Why Your Anxious Mountain Cur Barks a Lot
Some dog breeds have strange habits. Beagles love howling, Huskies want to roll around in the snow, and Mountain Cur dogs can constantly bark. Sometimes dog breeds form these habits because they enjoy doing these things, but sometimes there is a deeper meaning. Mountain Cur puppies might develop a barking habit when they're struggling from anxiety, but there are plenty of ways owners can help alleviate their dogs stress.
Mountain Cur Breed Overview
The Mountain Cur is a slightly rare dog breed, and although they aren't as popular as a Laborador Retriever breed, families that adopt one of these dogs love them. This beautiful dog is an excellent breed for outdoorsy types of families, but they'll be happy as long as they get plenty of activity daily.
The American Kennel Club and the United Kennel Club recognized the Mountain Cur dog breed. The Black Mouth Cur dog and the Mountain View Cur dog are very similar, but these breeds are not part of the purebred Mountain Cur.
This breed requires a lot of mental and physical stimulation to stay healthy. They were brought to the U.S. by early European colonizers and have worked as farm dogs throughout their time. You can still find these dogs working on many farms in the south, even though they are still a considerably rare breed overall.
Mountain Cur Size
The Mountain Cur breed can grow to be a pretty big dog. A full-grown Mountain Cur can stand between 16 to 24 inches tall at its shoulders and might weigh anywhere from 30 to 60 pounds. Their size means they could happily live in apartments as long as their owners make sure to give them plenty of activity and interactive toys to provide daily mental stimulation, so they don't get too bored.
The Temperament of a Mountain Cur
This outgoing working dog breed is incredibly high energy. This breed's history as working dogs has made them grow to be brilliant animals that need plenty of regular stimulation to maintain a healthy physical and mental health. This hound pup is typically a medium sized dog, although Mountain Cur information will share that an individual dog can still grow into an excellent 60-pound pet.
The Mountain Cur is an amiable hunting breed in general, but they can get along with animals and people if they're properly socialized. These dogs are great at hiking and swimming, but they'll also benefit from daily training sessions.
Owners need to provide these pets with regular training sessions to help them be on their best behavior. Their past as working dogs means they can easily pick up on cues when owners provide them with the right effort. It's important always to give these dogs plenty of verbal praise and encouragement. If your dog doesn't follow a command, it's imperative not to chastise them and instead try to redirect their intention into a different task. If you find that your Mountain Cur is having difficulty paying attention, it's best to end your training session with some last pets and a treat. This way, you get to end your session on a good note. Training for dogs isn't always so excited, so it's essential to make these moments as positive as possible to ensure they grow to love training with you. It will also help your bond and make training them easier for the future.
Mountain Cur Health Overview
These dogs live pretty healthy lives and have an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years. These dogs have basic health risks, as every breed does, and they might develop some skin issues or joint dysplasia. Arthritis can become an issue for them later in life, although many of these dogs will not have to struggle with these issues.
This breed of dog has basic grooming needs, and they'll need their nails trimmed once a month to keep them at a safe length. These dogs are at risk of skin infections, so they need owners who will brush them regularly, about once a week, and bathe them every six to eight weeks. These dogs aren't hypoallergenic, so they aren't great for allergy sufferers.
Mountain Cur dogs are semi-prone to ear infections, so owners need to clean their dog's face and ears regularly to prevent any dangerous bacteria from causing infections. Dog owners can clean their pet's ears once a month, but it's essential not to overclean their ears as this can make an already sensitive area more vulnerable to infections.
Even though many of these dogs will never experience any physical health concerns, they will all likely suffer from anxiety or stress at some point in their lives. Most dogs struggle with anxiety symptoms, and although this can cause stress for owners, there are many ways to help your pet overcome these psychological conditions.
Anxiety Causes
Mountain Cur puppies that suffer from anxiety can have any number of reasons for experiencing this stress. Many things in a dog's life can cause stress, and sometimes anxiety is caused by more than one event occurring.
One of the most common causes of anxiety is separation anxiety. Many dogs depend on their owners for feelings of safety and relaxation, so when owners disappear for hours on end, this can cause them to experience intense situations of separation anxiety. Many owners also aren't aware that they should train their dogs to get used to their absences carefully over a long period, specifically to avoid issues like separation anxiety.
Another widespread cause of anxiety is a lack of physical exercise or mental stimulation. Over 50% of adult pet dogs in the U.S. suffer from obesity because their owners do not take proper care of them and provide daily exercise. Your dog's exercise is necessary to keep them at their physical healthiest and maintain proper mental health. When dogs have tons of pent-up energy and no healthy way to release it, it often releases it uncontrollably through panic attacks which appear like moments of disobedience and bad behavior. Many dogs also don't get enough daily mental stimulation which causes them to focus their energy in unhealthy ways, such as stressing out and becoming extra anxious and fearful.
Many pet parents don't provide basic needs for their dogs, like socialization training. Socialization is vital so your dog can become comfortable in new environments and situations, which will cause them stress if owners don't carefully invite their pets into these new environments. Dogs that are anxious around other animals, new people, on in different locations suffer from poor socialization aptitudes and then suffer the consequences of anxiety and stress associated with this vital skill.
Commonly many pets suffer from noise-induced anxiety. Dogs have extraordinary senses of smell and hearing, but certain things can be too much for them, this is why certain perfumes can irritate your dog, or certain scents can provide calming remedies. It's also why so many dogs get stressed out around thunderstorms, sirens, or fireworks. If you notice your dog repeatedly gets more anxious when you can hear a loud noise, they are most likely suffering from noise anxiety.y
While many dogs might experience anxiety naturally, some dogs are more likely to than others. Suppose you adopted your Mountain Cur from a dog shelter. In that case, they are more likely to suffer from anxiety than other animals because they are more likely to have suffered from severe traumas that have impacted them heavily. Shelter pets commonly experience major life traumas like abandonment, neglect, homelessness, and abuse. Sadly dogs that have experienced physical abuse often struggle the most with anxiety symptoms. If your Mountain Cur puppy is scared of otherwise normal things, it can be a massive indicator of past abuse. Many abused dogs are afraid of toys because they don't understand that toys can be fun. Commonly abused dogs will cower if you raise your hand in a particular manner, and it can be heartbreaking to cause this fear in your dog accidentally. Some dogs will struggle to learn to play basic games like fetch because they think their owners will beat them with a stick when they raise it to throw it for their pets. If you see your Mountain Cur puppies exhibiting strange behaviors like these, they likely suffer from a history of trauma and have intense anxiety left over.
Owners can best help their dogs overcome these issues by understanding their pet's symptoms and observing when these symptoms appear the most.
Anxiety Symptoms
Moutain Cut puppies will show their emotions through body language as all dog breeds do. Many owners will naturally understand when their Mountain Cur dog is happy, sad, excited, anxious, or tired by spending time with them regularly. However, all dogs have their individualities when expressing emotions, and owners might not notice these discrepancies at the beginning of their relationship with their pet. Still, over time they will understand their pet's nuances.
Dogs with signs of anxiety can have minor symptoms like cowering their head, tucking their tails between their legs, or holding their ears back. Some Mountain Cur puppies might also shake like they're wet or begin shivering when anxious. If your dog is exhibiting signs of anxiety such as these, they have a less difficult situation, which means it will be much easier to help relieve them of their symptoms.
Some Mountain Cur puppies will show a little more intense anxiety by becoming restless, pacing, or destroying their owner's homes. Many dogs with separation anxiety have panic attacks while their owners are away. They will release this fear by chewing on couch cushions or trying to escape their houses. Some of these dogs might also cry, whine or bark. Mountain Cur dogs are known to bark quite a lot when dealing with anxiety.
If your pet has a somewhat intense development of anxiety, then they might try to hide behind you or prevent you from leaving their house. Sometimes these dogs will try to escape their homes if they have any suspicions that you will leave them for a little. However, this is most commonly present in Mountain Cur puppies who suffer from separation anxiety.
The most intense symptoms dogs can experience when struggling with separation anxiety are vomiting, defecating, urinating, or easting their defecation. More severely affected dogs will not eat when they are anxious, and some can even show aggressive tendencies like mouthiness or growling.
Watching your beloved Mountain Cur pet struggle with such helpless and troublesome emotions can be emotionally painful. But owners can help their dogs overcome these situations by treating them appropriately based on the severity of their dog's specific condition.
Anxiety Treatment Methods
Owners should always try the least invasive treatment methods before giving their dogs any additives. Many dog owners don't want to put in the extra work when it comes to helping their pets overcome anxiety but doing this extra work can provide longer-lasting effectiveness in lessening your mountain Cur puppy's symptoms.
One of the best ways to treat your dog's anxiety is exercise. Exercise is a natural stress reliever, and since many dogs don't get enough exercise already, this is one of the best and most efficient ways to treat your pet's anxiety symptoms. Many dogs lack regular mental stimulation, so owners should aim to provide both of these things regularly to treat their mountain cur puppy's anxiety. Finding beneficial enrichment activities, interactive toys, or excellent training regimens can easily stimulate your dog mentally and physically, relieving them of minor anxiety symptoms.
After exercise, one of the most common ways owners provide treatment for their pet's anxiety is by giving them a safe space. A safe space is a new trend where owners dedicate a specific area in their house to their dog. These areas will have things like a dog bed, crate, bowl of water, and toys. The idea is to put anything that can help relax your pet into these rooms so they can calm down as efficiently as possible. Many owners take extra steps to encourage relaxation, such as playing classical music or applying aromatherapy to help alleviate their dog's symptoms. Oners have complete creative control when making these spaces, so working on these with your dog can be very beneficial.
After these two methods, if your pet still suffers from anxiety, they might need extra help calming down. All pet stores carry calming supplements that can help relieve your dog's anxiety. Many owners also use tools like dog CBD to help their pets relax since dog CBD is great for their mental and physical health thanks to its calming and anti-inflammatory properties.
Many dog owners consider giving their pets more permanent calming medicines such as anti-anxiety medicine. Although these pills can be very effective, they often come with the risks of many side effects and should only be used in the most severe cases. Only veterinarians can prescribe your dog anti-anxiety medicine, and they typically reserve this for dogs with the most intense symptoms of anxiety.
Another excellent method of treating anxiety is counterconditioning treatment. Counter conditioning requires a dog behaviorist or trainer to work with your Mountain Cur puppy. These specialists will help understand what causes your pet's anxiety and then work to change their negative reaction to a positive one. This treatment method is efficient and long-lasting, although it can be very pricey and time-consuming, making this inaccessible to all walks of life. If you are interested in counter conditioning, keep in mind that it will take a lot of time and devotion before seeing permanent results in your Mountain Cur.
Conclusion
No pet parent wants to watch their Mountain Cur puppy suffer from signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety. It can be easy to think your dog barks constantly to annoy you, but this is rarely the case, and they bark because they're fearful.
You should correspond your pet's treatment to the severity of their symptoms and talk to your vet if you have any questions. Excellent ways to target your dog's situation are to provide these calming methods at least 30 minutes before your pet experiences anything that can exacerbate their anxiety. So if you're going to leave your house for a few hours, give your pet some exercise or calming treats at least 30 minutes before your departure.
Owners should know they can mix up many of these methods and don't have to stick to just one. If your dog has severe anxiety, you can give them extra exercise, a safe space, dog CBD or any other mixture of these helpful things. It's important not to rely too much on supplements to calm your dog down, but if you find nothing else is working to help them, then using these supplements are an excellent way to aid their symptoms.