Florida Cracker Cur

The Florida Cracker Cur is a cattle dog of the Florida scrub, named for the crack of the whips its handlers used.

History

Florida cattlemen — the crackers — worked half-wild cattle through palmetto scrub and swamp, and needed a dog that could find and bay them in cover a rider could not see through. The breed descends from dogs brought by Spanish settlers crossed with later English stock, and it remains a Florida working dog rather than a show breed.

Temperament

The breed is known for being courageous, hard-working and loyal to its handler, businesslike with stock and tolerant at home.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and real work. The short coat suits heat and needs nothing.

Health

Generally robust from working selection; nothing is widely documented as breed-specific. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.