The German Shepherd Black Mouth Cur Mix

Mixed breeds are becoming increasingly more popular all over the world.  Since the German Shepherd is one of the most popular breeds in the U.S. many people want a mix that includes the German Shepherd bloodline. 

If you are wondering whether the German Shepherd Black Mouth Cur mix would be a great addition to your family, this article will give you all you need to know about this adorable pup.

The German Shepherd Breed

As the name suggests, German Shepherd originated from Germany.  They are classified as herding dogs and were bred originally to herd sheep and protect sheep.

Today they are one of the most versatile working dog breeds as they are extremely intelligent, courageous and have a strong drive to work.  They are used for a variety of tasks such as service dogs, military work, police work as well as personal protection.

Outside of their working roles, they make good family dogs as well because they quickly bond to humans, and good with children, and are very loving, affectionate, and playful.

The Black Mouth Cur Breed

Black Mouth Curs have a more of an undetermined past.  They are believed to the originated in the south of the U.S. and was bred using a mix of several farm dogs in the South.  The exact combinations used to create the bred remain unknown today.

What is known is that Black Mouth Curs were bred to be an all-around farm dog.  They were originally used mostly for hunting, protection, herding and pretty anything else a farm dog would need to do. 

Outside of their farm roles, they make great dogs for single people who have an active lifestyle. 

However, they can also be good family dogs but need a little supervision and training around younger children as they can get a bit wild at times.

Like the GSD, they form strong bonds with their family and have a protective nature which makes them a good guard dog as well.

Why Mix a German Shepherd with a Black Mouth Cur?

Although German Shepherds are much more popular, Black Mouth Curs have a lot of great traits that make for a very well-rounded dog. 

Breeders that intentionally cross Black Mouth Curs with GSDs are looking to create the ultimate hunting, herding, personal protection dog, who not only works hard but plays hard as well.

In most cases, GSD-Black Mouth Cur crosses are actually the result of accident mating. 

No matter how they come about, learning more about the general characteristics of this mix will help you understand whether they would the perfect fit into your life.

General Characteristics of a GSD Black Mouth Cur Mix

There are actually quite a few similarities between the Black Mouth Cur and German Shepherd breeds.  However, there are also some differences that make this a unique crossbred as well.

If you are considering welcoming one of these mixes in your life, here the general characteristics you should expect.

Size

Both the German Shepherd and the Black Mouth Cur tend to be medium to large breeds, with the German Shepherd typically trending larger.

Here’s how the two breeds compare in weight and height:

The Black Mouth Cur has a wider range for both their size and weight as the bred standards aren’t as clearly set.  However, males tend to trend larger than females in terms of height and weight.

One could expect a Black Mouth Cur GSD to be around 19 – 20 inches in height on average and between 45 – 85 pounds on average.

Coat

German Shepherds have a medium to long coat with a double coat.  They shed all year, but they also blow their coat twice annually in the spring and the fall.

German Shepherds have a variety of coat color patterns including all black, black and tan, blonde, liver, blue, and sable.

Black Mouth Curs have a short coat of coarse or fine fur.  They also shed year-round, and also shed more heavily twice a year.  Since their coat is shorter even though they shed there will be less fur around your home.

Black Mouth Curs come in a variety of color patterns as well.  Most typically their coat will be yellow, black, brown, fawn or brindle.

The coat color of German Shepherd BMC mix depends on whether the pup takes more after their GSD parent or their BMC parent.  But you can expect a mix of this type to most likely have a medium-length coat.

Grooming

Grooming for the German Shepherd Black Mouth mix is rather simple.  They only need to be brushed one time a week during normal times and twice a week during shedding season. 

They don’t need to be bathed very often as too frequent bathing will dry out their skin. A bath every few months is sufficient unless your pup gets unusually dirty.

Teeth cleaning and nail clipping should be done in the same frequency as any other dog.  Assuming your mix has floppy ears opposed to the erect GSD ears, then you should clean their ears more regularly as floppy ears are generally more likely to develop ear infections.

Strength

Both German Shepherds and Black Mouth Curs are both strong muscular dogs. Given the fact that both these breeds were bred to protect sheep and other farm animals from predators they are capable of going up against large wild animals.

 Black Mouth Curs have a bite force of around 170-200 psi, and German Shepherds have a bite force of about 238 psi. 

Therefore, it is expected for this mix to have a bite force of between 204 and 220 psi.

Speed

The German Shepherd is known for their speed and agility.  They run at a speed of up to 30 miles per hour.

Black Mouth Curs are also very athletic and have been documented to run at a top speed of up to 20 miles per hour.

Thus, the BMC GSD mix should run as fast as 25 miles per hour.

Exercise Requirement

Both BMCs and GSDs are high energy working dogs that will need a lot of exercise. 

Not only do these breeds need plenty of physical exercise they also need a sufficient amount of mental exercise since they are very smart and need to be intellectually challenged. 

The BMC German Shepherd will need a minimum of two 45-minute-long walks or high-energy play sessions each day.  If this mix doesn’t get enough exercise they will likely destroy things in the house, or act out in other ways.

Trainability

Both German Shepherds and Black Mouth Curs are extremely trainable, meaning a mix between these breeds will be easy to train as well.

Additionally, both breeds become very bonded and loyal to their owners which also helps with their trainability because they are eager to please their family. 

German Shepherds are ranked as the third most intelligent dog breed.  Since Black Mouth Curs are not as popular of a dog breed, they don’t have an official intelligence ranking, but they are known to be incredibly smart dogs.

Temperament

The German Shepherd Black Mouth Cur mix will be a courageous, loyal, protective dog, that is eager to please their family.  Although this mix is a hard worker, they will also be a sweet affectionate ball of fluff around the people they trust.

If given proper training and socialization this mix will be friendly to people outside the family as well other animals. 

This mix will also be good with children, they just need to be taught how to be gentler and not to jump on (and potentially knock over) little ones.

Health

Although mixed breeds typically have less issues than their purebred counterparts, here are some of the health issues to look out for with this mixed breed:

Black Mouth Curs are known to be affected by hip dysplasia, ear infections, cataracts and epilepsy.  German Shepherds are known to be affected by bloat and digestive issues, hip and elbow dysplasia, diabetes, hemophilia and cataracts.

Therefore, one could expect a mix between these breeds to potentially encounter any of the above conditions. 

It is important to remember that genetics isn’t the only factor that contributes to your dog’s health.  A healthy diet, routine exercise, and regular vet visits are also key to having a healthy pup.

Lifespan

German Shepherds have a, average lifespan of 12 and 14 years.  Black Mouth Curs have an average lifespan of 12 and 16 years.

Accordingly, the German Shepherd Black Mouth Cur mix can be expected to have an average lifespan of around 14 years of age.

AKC Recognition

Unfortunately, the AKC does not recognize the German Shepherd Black Mouth Cur mix, as the AKC does not recognize any mixed breeds. 

Another interesting fact is that the Black Mouth Cur purebred dog is also not able to be registered with the AKC in the United States, but it is recognized by the UKC in the UK. 

Although this mix can’t be registered with the AKC they can participate in certain AKC events through their Canine Partners program. 

The Canine Partners program runs events for various canine sports such as agility, rally, obedience, as well as various performance tests such as those for hunting or scent work.

How Popular is the German Shepherd Black Mouth Cur Mix?

The Black Mouth Cur GSD mix isn’t incredibly popular.  This mostly because the Black Mouth Cur is not as popular as the GSD so there are less of them around.

Usually, these mixes are the result of unintentional mating, so it may be very hard to find a breeder who specializes creating this pup.

Final Thoughts

The GSD Black Mouth Cur mix is a great all-around working dog.  They are loyal, courageous, intelligent, protective over their family members, but also a sweet loving pup.  They need a family who has an active lifestyle to be able to meet their physical activity requirements.  This mix is a breeze to train and will give your family loads of fun times for many years in the future.

If you’re still undecided about which GSD mix is the best for you, take a look at the German Shepherd Tibetan Mastiff mix, the German Shepherd Greyhound mix, and the German Shepherd Coonhound mix as other options.