Stephens Stock vs Gull Dong - Breed Comparison | PetzLover

The Gull Dong dog is thought to come from British Colonial India during the 1900's. The area later became known as Pakistan, and this is where the dog originated from.

Known also as the Bully Gull Terr, the dog came about by crossing Bully Kutta (Pakistani Mastiff) with a pure bred Gull Terr. The breeders wanted a dog that had the best features and characteristics of both the 2 dog breeds.

They were looking for particular characteristics such as size, strength and speed. This is a rare dog breed and he isn’t associated with any kennels or clubs, so not many records have been kept regarding their origin and development.

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 deep chested Gull Dong is a large dog and stands at 76 – 106cm in height and weighs in the region of 40 – 63kg.

He has a short, smooth coat in various colors such as white, grey, black, brindle or bi-color such as white with black spots. He is a muscular, powerful breed dog and his ears are mostly cropped, but when left they are short and floppy. His tail can be docked but these days it tends to be left long. He has a huge head, and similar to bulldogs, this mastiff dog has loose skin around the jaw and neck.

Temperament:

This is a strong-willed dog who is also intelligent. Just his sheer size will require that you have him trained and socialized. It is actually important to train and discipline this dog as he is strong willed. He is intelligent and learns easily.

After training, he will require a strong, firm and consistent owner. He is fairly suspicious of strangers and won't take kindly to anyone who tries to come onto his properly. He is a dominant, aggressive dog and while he is a loyal, loving pet with his human family, he isn't an ideal dog to have with small children in the home.

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.

This is a powerful, intelligent dog and with training and socialization he is capable of becoming a loving, protective pet who listens to you.

He does tend to be aggressive and therefore people who are buying a dog for the first time might battle with the characteristics of this dog. He will certainly need a firm, strong, patient owner. He isn't the wisest choice for when you've got small children in the house, though well trained dogs and children are able to get along well together.

When your heavy, muscular Gull Dong is handled in a firm, kind manner, he is well exercised and fed and treated firmly and kindly, he is able to make a great, loyal companion.

Characteristics

1. Children friendliness - They are tenacious on the hunt but once at home they love children.

2.Special talents tenacious – treeing prey

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.

4.Learning ability - highly intelligent, eager to learn.

The Gull is a fairly healthy dog, and with good care he can reach 10, 11 or 12 years of age.

Deafness:

If you choose to own a white one, you will know that he is susceptible to deafness and skin problems. White coated dogs battle with deafness, and the reason for this is that they carry the piebald gene. The piebald gene is a result of the absence of melanocytes – those cells which create pigment.

The ability to hear comes from a layer of cells within the inner ear which come from the same stem cell source. Without this stem cell, the dog isn't able to make this specialized layer of hearing cells.

Hip Dysplasia:

With hip dysplasia, the head of the thigh bone doesn’t fit properly into the hip socket, resulting in the bone wearing away and arthritis settling in. Your dog can experience pain and stiffness and he can become lame. You'll notice he is no longer enthusiastic to join in with games and exercise.

Hip dysplasia can be managed with medication while some dog owners, if they can afford it, turn to surgery which can be very costly.

Bloat:

He is a deep chested dog and this means you need to be aware of the risks associated with bloat, an emergency gastrointestinal syndrome which can be life threatening and where your dogs stomach becomes hard and bloated.

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.

• PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy can lead to blindness.

• Ear and Eye Infections. Keep them clean and keep debris out of both ears and eyes after hunting.

• Deafness is seen in some.
• Dental issues have been seen in some.

Exercise:

Plenty of room to run around in is important for the Gull Dong as he is a working breed who is used to having a job to do. You will certainly need to take him on walks or play rope- and ball games with him.

Grooming:

The Gull will require brushing twice a week as he is a short haired dog and an average shedder.

Diet:

This is a large energetic dog and you will need to feed him a high quality food specially for large, energetic dogs. He needs his full quota of minerals and vitamins in his food. Provide him with homemade food such as cooked chicken, rice and vegetables and some raw meat from time to time. Never leave him without a constant supply of fresh, cool drinking water.

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.

3.Points for Good Health – They are energetic and tenacious.

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.