# Mountain Curs around goats...



## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Anyone have any information on this breed of dog being around goats?? I fell in love with a puppy that's over at the neighbors...and I really want her. She was born and currently being raised in the horse barn. I would bring her home and put her in the barn so she'd be raised around the goats. I dont really want or need her inside the goat fence, but I was wondering if this breed would be ok around the goats. I have never heard of it until the other day when I went over there and saw the puppies!! SO cute!! I like their mother to. 

Thanks!!


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

I don't know much about the breed other then they're used for hunting- Which might give a scare, but if you can find someone to temperament test for you, you might be alright. That is what I started doing after getting a heeler that turned out to be a nut ball, smart as can be, but had to much drive to be around the goats - Needless to say she had to find a new home, but we ended up adopting a dog from the shelter- after taking a few out and messing with them in general the one we brought home is priceless, loves the goats, human kids and doesn't mess on the floor  
Just don't make the mistake of cute over something that will work for you- in the long run the stress isn't worth it. 

Good Luck!
Lynn


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Owner says she would be ok being around the goats but wanted more thoughts on this. She's not going to be inside the pens with out supervision...Her mother is a nice dog, never met the sire...
The pup that I want, gets alot of attention from me when I am over there. She's kind of timid...she'll wag her tail when I pick her up but she's not the one that will come jump on my boots and she's usually in the back of the group as they are running around. 

Temperament test? Whats that?


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## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

A temperament test is basically observing the dog. (I am not good at putting things into words so bare with me)  
Example: If I were wanting to purchase a German shepherd for police work I would need a puppy with a high working drive, so I would have to "test" it to see if it has what it takes. How it reacts to me standing over it and clapping my hands. If it is so interested in a ball that it doesn't care about anything else that is going on at that moment. Things like that for a high drive dog that you don't want around goats 

I wouldn't say no to a timid pup, but I also wouldn't pick it for that reason, depending on just how timid it is. The dog we adopted is timid to say the least, but has come out of his shell alot since being here. So I'm not trying to say timid is bad, but you also don't want a dog who runs at the first sign of trouble. 
When getting a dog that you are going to have with livestock, bring over a kitten and see how she reacts to it. If she gets all excited and doesn't want to take her eyes off it. Plays rough with it those type of things it's really the same as with a high drive dog, and you don't really want that regardless if it's with the goats or not. I mean are you going to want to be on guard every time you go out to be with you goats that the dog doesn't get in the pen with you, or if you are keeping her outside what if she digs under the fence? 
Now if the opposite happens, she's really not interested would rather be with you type of thing I would say she would be pretty safe, though she will still need to be trained what is acceptable behavior and what isn't - learning the temperament is the key to a great starting foundation. 

Hope it helps 

Now hopefully someone will chime in who has experience with this breed


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

I think a lot of it too is how you raise them. That first encounter with goats, if they show inappropriate interest they need to be correctly immediately and fairly sharply. But also give them an outlet for their drive. My dog knows squirrels and rabbits are ok to hunt, goats and chickens are NOT. Took a while to get the chicken part through to her- I had to just plain get mean once, but they live together free range and have for nearly 2 years now.


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## BrokenHalterFarm (Feb 16, 2010)

Ashley said:


> I think a lot of it too is how you raise them. That first encounter with goats, if they show inappropriate interest they need to be correctly immediately and fairly sharply. But also give them an outlet for their drive. My dog knows squirrels and rabbits are ok to hunt, goats and chickens are NOT. Took a while to get the chicken part through to her- I had to just plain get mean once, but they live together free range and have for nearly 2 years now.


This times a thousand. You train the dog not the breed.
Yes knowing a breeds potential quirks is great , but at the end of the day , each dog is different and should be treated as such.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I so don't agree, although you can influence a dogs instincts, you can not change what is instinctual in the breed. Ridgebacks have been used for hunting because they instinctualy will go after large prey, they can be used for fighting because of this also, but let alone they will not hunt unless hungry and naturally protect, which is what they were bred for. You can't take hundreds of years of breeding and think you can change an animal with obedience classes, because aren't you just making the animal behave while you are around, so who is the one who is minding? You, not the dog. 

Curs are beautiful animals (actually they look very ridgeback without the ridge), but you said it all in your sentence...."She's not going to be inside the pens without supervision." Do you really want an animal on your property that you have to watch, to make sure every gate is closed, that you know where she is 24/7...when I hear barking in the middle of the night I know my dogs are right there (they rarely bark unless challenged), I know it's not my dogs attacking or playing to roughly with goatlings, I can hear them when they are really after something. I simply won't have a breed that I worry about my goats. There will come a time when their instincts for play in non LGD, for prey hunting, for chasing takes over...curs can clear fences exactly like ridgebacks can. The black mouth curs at the end of the road easily live in harmony with horses and cattle, children and huge amounts of people who show up for buckouts even with other dogs ( that last part is nothing I am wanting for my farm, I want them to be fine with certain people showing up, show protective instincts with others, and never allow other animals on my place without their guarding instincts kicking in), but that also isn't foals and calves either. Your dog getting along with your adult stock is not as a big a deal as kidding season when you really see what she will be like with goatlings, usually to late.

Get a LGD, you don't have to raise them in with the stock 24/7 like some do, they can be excellent farmdogs, protecting the farm, the porch, the kids and the livestock, or you can keep them in with the goats and they will stay there with them.

Temperment is huge, you can tell alot by watching a pup in it's litter, you can also grasp a very young pup by the tail, firmly up by the rump...you don't want a pup who cries and whines, or a pup who turns around and growls or snaps...you want a pup who quickly looks back to see what is going on (showing intelligence), but also is smart enough to try to wiggle out of the situation or freeze. I also want to flip that pup on the ground and see instant submission with it on it's back. Isn't 100% but it certainly gives you the best start. V


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## Ping (Jan 21, 2010)

I agree with Vicki. there is already enough things to keep track of and worry about on a farm without knowingly asking for trouble. I wouldn't bring a hunting or herding animal onto my land. Get an LGD, but do know that even LGDs need supervision during kidding time until they are proven to be trustworthy. Kidding time is just a highly charged time with lots of hormones and unusual activity going on. Does with new babies respond to dogs differently then they would otherwise. And LGDs can be overly protective of babies, even from their own dams. Personally, I don't let any animals on my property that don't contribute in some way. I don't feed "pets."


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## R and R Farms (Jul 7, 2008)

I raised these dogs for a while. If you read up on the breed's history you will find that they were much more than hunting dogs. They were developed in a part of the country that, when being settled, had dangerous predators that were a menace to family and livestock. Their dogs were a necessary part of the family. If we lived back then the Mt. cur would have been exactly the dog to have to protect our goats and whatever other things we had of value.
With that being said, though, the breeders of today have taken these dogs in all different directions as far as specific tasks go. I would be a little concerned about some of the smaller OMCBA registered dogs that are rumored to have been crossed with feist and are specifically bred as squirrel dogs. It has been my observation that they are more high-strung and not as even-tempered as some of the older strains that have been kept and bred more as an all-around, farm type dog. Just in case any OMCBA folks might read my ramblings, I should make it clear that not all their dogs are high-strung and ill-tempered. :biggrin
Oh, and one other thing. Some people will call any mongrel a cur and I am sure that applies to Mt. Curs as well. There are Mt Curs, though, that have been bred true to their roots and I would not hesitate to use a good one to protect my farm and my goats.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

I have read the breed history...the guy that owns them has the mother. I really like her. She's not aggressive, she's curious, and will bark but she's not aggressive and leaves the other animals alone. 

I am not looking to get this dog to protect my goats....if I wanted a dog to protect them I would get a Great Pryenees. 
I just simply wanted to know how this breed would do with 'farm' animals...and so far from what I have seen in person, it would be fine as Zoe is trained...and she runs loose around the barn/property...she's even came over here a few times and never once attempted to get inside the goat fence.

Oh and for whatever its worth, none of my dogs are allowed in the goat pens with out supervision...(I have a Pug, Chow mix, and a Schnauzer) 


R and R Farms- What did you like and dislike about this breed?


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

There are alot of variences within the breed. That said, there are some wonderfull dogs in the breed. We raise Black Mouth Currs and I love them BUT some of the more agressive ones don't work well around small livestock. If they have the right attitude they are great farm/protection dogs. My female is fine with the older goats BUT anything under about 60 days of age is free game to her (she doesn't like small things). We have adjusted the baby pen situation and everything works well. 
If she learns that the goats are HERS, she could be a great addition to your place.
J.L.


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## R and R Farms (Jul 7, 2008)

Amy, I had the Kemmer stock dogs and one OMCBA gyp. I liked pretty much everything about mine but was mostly concerned with **** hunting with them and got frustrated with my success and got rid of them. I wish I had kept the one OMCBA gyp especially. She was gun shy and that was not good for a tree dog. I have quit roaming the woods at night but I would like to have her back as a farm dog as she was smart as I've seen and really laid back. If I had a chance to acquire a good one I wouldn't hesitate to bring it home.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

We have a pair of black mouths out at our farm. We have had them out there around cattle and horses since they were 8 wks old. They spend their days laying around the porch and spend their nights hunting. They are friendly to us and the kids. Any time we have to pen cattle or horses they tend to be a little aggresive towards the livestock and we usually end up having to tie them up until we are finished. 

Last year one of our cows had a heifer that was born blind. We went ahead and let her mom raise her and she turned out to be a really pretty girl. We got her penned up (away from the rest of the herd) and were going to put her in the trailer headed for the sale. When we went out there later that day the two black mouths had chewed her ears off. I could tell they had been after her for a while, she was nearly dead from exhaustion and they had really began to chew her up. 

I think it would be ok to get the pup, but I would def keep an eye on her temperment. Good luck!


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