The Stephens Cur or the Stephens Inventory Cur is a medium-sized scent hound. They have been developed in Kentucky by the Stephens household to be agile hunters. They’re extremely smart and adaptable canine that make nice working canine. Nonetheless, in addition they make loyal canine companions for lively households that may cater to the breed’s excessive vitality ranges. Regardless of the identify “Cur” which means mongrel, Stephens Curs are certainly purebred canine.
This text will talk about all of the fascinating info, information, and traits of Stephens Cur.
Breed Overview
Colours:
Black, white, or darkish gray
Appropriate for:
Lively households in search of a full of life and enthusiastic breed
Temperament:
Loyal, easygoing, full of life, adaptable, enthusiastic, and clever
Stephens Cur descended from a line of Mountain Cur, a sort of working canine that hunted small sport in america. They turned a separate breed of Cur within the late 1900s due to distinctive traits that set them other than the others.
Stephens Cur are characterised by their muscular, rectangular our bodies with outlined heads and ears that dangle. Their athletic our bodies make them agile hunters, whereas their full of life and constant temperament makes them nice household pets. They often stand between 16 to 23 inches tall and might weigh as much as 55 kilos. This breed has quick, black coats with white on the extremities.
Stephens Cur Traits
Stephens Cur Puppies
Stephens Curs will not be a quite common canine breed exterior of america. If you’re in search of a purebred Stephens Cur pet, then an moral breeder is the most effective path to undergo. It’s unusual to seek out purebred Stephens Cur puppies up for adoption or rehoming. Nonetheless, it is best to nonetheless contact native shelters and rescue organizations to see in the event that they probably have one up for adoption.
Once you deliver dwelling your Stephens Cur pet, you’ll rapidly discover how playful and full of life they’re. This breed has excessive vitality ranges as puppies and enjoys exploring and taking part in. Stephens Cur puppies begin to present their searching instincts from a younger age. They’ll typically be seen chasing smaller animals or objects that resemble them, reminiscent of sticks and leaves blowing within the wind.
You will need to begin coaching and socializing with this breed from a younger age, as they rapidly be taught new issues whereas they’re nonetheless younger. It may be tough for this breed to interrupt dangerous habits they’ve grown up doing when they’re older. Early coaching helps stop these dangerous habits from forming.
Stephens Cur Origin & Historical past
Stephens Cur are scent hounds and one of many a number of types of Curs. This breed began as a line of Mountain Cur earlier than turning into a definite breed in 1970. The Stephens household was chargeable for this breed’s growth, therefore their identify.
The Stephens Cur was initially developed in Southeast Kentucky to be working canine. They have been used to hunt small sport reminiscent of raccoons and squirrels. Nonetheless, Stephens Curs can hunt bigger sport too. They’ve been recognized to come across bears and mountain lions that they tackle in packs quite than alone.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Stephens Cur
Stephens Curs are rugged, adaptable, and full of life canine. They do their work with enthusiasm and are all the time blissful to please their house owners. Stephens Curs are extremely smart which makes them simple to coach and studying new issues is rarely a difficulty for this breed. They’re lively when open air, continually sniffing the bottom seeking small animals they may hunt. When inside with their households, Stephens Curs are laid-back and affectionate.
This breed can deal with so much and isn’t simply phased by a lot. Stephens Curs can deal with a wide range of environments and has tailored to farm existence, noisy households, and lively households with busy schedules.
Are These Canines Good for Households? 👪
Stephens Curs will be wonderful household canine for these with each younger and older youngsters. They’ll simply mix into most households and simply turn out to be a part of the day by day routine. Stephens Curs doesn’t thoughts being a part of households that incessantly have visitors over. They have a tendency to socialize nicely with different individuals though they are often cautious of them at first.
Stephens Curs are desirous to accommodate their households on a stroll within the wilderness or open land the place they’ll run and discover.
Does This Breed Get Together with Different Pets? 🐶 😽
Stephens Curs socialize nicely with different canine and cats if they’ve been socialized from an early age. They get together with canine a lot simpler than with cats. Small pets and Stephens Curs don’t go nicely collectively. This breed was bred to be a hunter and see small pets as prey. In case you have a Stephens Cur and small pets in the identical dwelling, you need to make sure that they’re refrained from one another for the small pet’s security.
Issues to Know When Proudly owning a Stephens Cur:
Meals & Weight-reduction plan Necessities 🦴
Stephens Curs require a whole and balanced weight loss program that meets all of their dietary necessities. They get pleasure from an omnivorous weight loss program with animal-based meat as a essential ingredient. This breed ought to be consuming AAFCO-approved pet food to make sure they obtain all of the important vitamins they want.
There may be not one particular weight loss program that works finest for this breed. The weight loss program you feed them will rely on components reminiscent of their age, weight, life-style, and well being standing. If you’re not sure about the appropriate weight loss program in your Stephens Cur, a veterinarian or registered canine nutritionist may also help you determine.
This breed isn’t choosy about what they eat and readily accepts most kibbles, moist, uncooked, or freeze-dried diets.
Train 🐕
Stephens Curs are energetic canine that require a minimal of two hours of train per day. They’ve a pure want to roam open air and monitor scents that intrigue them. They don’t prefer to be stored inside all day and like to have entry to the outside. You possibly can train this breed by taking them on common walks or hikes. They’ll journey far distances if the climate is favorable and can eagerly sniff round and warn you to fascinating issues they discover throughout walks.
Stephens Curs favor workout routines that interact their instincts to hunt and monitor. Interactive toys will be helpful when exercising this breed each indoors and open air.
Coaching 🎾
It’s comparatively simple to coach Stephens Curs because of their excessive intelligence. This breed appears ahead to coaching periods if they’re quick and constant. It’s higher to divide the coaching periods all through the day quite than cramming every little thing into one session. As soon as skilled, Stephens Curs will be well-mannered and social canine. They eagerly comply with instructions and new burglary guidelines.
Coaching will come in useful when permitting these canine to roam open air and a very good recall may also help get them again inside once more.
Grooming ✂️
Stephens Curs are simple to groom due to their quick, glossy coats. They largely require brushing two to a few occasions every week to take away free hair and their nails trimmed. You need to commonly clear this breed’s ear to forestall gunk from increase between the folds. Stephens Curs usually solely want a shower when they’re soiled and bathing them too typically with harsh shampoos might dry out their pores and skin and coat.
It’s simple to groom this breed from dwelling, and so they don’t often require skilled grooming.
Well being and Circumstances🏥
Stephens Curs are a reasonably wholesome breed with a powerful lifespan of 12 to 16 years. As with most canine, Stephens Curs can undergo from a number of well being circumstances.
Minor Circumstances
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Pores and skin allergy symptoms
- Ear infections
- Dental points
Severe Circumstances
- Tick-borne ailments
- Elbow and hip dysplasia
- Epilepsy
Male vs Feminine
Each sexes share the identical temperaments and wonderful working traits. One of many slight variations between female and male Stephens Curs is that males are bigger than females. Each sexes can weigh an identical quantity of as much as 55 kilos, though males are typically heavier.
Feminine Stephens Curs mature quicker and go into warmth after they begin having estrous cycles. You’ll discover that each sexes have completely different hormonal behaviors, reminiscent of an elevated urge to roam or escape.
3 Little-Identified Details Concerning the Stephens Cur
1. Their our bodies are nicely tailored to sprinting and treeing
Stephens Curs have lithe, muscular our bodies that make them quick sprinters and agile jumpers. This breed was bred to hunt small animals that will disguise inside timber. Treeing is a sort of searching method this breed makes use of to comply with and alert their house owners to the prey in timber.
2. Stephens Curs have been established as a separate breed in 1970
Stephens Curs have been established as a separate breed in 1970 after beginning as a pressure of Mountain Cur. The Stephens household maintained a pressure of Mountain Curs for 100 years earlier than their line of canine was so distinctive and have become a separate breed.
3. Their ancestors almost went extinct
Mountain Curs have been utilized by settlers in america for searching and guarding functions. Nonetheless, their numbers began lowering and so they nearly turned extinct within the Forties. 4 breeders have been chargeable for saving the breed, together with Hugh Stephens who labeled the Stephens Cur pressure.
Remaining Ideas
Stephens Curs are medium-sized canine from america. They have been bred to be treeing canine that hunted small sport. Stephens Curs are extremely energetic and thrive with loads of train. This breed enjoys exploring and occurring lengthy walks and hikes with their households. They’re an adaptable breed that may make nice pets or working canine for households and farmers alike.
In the event you select to maintain this breed as a pet, you will want to make sure you deal with their excessive vitality ranges and demanding train necessities. Stephens Curs don’t get alongside nicely with small pets like rabbits, however they do get together with equally sized canine.
Featured Picture Credit score: ooodles, Shutterstock
