Shorkie vs Mountain Cur - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Shorkie vs Mountain Cur - Breed ComparisonBoth Mountain Cur and Shorkie are originated from United States. Mountain Cur may grow 42 cm / 17 inches higher than Shorkie. Mountain Cur may weigh 20 kg / 45 pounds more than Shorkie. Both Mountain Cur and Shorkie has almost same life span. Mountain Cur may have more litter size than Shorkie. Mountain Cur requires Low Maintenance. But Shorkie requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Miscellaneous dogs
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United States
United States
Height Male:
46 - 66 cm
18 - 26 inches
18 - 24 cm
7 - 10 inches
Height Female:
41 - 61 cm
16 - 25 inches
16 - 22 cm
6 - 9 inches
Weight Male:
14 - 27 kg
30 - 60 pounds
5 - 7 kg
11 - 16 pounds
Weight Female:
12 - 25 kg
26 - 56 pounds
4 - 7 kg
8 - 16 pounds
Life Span:
14 - 16 Years
12 - 15 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 8
1 - 5
Size:
Large
Small
Other Names:
MC
Shorki • Shorkie • Yorkie Tzu Shorkie Tzu
Colors Available:
yellow, brown, blue, or brindle white on face and chest
Black and tan • Brown and white • Gold • Red • Gold, black, and white • Particolored
Coat:
short
coat type soft and relatively long coats. They should be silky and never coarse
Shedding:
Seasonal
Minimal
Temperament:
Alert, Courageous, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Quiet
Affectionate, Alert, Energetic, Friendly, Intelligent, Loving, Loyal, Playful, Responsive, Stubborn
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

History

mountain curFrom 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.

shorkieThe Shorkie is a mix between a Yorkshire Terrier and a Shih Tzu. This little dog actually thinks he’s quite big. He is a great watchdog and a barker, and he is a loyal and loving member of his family. He will let you know if he thinks something is going on that shouldn’t be.

This hybrid combines two breeds known for their good looks, cuteness and personalities. Shorkies get their watchdog instincts and their loyalty to their people from the Shih Tzu and their personalities and good looks from the Yorkie. This designer breed has no known standard and every puppy is different, but traits from its founding breeds will remain. Both breeds have great personalities.

Regardless of the differences within the litter, because the personalities and adorableness of the two founding breeds are equal, all of the puppies will have those characteristics. They will all be energetic, playful and think they are big dogs. They will all love people and especially kids – playing and watching over them.

The Shorkie is intelligent, trainable, and snuggly. They will also have the stubborn trait that the two founding breeds can show at times. Developed in the United States, this crossbreed is extremely popular even though they have been in existence for only ten years or so. Breeders in the U.S. began to mix these two breeds in order to develop a cute, friendly and intelligent little dog that will cuddle on your lap – perfect lap dog.

Even if we already have breeds similar to the Shorkie, its development allows breeders to diversify and improve the genetics of the dogs. It is important that these be responsible breeders whose intentions are not financial but to legitimately improve the positive traits of each breed while sorting out the undesirable or weak traits. This is the positive side of the new designer breeds.

Even though it is still being developed, at least the Shorkie seems to be a success story for designer breeds as a loving, popular little dog. It will take a lot more time and a lot more development before the Shorkie becomes an actual recognized breed. At the moment it remains a hybrid, a crossbreed, a so called designer dog.

It will be at least 7-10 generations of careful and quality breeding before the Shorkies are potentially recognized as its own pedigree breed. It is important to breed Shorkies to Shorkies in order to develop a standard that could be accepted for a new breed by the AKC and UKC. Over time the puppies must become more and more standardized in their conformity to that new breed standard. Their physical appearance and their temperament will be standardized. At this stage the second generation of Shorkies is rare. Their popularity is rising in the United Kingdom. Both Britain and Ireland have a growing interest in this hybrid.

Description

mountain cur puppy - descriptionBred 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.

shorkie puppy - descriptionThe Shorkie, being a cross between the Yorkshire Terrier and the Shih Tzu, and as such has physical and temperament characteristics from both breeds. They could be 50-50 but most likely each puppy will be more like one of the founding parents than the other. Because there is a lot of similarity between the founding breeds there is a lot of similarity between the Shorkies.

Their hair is either wavy or straight, but it is soft. It can be a wide variety of colors and usually they have a darker mask on the face. Usually they have the eyes of the Shih Tzu – large -but not protruding. Their muzzle is short, and the skull is round with triangle ears. Their bodies are compact, small with plenty of muscle for their size. They also have fine bones and short legs, with a thin curled tail.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

mountain cur dog - characteristicsThey 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.

1.Children friendliness – yes, they are very child friendly.

2.Special talents – Loyal and loving.

3.Adaptability – The Shorkie could happen.

4.Learning ability – Highly intelligent, but they can be stubborn.

Health Problems

mountain cur puppies - health problemsThere 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.

shorkie puppies - health problemsMany hybrids are in better health at least genetically than their parent breeds. Responsible breeders will breed any genetic issues out of their puppies. Still there are many health issues that the Shorkies are prone to. These include:

  • Tooth loss, tooth decay and gum disease caused by dental overcrowding.
  • Joint issues – can cause lameness.
  • Diabetes – high blood sugar.
  • Kidney stones.
  • Liver disease and potential shunt.
  • Progressive Retinal Apathy - visual imparity.
  • Patellar Luxation – can cause arthritis.
  • Hypoglycemia. – low blood sugar.
  • Collapsed Trachea.

• Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome – “smashed face” causes problems with breathing, heat, flying and more.

• Glaucoma – Yorkshires have this, and it can be secondary to the lens Luxation.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

mountain cur dogs - caringMountain 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.

shorkie dogs - caring1.Feeding the puppy - The Shorkies need a high-quality, well-balanced dry kibble. Make sure it is a formula for small, active dogs. It should have lean meat and essential minerals and vitamins. Make sure it is puppy food not adult. The puppy needs 300 -550 calories a day in 3 meals.

2.Feeding the adult – Obesity is a problem for the Shorkie as it is for many small dogs. Don’t overfeed your adult but give her the same kind of high quality small breed dog food, only for adults. They need about 200-300 calories a day in 2 meals.

3.Points for Good Health – Few genetic diseases.

4. Games and Exercises – These are very active little dogs and need exercise every day. They needs walks, games, and time with you. They also love to cuddle with you at the end of the day. They love squeaky toys and playing fetch outside or inside.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Mountain Cur vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  2. Mountain Cur vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  3. Mountain Cur vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  4. Mountain Cur vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  5. Mountain Cur vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Mountain Cur vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  7. Mountain Cur vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  8. Mountain Cur vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Mountain Cur vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. Mountain Cur vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. Mountain Cur vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  12. Mountain Cur vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  13. Mountain Cur vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  14. Mountain Cur vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  15. Mountain Cur vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  16. Mountain Cur vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  17. Mountain Cur vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  18. Mountain Cur vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  19. Mountain Cur vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  20. Mountain Cur vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  21. Mountain Cur vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  22. Mountain Cur vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  23. Mountain Cur vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  24. Mountain Cur vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  25. Mountain Cur vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Shorkie vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Shorkie vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Shorkie vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Shorkie vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Shorkie vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Shorkie vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Shorkie vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Shorkie vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Shorkie vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Shorkie vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Shorkie vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Shorkie vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Shorkie vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Shorkie vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Shorkie vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Shorkie vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Shorkie vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Shorkie vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Shorkie vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Shorkie vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Shorkie vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Shorkie vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Shorkie vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Shorkie vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Shorkie vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison