New Guinea Singing Dog vs Mountain Cur - Breed Comparison

New Guinea Singing Dog vs Mountain Cur - Breed ComparisonMountain Cur is originated from United States but New Guinea Singing Dog is originated from Papua New Guinea. Mountain Cur may grow 28 cm / 12 inches higher than New Guinea Singing Dog. Mountain Cur may weigh 12 kg / 27 pounds more than New Guinea Singing Dog. Mountain Cur may live 4 years less than New Guinea Singing Dog. Both Mountain Cur and New Guinea Singing Dog has almost same litter size. Mountain Cur requires Low Maintenance. But New Guinea Singing Dog requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Miscellaneous dogs
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United States
Papua New Guinea
Height Male:
46 - 66 cm
18 - 26 inches
35 - 38 cm
13 - 15 inches
Height Female:
41 - 61 cm
16 - 25 inches
32 - 35 cm
12 - 14 inches
Weight Male:
14 - 27 kg
30 - 60 pounds
8 - 15 kg
17 - 34 pounds
Weight Female:
12 - 25 kg
26 - 56 pounds
6 - 10 kg
13 - 23 pounds
Life Span:
14 - 16 Years
15 - 20 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 8
1 - 6
Size:
Large
Medium
Other Names:
MC
Hallstrom Dog, NGSD, New Guinea Highland Dog, New Guinea Dingo, Singer, New Guinea Wild Dog
Colors Available:
yellow, brown, blue, or brindle white on face and chest
Black and tan with white markings, golden red.
Coat:
short
weather resistant coat double coat breed
Shedding:
Seasonal
Moderate
Temperament:
Alert, Courageous, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Quiet
Affectionate, Alert, Curious, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Stubborn
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
No
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
No

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.

new guinea singing dogIn 1957 the New Guinea Singing Dog was “discovered” in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea and he is found no where else. There is a lot of debate among scientists, taxonomists and biologist as to what is really a species and what is a subspecies. When the NGSD was found he was classified as a new canid species then in 2007 they were downgraded to a subspecies.

Today the NGSD is considered to be a wild dog and a primitive dog. They have lived in Papua New Guinea in the Highlands for thousands of years. They are closely related to other wild dogs, such as Australia’s dingo. They are today as they were a thousand years ago – wild. So wild that many counties have them in their zoos.

With the right care and enough socialization, they do very well as companion animals living with people. They are difficult to domesticate however and the person who owns one should be a part of the NGSD community in order to get support, share issues, and learn from others who have lived with these “wild dogs” for many years.

Any New Guinea Singing Dog found in North America or Europe is a direct descendent of two couples that were taken to zoos in China and Australia. The NGSD makes a howling sound that modulates and undulates through a wide series of tones. No other dog makes this musical sound. Rare even in New Guinea today, the Singer is thought to be the rarest of all dogs.

The only organization that recognizes the Singing Dog is the UKC and they are allowed in UKC competition. The NGSD now holds the classification of a domestic dog – a Canis lupus dingo - which is a subspecies of Canis lupus. In 2016 a group of 15 wild dogs were photographed for the first time ever. Prior to this the NGSD were never seen in more than pairs.

It is believed that they do not live and operate in packs, but rather solitary, pairs or family groups where both the parents do the work of raising the pups.

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.

new guinea singing dog puppy - descriptionThe New Guinea Singing Dog is a medium sized dog with short legs and a broad head. They are about average height and they are very limber and flexible. They can rotate their paws and spread their legs at much greater angles than the average canine. Thus, they can easily climb a tree. They can jump like a cat.

They have very reflective eyes that are shaped like almonds and have dark rims. The color of the eye can be dark brown to dark amber. It is also believed that they can see better than other domestic dogs in low light settings. Their pupils let in more light due to pupils that are wider than most other dogs.

The ears of the NGSD are lined with fur, pointed and erect. The are forward laying and can be rotated in order to hear even the farthest and faintest of sounds. There are dark guard hairs on the spine and back of the ears and tail. On young dogs the muzzle is black but by age 7 it is already beginning to turn gray.

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.

Children friendliness

new guinea singing dog dog - characteristicsThey could be, but it must be remembered that this is a wild dog.

Special talents

Varying the pitches when howling

Adaptability

It’s possible but not recommended. Leave them wild.

Learning ability

Highly intelligent but trainability is questionable unless well socialize and attached to their people.

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.

Health Problems

new guinea singing dog puppies - health problemsThough the breed is not extinct – it is so wild and secretive that there is no history or record of any health problems. However, the small number of domestic companion animals have shown health issues in recent years.

Pancreatitis – can be chronic or acute. If chronic it needs to be treated and diet changed. If acute it is usually deadly.

Hip Dysplasia – can cause lameness or arthritis.

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.

Feeding the puppy

new guinea singing dog dogs - caringIn the wild both pups and adults are thought to eat small mammals and birds as well as fruits. In homes feed a high protein diet. Because of the tendency toward pancreatitis do not feed raw or under cooked meat. If feeding meet do so in small amounts well cooked, very lean. Stay away from the fat. Feed puppies very small amounts. ¾-1 cup high quality dry puppy food twice a day.

Feeding the adult

Same as the puppy when it comes to meat although you could give the adult a little more. 1 ½ cups od high quality medium breed dog food twice a day.

Points for Good Health

In the wild there is no indication of health issue. A very healthy breed.

Games and Exercises

The NGSD needs a lot of stimulation both mental and physical. They must have a daily walk and somewhere to run. They are escape artist in homes. Remember they can jump like cats and climb trees. If their head can pass through a hole, so can the rest of their body.

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. New Guinea Singing Dog vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. New Guinea Singing Dog vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. New Guinea Singing Dog vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. New Guinea Singing Dog vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. New Guinea Singing Dog vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. New Guinea Singing Dog vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. New Guinea Singing Dog vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison