What You Need To Know About The American Leopard Hound – Leopard Cur
The American leopard hound is known for its friendly demeanor and long history as one of the oldest treeing dog breeds in the United States.
This history, however, is not entirely clear. This uncommon breed of dog, which goes by the names leopard cur, American leopard, and American leopard cur, has been used for a very long time to follow and hunt a wide variety of tree-climbing animals, including everything from squirrels to bears.
However, despite its high levels of activity and strong hunting instincts, the dog can also be a loving and caring family dog, which is especially true when there are youngsters around for her to interact with.
The dense double coat of the leopard hound can be any of nine different hues and have a variety of markings.
In addition, the maintenance of this fur is a breeze, and it not only looks great but also does an excellent job of shielding her from the elements as she travels through the wilderness in all kinds of conditions.
She also possesses some exceptionally durable feet, making her an excellent choice for tracking games through various terrains.
Appearance
If having diversity in one’s life is what gives it flavor, then the American leopard hound certainly enjoys a spicy meal.
Although the average weight for the breed is between 45 and 70 pounds, it is not unusual to see leopard hounds that are either less or larger than the average.
Their low-maintenance double coat has a fine, wooly undercoat and a little rough outer layer. It is available in nine official hues, ranging from yellow to red to black, and requires very little grooming.
Approximately sixty percent of leopards have solid hues, but their fur can also come with interesting markings such as white points, brindle, and merle.
It is possible to find an American leopard hound with one or even two blue eyes, even though her eyes are typically a shade of yellow or brown and are round and widely set apart.
Her tail, which is normally set low, can be any length, and the tails of certain working dogs are docked to increase their efficiency (though this practice is controversial).
As a result, you may have some difficulty recognizing a leopard solely based on its appearance.
And since they are not all that common and frequently reside in rural locations, it is highly not likely that you will come across one while you are out for a walk.
If you come across a young dog that looks like an American leopard hound, there is a good possibility that she is, in fact, a Catahoula leopard dog.
The American leopard hound and the Catahoula leopard dog have distinctive characteristics that set them apart, even though they share some characteristics (such as the ability to have a spotted coat).
Catahoulas, the larger of the two, belong to the dogs used for herding groups, whereas American leopard hounds are, as their name suggests, hounds.
American leopard hounds get along well with new people and other dogs, but they may have a larger prey drive than their Catahoula ancestors.
Temperament
One of the qualities that her supporters admire most about her is the American leopard hound’s disposition.
You will have difficulty finding another treeing dog who is more eager to please her people than she is.
“The American leopard hound is friendly, very intelligent, and wants to be involved with whatever its master is doing,” says Rae Owen, an American Leopard Hound Association member, and moderator.
“The American leopard hound is a member of the American Leopard Hound Association.”
However, she emphasizes the importance of constant training and socialization for these dogs because of their alert and suspicious nature.
Fortunately, this intelligent breed quickly picks up cues, especially when the training is centered on rewards.
The leopard hound may not be the finest candidate for a cuddly lap dog, but she loves her family and thinks that kids are the most amazing people in the world.
According to Holly Weber, DVM, CVA of Best Friends Animal Hospital in Sarasota, Florida, a dog’s instinct to protect its family is especially strong when it comes to young members.
This finding shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Even while hounds are generally used for hunting, most hound breeds, including American leopard hounds, are known for their high devotion and friendliness with youngsters, according to her.
“It is crucial that if you want your leopard to be social with most people, it is smart to start their socialization with people and dogs of all ages and sizes when they are puppies.
This is the best way to ensure that your leopard has a friendly personality.”
According to Weber, it is also vital to conduct introductions to smaller animals supervised and regulated manner.
She believes that they have a very high prey instinct, implying a strong desire to hunt after rabbits and squirrels.
“So, if you really want your hound to be a pet rather than a hunting dog, they need to be socialized to tiny creatures, like cats and little dogs, at a young age to help prevent that instinct,” the author writes.
“Thus, if you want your hound to be a pet, you need to socialize them.” Leopard hounds were bred to operate in packs.
Thus, they typically get along well with other canines and other animals they are raised with. However, introducing leopard hounds to new animals later in life can be difficult.
Be prepared to love your American leopard hound for the hound that she is, advises Kayla Fratt, a dog behavior specialist at Journey Dog Training.
“Of course, not even all of the meaty goodies in the world will change who your American leopard hound is at her core,” adds Fratt.
“The most important thing to have in mind with any treeing hound is how lovey-dovey they are likely to be indoors,” she explains.
“And how incredibly independent they are likely to be outside.” “The fact that hounds get quite animated in response to certain stimuli lends credence to the stereotype that they are emotional animals.
They were trained to pick up a scent outside and follow it until they were successful, which means that despite their high level of intelligence, it can be challenging to get them to come back inside.”
Because of this, even if you consistently train your leopard with positive reinforcement, off-leash walks may not be the most appropriate activity for your leopard.
Living Needs
The American leopard hound is not a dog that does well in the city.
The dog needs daily exercise (and plenty of it!) to use up her excess energy, so the best environment for her would be a rural home with a lot of land or a large yard that is securely fenced in where she can run and play—especially if she is not being worked as a hunter.
She requires daily exercise (and plenty of it!) to burn off her excess energy. Homes that have walls or ceilings in common are sometimes problematic.
Fratt predicts that the newcomers will be chatty and outspoken. “They’re going to be loud,” he says. The leopard is a hound, and she possesses a beautiful singing voice, which she does not hesitate to use.
This is a breed of dog that was bred to work as a treeing dog and assist its humans in hunting, despite the fact that she has the potential to be a wonderful addition to a family, particularly in energetic families with children who are aware of how to play appropriately.
According to Fratt, if you don’t intend to go hunting with your dog, you should find other activities to participate in that will allow her to exercise those instincts.
She says that competitive tracking is the kind of activity for which these dogs have been specifically developed.
They may do well in other activities, such as smell work, but tracking is the one that will stimulate their brain.
In general, the American leopard hound strongly desires to participate in whatever activities her people are engaged in.
And because of the breed’s unlimited energy, tolerance of cold and hot and cold weather, and unusually tough feet that could handle tricky terrain without getting sore, bringing her along on your outdoor adventures is a no-brainer.
She can handle hot and cold weather, and the breed can tolerate hot and cold weather. However, there is a proviso to this.
“If off-leash hiking is one of your goals, this is not the breed for you,” explains Fratt regarding the Golden Retriever.
They will pick up a scent out there somewhere, and they will pursue it.
Care
The American leopard hound is relatively low maintenance, except for her above-average requirements for physical activity.
She doesn’t shed very much, and even though she has a double coat, she’s easy to groom.
She has to be brushed once a week, bathed if she manages to get herself particularly dirty or smelly, and have her rapidly growing nails trimmed regularly.
If you hear her nails clicking on the floor when she walks, it’s time for a pedicure. Maintaining a regular brushing routine for her teeth is also essential to her health.
Live in a more rural area, and your leopard hound has the opportunity to go exploring through the brush.
You should keep a close eye out for insects, parasites (like ticks), debris, scrapes, and wounds in and around her ears, eyes, and paws, as well as all over the rest of her body.
Training this intelligent breed with the help of positive reinforcement should be a wonderful opportunity to bond due to her tendency to learn new things fast and her joy in seeing her people satisfied with her performance.
The most difficult task you will face is likely instructing her to pay attention to and respond to cues when she is focused on a scent.
Although some American leopard hounds may never fully master this skill, it is still important to continue to work on it consistently.
Again, beginning early with the socialization of your American leopard hound puppy will assist her in developing into a self-assured and outgoing adult dog.
Health Issues
According to Weber, the American leopard hound is a generally healthy breed, as seen by its average lifetime of 12 to 15 years.
However, as is the case with all dogs, there are specific conditions that a puppy’s parent needs to be on the lookout for.
A few cases of congenital deafness have been reported, and hip dysplasia is the orthopedic condition reported the most frequently, according to Weber.
Other issues that she brings up relate to the fact that, like hounds, they are constantly running through brush and trees.
Consequently, there is a risk of flea and tick infestation as well as illnesses that are transmitted by ticks; in addition, there is a risk of both superficial and deep wounds that they can get from searching through brambles or chasing after wildlife. These are all potential concerns.
Talking to your veterinarian about the health of your puppy and the activities it participates in daily is, of course, a smart idea whenever you want to make sure that your American leopard hound is maintaining good health.
History
Though the American leopard hound breed is one of the oldest treeing dogs in the United States, the breed’s ancestry is not entirely understood.
It is thought that Spanish conquistadors were the ones who brought them to the New World, as stated by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
However, scholars have put forward some other hypotheses regarding what may have occurred after that.
Did the dogs bring to Mexico by the conquistadors interbreed with the dogs already living in Mexico, resulting in the breed that immigrants brought to the United States later on?
Or did the breed emerge independently in the United States from various hound and herding breeds that originated in Europe?
Although the answer is unclear, most specialists agree that leopards were already living in eastern North Carolina by the beginning of the 18th century.
After that, the hounds headed west to Tennessee and Kentucky and finally made their way into Oklahoma and Texas, where they were recognized as being great treeing dogs, which is what they had been bred to be.
However, this did not exactly result in broad popularity. During the first half of the 20th century, the American leopard hound’s numbers plummeted so low that breeders began mixing them with other breeds to preserve the species.
In 1960, three men who had each worked to find purebred examples of the breed eventually met and created the American Leopard Cur Breeders Association.
They began working to maintain and promote the breed to keep it alive. But wait! I believe you mean the American leopard hound rather than the cur.
This part of their history is also a little bit puzzling if I’m being honest. The United Kennel Club officially recognized the breed as the leopard cur in 1998.
Before then, the breed’s name was variously known as the leopard cur or the American leopard cur (UKC).
However, after another ten years, the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the breeder association concluded that the name should be changed to American leopard hound.
This made it possible for the dogs to compete in coonhound events.
After just another four years, in 2012, the American leopard hound was accepted into the Foundation Stock Service of the American Kennel Club (AKC), which was the first step toward eventually being admitted into the hound group.
Fun Facts
The answer lies in the name. A lot of it is required if you wish to compete in particular events!
The breed’s original name, the leopard cur, was changed to the American leopard hound in 2008. This was done so the dogs could participate in competitions allowing coonhounds.
According to the American Kennel Club, the American leopard hound is well-known for its ability to “duck and dodge” to escape damage while fighting and holding the game at bay.
This is one of the breed’s defining characteristics. These canines have some serious mental fortitude!
Leopards, in addition to having feet that are particularly hardy and resistant to harm, especially when walking on jagged or rocky terrain, are also able to withstand extremes of temperature more effectively than the normal dog.
However, leopard hound owners should exercise caution and refrain from putting their dogs in potentially hazardous environments, such as harsh weather or unfamiliar terrain, because these dogs are so eager to please that they may put their requirements on the back burner to make their owners happy.
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