Norwich Terrier is originated from United Kingdom but Mountain Cur is originated from United States. Norwich Terrier may grow 41 cm / 16 inches shorter than Mountain Cur. Norwich Terrier may weigh 21 kg / 46 pounds lesser than Mountain Cur. Norwich Terrier may live 3 years less than Mountain Cur. Norwich Terrier may have less litter size than Mountain Cur. Norwich Terrier requires Moderate Maintenance. But Mountain Cur requires Low Maintenance
Hailing from the United Kingdom and once known as the Cantab Terrier, the Norwich Terrier may be small, but he was bred to hunt rodents.
Closely related to the Norfolk Terrier, he is an old dog breed, having existed since the 19th century. Its understandable that such a dog would also be the mascot of Cambridge students.
It is believed that he was bred from Irish Terriers and some believe it came from the Trumpington Terrier, an extinct breed.
From 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.
As one of the smallest terriers, the Norwich Terrier is also quite a rare dog breed. He is such a cute little dog this, weighing just 5 to 5.5kg and standing at between 23–25cm at the withers.
He has erect ears and a double coat that can be wheaten, red, tan, black and tan and grizzle. The tail has always been docked previously, giving the dog an attractive, compact look but these days it is left long. These dogs have small litters – usually between one and three puppies.
The Norwich Terrier is a friendly little dog and is essentially a companion to humans. Just because he is small, doesn’t mean he is frail and helpless. He is a feisty, hardy dog with a brave heart and just loves his human family.
The Norwich Terrier is also strong willed and assertive and it can be of benefit to have him trained and socialized. He is energetic too, so he’ll expect a walk each day, a run in the park and ball games. They also make excellent little watchdogs, at least warning you of approaching strangers.
They are good with kids if the children have been taught to be kind and gentle with animals, and they get on well with other pets in the home too.
Bred 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.
The Norwich Terrier is guaranteed to make you a splendid pet as he is active, friendly, social and intelligent, as well as being loving and loyal.
You can rely on this little canine friend to want to be with you and take part in all your activities. He won’t do well if you put him in the back yard and forget about him, as he craves human company.
When you do whatever it takes to ensure your Norwich Terrier is an active and treasured member of your family, you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful pet and companion for many years.
The lifespan of the Norwich Terrier is between 11 and 13 years and he is considered a healthy breed. Every dog owner needs to know that there are some health issues which will require veterinary intervention.
Cataracts, an eye disease may be inherited and it is where the eye gets a cloudy look. Other illnesses to look out for include Patellar Luxation, a problem where the dog's kneecap is dislocated from its normal anatomic position. The condition is fairly common in small dog breeds.
Check problems with the teeth - more specifically incorrect bites because of how the teeth meet.
Sometimes these dogs can battle with breathing problems. Upper Airway Syndrome is when the dogs breathing is raspy.
There are a few health issues that the Mountain Cur is susceptible to. They include:
Norwich Terriers are active little dogs and were bred to be working dogs – hunting vermin but also accompanying their owners on horseback. You can see that he has been used to an active lifestyle and will require a daily walk and games. He will also want toys which can keep him occupied in between his active sessions.
His size allows him to adapt easily to life in the city or the countryside but wherever he is, he will need a good dose of exercise.
The double coated Norwich Terrier, with his wiry topcoat and soft undercoat will need to be brushed twice a week to avoid matting. This is a dog that will require stripping of the old hairs from the coat. This is a process which ensures the coat retaining its texture and appearance.
If you’re in any kind of doubt, speak to a professional groomer. As it is, many owners of this dog who don’t show their dogs, have them professionally groomed.
Always choose a high-quality dry food. Try and avoid those commercially manufactured foods which contain wheat and gluten and lots of preservatives and colorants. These can affect your pet’s health negatively.
Choose quality foods where protein is at the top of the list of ingredients. Give your pet some homemade food too, keeping his diet as simple and nutritious as possible. Some boiled chicken chopped up together with brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach will do him the world of good.
A tiny bit of raw meat every once and again will be a good thing. Avoid foods such as chocolates, ice-cream, popcorn, onions and spicy foods as these will upset your pet’s digestive system.
Provide him with a warm, dry, soft bed. If he is outside for any length of time, make sure he has a sheltered area away from the sun and rain.
Mountain 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.
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.
Athleticism
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.