Houston a.k.a. Princess is a Mountain Cur dog.  She is four-years-old.  And papered.

Houston was Buddy’s dog, the two Rottweilers are Shannon’s now with Buddy’s passing, Houston is Shannon’s dog also.

From what we understand, Mountain Curs are a breed the originated in the southern Appalachia mountains.  They are hunting dogs used to tree squirrels and raccoon’s and other critters that climb trees.  They are known to be able to climb a tree and hold the creature right there.  That’s called ‘hard treeing’ —

(Just to set the record straight…I know nothing about hunting, or hunting with a dog.  Buddy came from a tiny town on the Texas/Louisiana border and grew up hunting.  I only know this stuff because he told us.)

The rancher that rents our place in the winter to calve out his cows has Black Mouth Curs, they are also hunting and treeing dogs.

Princess Houston not only climbs up a tree but she can climb down a tree.  The first time the dogs and I saw her do it, we just stopped and stared.  Boomer ran up to the tree and put his front paws on the trunk and hallooooooooooooooowd at her.  But he could in no fashion ever get up there.  Fuzzy looked at her like she was out of her gourd some how. The Rottweilers didn’t even pay attention to her since they have lived with her from her puppyhood.

Since Boomer and Houston are both hounds they love to go searching and sniffing around all the holes and hollers and dales and valleys on our place, but they are both good about coming back and being with us — if we call.

Oh, wait…Boomer sometimes has to play tricks on us and only come way after we call! 🙂

Anyway, I had lots of questions about Houston and if she could also climb down the tree once she was up there…yep, she can!

And she has a heart of gold and is an outstanding watch dog although, she no longer goes hunting.

Linda