protected from outside breeding and they remained pure for centuries. It is a fearless, smart and hyped up purebred. The Hellenic Hound needs to have a job and if you don’t give him one, he will find one. He is smart and independent which sometimes makes him stubborn. It also takes this dog longer to mature than others, sometime between two and three years. It is not good for first time owners. Today’s hound is still a popular hunting dog and companion animal as well. They are rarely seen outside of the Greek country.

In 1996 the Hellenic Hound was recognized as the first Greek dog breed into the FCI. They are not recognized by the AKC. Its numbers continue to decline.

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.

Today’s Hellenic Hound is not a big dog but rather very average or medium. It is an athletic dog and looks like it. It has a balanced body with a deep chest and thick neck. It has medium height legs that are strong and muscular with paws that are prepared for the terrain it always works on. Its coat is short and tight. The colors of the Hellenic Hound are black with tan or white on the chest. Their heads are noble and rounded with a rectangle shaped muzzle. They have v shaped, long ears and round eyes. Their toe nails are black and so is their nose. It has excellent scent glands, very quick responses, speed and stamina. Their tail is thick and tapers off.

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.

Children friendliness

yes, they are very fond of children as long as they are carefully socialized.

Special talents

Great hunter, stamina ,scent, voice

Adaptable

He needs to have a yard or land. He doesn’t do well in apartments.

Learning

The breed is very intelligent and can be very trainable. However, they can also be stubborn and that makes training harder.

Children friendliness

They are friendly with kids but don’t make good house pets.

Special talents

Tree climbing

Adaptability

They need space and they do not make good indoor pets

Learning ability

He is very intelligent and learns quickly.

The Hellenic Hound is a fairly healthy breed having been isolated on the Island of Greece for the most part. They are susceptible to:

Joint dysplasia

Could be hips, elbows or knees. If untreated can lead to lameness or inability to walk.

Arthritis

Causes joint pain and can cause lameness or inability to walk.

Bloat

Can be fatal if not treated immediately. To avoid it don’t feed a large meal before or after exercise.

Hunting injuries

Can be a variety of things that occur during the hunt.

Ear infections

Need to keep the ears clean and dry in order to avoid infections.

There are a few health issues that the Mountain Cur is susceptible to. They include:

• Skin Issues – infections and allergies.
• Ear Infections – Keep them cleaned and hair trimmed in ears.
• Hunting Injuries – this is probably the most common health issue.
• Bloat – Can be fatal.
• Obesity – Can lead to bloat, injuries, other issues.
• Hip Dysplasia – Can cause arthritis and lameness – can be caused or aggravated by obesity.

Feeding the puppy

Feed the puppy 2-3 times a day a total of 2 cups

Feeding the adult

Feed the adult twice a day a total of 2-3 cups

Points for Good Health

The Hellenic Hound has excellent stamina, speed and scenting ability.

Games and Exercises

This is a very active, athletic dog that needs to work and needs exercise. He is powerful, quick and has great endurance. It thrives on hunting but will need other activities on the days it doesn’t hunt. It needs a yard or land to play in. Agility, Field Trials, tracking, hunting and fly ball are all activities the Hellenic Hound will enjoy.

Feeding the puppy

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.

Feeding the adult

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.

Points for Good Health

Athleticism

Games and Exercises

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.