Mountain View Cur vs Otterhound - Breed Comparison

There aren’t many Otterhounds around and this British pure-breed dog is a scenthound and dates far back to the 19th century.

The dog is regarded as a Vulnerable breed by the English Kennel Club. It is believed that these dogs descended from Bloodhounds and that it was developed in England to hunt otters.The dog’s nose is so sensitive that he was well suited to this job. He was appreciated by royalty and had many royal admirers.

The dog was brought to the United States in 1900 and the Otterhound Club of America was founded in 1960 with the Otter Hound being officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991.

The Mountain View Cur is an American bred dog that resulted from years of deliberate breeding and careful culling of the litters to improve the Mountain Cur into a hunting dog with a better temperament and a stronger hunting instinct. Because of these generations of culling and refining the Mountain View Cur is so uniform within the breed that it is considered a thoroughbred as well as a purebred. Developed at the end of the 1980’s by Michael and Marie Bloodgood. The foundation for their breeding program was the Mountain Cur.

The new Mountain View Cur were meant to be stronger in every way than the original Mountain Cur. They could track, hunt and tree both large and small prey. It’s work ethic is unsurpassed regardless of the weather or terrain. Highly intelligent and motivated the Mount View Cur can use its incredible prey drive to follow the game at any cost. Yet it can be trusted off lease because while hunting the Mountain View Cur will instinctively go to the hunter and check in occasionally.

This breed is ultimate hunter, known for treeing squirrels and racoons. His strongest drive is to please the human he is with. He has a gentle, loving temperament. Because of their desire to please, they are great companion animals as well as hunters. In addition to coons and squirrels, the Mountain View Cur could hunt possum, coyote, pheasants, turkey, hare, grouse, hare and rabbits. They are also willing to fight with lions, bobcats, bears, and wild boars. Surprisingly they can herd as well.

They are a healthy breed and very hearty with a long lifespan. They are extremely popular in the mountains and hills of Appalachia, but they are rare and almost unknown outside the United States. Puppies are very expensive and there is a waiting list that could be very long. The original Mountain View Curs descended from just two Mountain Curs – one male, one female. As the program went on Mountain View Curs were bred to Mountain Views Curs and then other Mountain Curs were added in.

Originally the breed was registered as a part of the Kemmer Stock Breeders Association Registry. Eventually however the breeders of View Curs came to believe that they had an entirely new breed and the American Squirrel and Night Hunters Association was the choice to register the breed in 1995. One year later the Mountain View Cur Registry was founded.

The Otterhound has a weather-resistant double coat which is somewhat oily. The coat is available in a number of colors such as wheat, red, grizzle, black, cream and tan with some white markings.

The double coat is somewhat oily and he has webbed feet, making him particularly suited for his life around water. This large hound stands at between 61 and 70cm and weighs in the region of 35 to 54kg. He has a large head with a nose that can track and scent in mud.

Temperament:

Otterhounds are active dogs, loving nothing more than to be running and playing, and that of course includes swimming. He makes a great sporting companion too and won’t have trouble keeping up with you as you jog or cycle.

These dogs are friendly, social, docile and amicable but they are also strong-willed, stubborn and independent. If you want him to be obedient and well behaved, then he will most certainly require training and socialization.

They get on well with children and will appreciate a firm, consistent, kind owner. He isn’t a city dog as he requires room to run, and therefore a farm or home with large grounds will suit him. Not only that, he is quite a barker, especially when he is bored with nothing to do so city life and living close to neighbors won't do for him . He will suit an active, outdoor family.

The Mountain View Cur is a rugged, healthy breed that has very little in common with its ancestor the Mountain Cur at least in its looks. The Mountain View Cur is born with no dewclaws while the Mountain Cur has them. The Mountain View Cur is a stronger and more muscular breed as well. They have a flat domed head with ears that are high set and short. Her eyes are dark and prominent, its neck and back strong and muscular, while its chest is deep. Half the pups are born with a bobtail and half have their tales docked. About 10% are black, brindle or brindle and black. They all have white on the feet, chest and muzzle.

Your Otterhound is a big, beautiful dog who is also lovable, making a great pet for an active kind of family. He is friendly, social and playful but he is also independent and likes to have his own space occasionally.

He is a loyal, fun dog who has a sense of humor, providing quite a bit of entertainment for his owner. He is the kind of dog that is willing to be 100% part of the family and will be thrilled to be counted in on all activities – whether camping, hiking or swimming.

Give him the love he craves and he will make you an awesome 4-legged friend.

Children friendliness

Very child friendly, playful and gentle

Special talents

Scent and well-disciplined self-control

Adaptability

This breed is designed to work and to hunt. They are happiest when they have a job or are in the woods with you. They have excess energy and need space. They will not do well as a 24 hour inside dogs. They need space to run and hunt.

Learning ability

Highly intelligent, excellent ability to learn whatever you want to teach them.

The average lifespan of this dog is between 10 and 13 years, but with good care he can reach 15 years of age.

The Otterhound is generally a healthy breed but he can sometimes get one or two of the common dog diseases there are.

Common problems that can occur are hip dysplasia. There are things that can be done to prevent this joint condition and one is to ensure your dog doesn’t become overweight. You also want to prevent having your young dog exercise excessively before his first birthday and you don’t want him leaping off beds or other high places.

The Mountain View Cur is a very healthy breed without a lot of genetic issues due to the purity and isolation of the breed. No genetic deformities or illness. They are susceptible to a few health concerns.

Bloat – like most larger dogs, the Mountain View Cur is susceptible to bloat. This occurs when the dog’s internal organs, stomach and intestines become inverted and twisted. This can occur when the dog eats a large meal immediately before or after strenuous exercise.

• Ear Infections – Ears need to be kept clean especially after every hunt.
• Eye Infections/Issues – Similar to ear infections
• Hunting Accidents – by far the biggest danger to the breed is accidents

Grooming:

Your Otterhound has a curly, longish water resistant double coat which doesn’t shed much. The coat is easy to groom, requiring nothing much more than a brush twice a week.

The nails of the dog should be checked regularly and trimmed. Check in and outside his ears as well as his eyes for any sign of infection.

His teeth should also be checked. Some people are reluctant to brush their pet’s teeth, saying this is a new money-making fad and that it has never been required in the past. Whatever your views, periodically check inside your pet’s mouth for the sign of a rotten tooth as this can cause your pet a lot of pain and illness.

Diet:

The Otterhound has no special food requirements and relies on you to feed him quality, tasty food. For convenience, there are some excellent ready-to-eat, convenient commercially manufactured foods made to cater for your pet’s size and his activity levels.

He also relies on variety in his diet, so give him some home-made food added into the kibble a couple of times a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet pototoes and spinach will be excellent for him.

He will thank you for keeping things so simple for him as then he won’t be plagued by digestive problems and visits to the vet. You can also add in some raw meat occasionally. Never leave him without fresh, cool water.

General Care:

• Ensure he has a nice dry, warm place to sleep.
• Never leave him in a hot car ever.
• If he spends a lot of time outdoors, make sure he has shelter from the sun and rain.
• Supply him with some stimulating toys.
• Give him of your time. What’s the point of having a dog, if you neglect connecting with him. Dogs are social creatures and they need to be loved, touched and cared for by their human family.
• Have him or her spayed or neutered if you don’t want puppies.
• Get your pet to the vet if he shows signs of illness.

Feeding the puppy

The Mountain View Cur puppy after 12 weeks of age will need to eat 3 meals per day until they are 6 months old. From 6 months to one year they need 2 meals a day. They need high quality dry dog food made especially for puppies that will become large dogs.

Feeding the adult

An adult Mountain View Cur can eat only once a day and be healthy. They need a high quality dry food for large dogs.

Points for Good Health

Extremely healthy breed with stamina and speed.

Games and Exercises

The Mountain View Cur is a hunter and an extremely active one at that. They also have herding tendencies. Though they are not hyper, they need a lot of exercise. They also need a job. They want nothing more than to please their person, but they need a job to stimulate both his body and mind. He needs daily walks and a fenced yard to run in. They are good at agility, search and rescue, herding, field trials, police work, and hunting.