Catahoula Black Mouth Cur is a rare crossbreed between Catahoula leopard dogs and Black Mouth Curs (BMC). The former is a dog native to Louisiana, and the latter originated from Southern US, where they were both originally used for herding and hunting. Therefore, the Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix is a high-energy dog. 

A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix is a medium to a large dog weighing between 50 and 100 pounds. Proper care includes brushing the dog once a week, feeding it high-quality dog food, washing your dog when it is dirty, and visiting the veterinarian every three months. The correct care gives a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix a life expectancy of 10 to 16 years.

What is a Catahoula black mouth cur mix?

A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix is a crossbreed dog. The dog’s parents are a Catahoula leopard dog and a Black Mouth Cur (BMC). As a result, the puppy bears significant semblance to the parent dogs. 

For instance, the puppy has black lips and a melanistic muzzle like a Black Mouth Cur. Also, the pet is as beautiful, intelligent, and active as its parents. It is a popular family dog because of its loyalty and strength. The puppies grow to medium or large size dogs.

There are several ways to identify a Catahoula BMC mix. Let’s talk about the dog’s coat first because it is much easier to identify a dog by its coat colors, patterns, textures, and lengths. 

A Catahoula BMC mix has a short, dense coat that comes in a mixture of colors such as black, red, and white. However, they are mostly solid black. The short hair makes a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix easier to keep clean and healthy.

Is a Catahoula dog the same as a cur?

A Catahoula leopard dog has many name variations. The dog gets its name from its native home around Catahoula Lake in Louisiana. 

Also, a Catahoula dog was traditionally used for hunting hogs.

Therefore, the dog is also called a Catahoula Hog Dog, Catahoula Hound, Catahoula Leopard Hound, Catahoula Dog, or the Catahoula Cur. 

In other words, a Catahoula dog is the same as a cur. 

Catahoula and black mouth cur mix info

Here is all the essential information about Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix:

1. Breed information

A Catahoula and Black Mouth Cur mix is native to the United States. The dog’s parents – Catahoula leopard dog and Black Mouth Cur – are believed to have been introduced to the region by the Europeans in the early 1500s. 

Catahoula leopards come from Bloodhounds, Greyhounds, and Mastiffs. On the other hand, a Black Mouth Cur is a dog breed between Labradors and Mastiffs. Therefore, the Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix has a broader gene pool. 

A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix gives birth to about 3-12 puppies. The dominant genes predict the puppy’s height, weight, aggression, hair color, and patterns, among other attributes. 

A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur has average intelligence. So they learn pretty fast. Teaching the crossbreed dog basic skills like sit, stay, etc from puppyhood is essential for its socialization with people and other pets.

With the correct training and care, the Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix will reach maturity in about two years and have a lifespan of over ten years. 

2. Size

Dog size is an essential factor when choosing a pet. Your family might unintentionally hurt small dog breeds, and a dog that’s too big can accidentally hurt children. 

However, the Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix is not a small dog. It is a medium to large dog. A three-month-old Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix puppy is about 14 inches tall, and an adult is about 16 to 24 inches. The puppy weighs up to 35 pounds, and the adult can reach 100 pounds.

Although the dog is quite large, it does not pose a serious risk to your family members. Unless you have a family member who is allergic to dog hair because Catahoula BMC sheds all year round. I will tell you about their temperament and family friendliness in the next section. 

Note that lack of exercise in medium to large dogs like the Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix makes the dog prone to weak joints and bones. 

In addition, the dog can get very active and destructive due to the high energy build-up in its muscles. The crossbreed dog might even chew your bed, carpet, and clothes.

Give a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix more room to move and exercise.

3. Temperament and family friendliness

Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix descends from a family of family-loving dogs. Therefore, the crossbreed is very loving and friendly with the family. However, the Catahoula BMC can be wary of strangers if you don’t introduce them to your dog early.

The dog has a herding and hunting instinct inherited from its parents. In other words, a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix is a working-class dog. You can keep the dog active, healthy, and happy through activities such as disc dog, backpacking, and dog carting.

A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix has a wide range of temperaments. The dog is kind, protective, loyal, intelligent, loving, and gentle. It does well with kids and likes to be cuddled. However, they prefer independence sometimes. So don’t hold your dog the whole day.

4. Color and appearance

You must now be wondering “What does a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix look like?” As I said earlier, the parent’s dominant genes will determine the puppy’s attributes, including color and appearance. Therefore, identifying a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix should be easy.

The crossbreed has a spotted single coat and black lips. The coat might appear in various patterns or even solid colors of black, red, yellow, or brindle.

The dog’s eyes may be brown, green, or yellow. Catahoula Black Mouth Curs can also occasionally have a “glass” eye, where one eye is blue and the other is brown. Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix sheds little to moderate hair throughout the year, and much more heavily before summer and winter. As such, they need very little grooming needs.

5. Lifespan

A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix takes the first 18 months to two years of its life to reach maturity and can live for 10 to 16 years. The dog’s lifespan is determined by its health, nutrition, and fitness levels. The unhealthy or weak dog might not live that long.

To have your dog for many years, give it quality dog food. A Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix prefers lots of proteins in its diet. Dog food like Purina Pro Plan Performance will give the dog up to 26% protein and 16% fat.

The dog’s genetic makeup is also a critical determinant of its lifespan. If you want to know how long your dog would live, the best place to start is by knowing your puppy’s parents. If you know the age of the puppy’s mother, for example, you can estimate your puppy’s lifespan.

6. Health issues

Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix can be prone to health issues like dental disease, arthritis, and hip dysplasia. Dental disease means inflamed gums, arthritis is inflamed joints, and hip dysplasia is a hip deformity. 

Overfeeding, obesity, and lack of exercise are the leading causes of health issues. Remember that the dog plays a lot and can also carry parasites like fleas and ticks from the field to the house. 

But don’t worry. In the next section, I will give some tips to care for a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix.

General care info

Here are some tips to care for a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix:

• Bath the dog 3-4 times a year or whenever it is dirty, dusty, or muddy
• Brush the dog’s short and smooth coat once a week to remove dead hair
• Train and socialize a Catahoula Black Mouth Cur mix when it is still young
• Take the dog to a veterinarian on the day of adoption, then once every three months
• Give it high-quality dog food such as Purina Pro Plan Performance
• Take them to the dog park or the beach or the field and allow them to run freely
•  Spray ticks and fleas every two to three days until they are no more

References

Texas A&M University. (2022). Time for a summer cut? Tips for warm weather dog grooming. Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Veterinarians.org Team. (2017). Everything You Need to Know About The Black Mouth Cur