The American Leopard Hound, also known as the Leopard Cur, is thought to be the result of Spanish Dogs brought to South America by explorers, who cross bred with Native Mexican dogs. Leopard Hounds were brought to North America by settlers who hunted bear or needed the protection of a strong animal in unsettled territories.

What makes the Leopard Hound make it stand out from other hounds is that is develops a close relationship with its master and has a strong desire to do what is asked of them. Other hound dogs have excellent hunting skills, but are difficult to train. Leopard Hounds are both skilled at the hunt but are also responsive to their master and able to undertake obedience training.

Appearance

A strong and powerful dog, the American Leopard Hound is slightly longer than it is tall. Its long legs allow it to move quickly through all types of terrain. It has a broad head and high set ears which should drop. The tail is long and high set. The coat is short yet quite dense. Colours vary between the leopard spotted variety from which their name is derived from, yellow, brindle, black, red, blue or mouse. Patterns between these colours occur as do white points and albinism. If the coat is more than one third white it is declared a mismark. A full grown adult will stand at between 22 and 27 inches and weigh between 25 and 35 kilos.

Temperament

While bred for their hunting skills, with their master and family the Leopard Hound is actually quite gentle and loving. They are able to adapt easily between the roles of hunting dog and family pet. If they grow up around children and other pets they will have no problems getting on with them later in life.

Because of their large size and also their high amounts of energy they are not suited to a small yard. They need plenty of space to stretch their legs. The Leopard Hound is generally seen as being more obedient and easier to train than other scent hounds.

Working and Tasks

Nothing pleases the Leopard Hound more than making its master happy. For this reason they excel at many tasks. Although not bred for it, it is possible for them to attend obedience training and do well. The Leopard Hound is a skilled hunter and this is truly their best skill. They are used quite widely today as hunting dogs. As hunters, they do well to follow a track, even ones that have gone cold. While some dogs cannot follow a trail while under the instruction of their master, the Leopard Hound has no problem juggling these two tasks. While they can be trained to hunt for small game, they do their best work when chasing large animals.

Heath

There are little health problems which occur frequently across the breed. Some dogs have been noted to have hearing problems. While not as common as with some breeds, some American Leopard Hounds have been found to have hip problems.