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Louisiana
Catahoula dog breed
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Dog breed group |
Herding
Dog |
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Origin of breed |
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Life expectancy |
12
to 13 years |
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Color |
Catahoulas
come in an endless variety of coat colors and patterns.
The Catahoula may be any solid color except white, with
or without color points or color trim, or it may be a combination
of two or more colors. The Leopard pattern has a base color
with contrasting spots of one or more other colors, and
may include color points or color trim. |
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Coat type |
short,
single coat |
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Exercise needs |
When
the Catahoula plays they can be very noisy and physical.
People need to be careful and teach the dog to control
their play. When playing with this breed, one needs to
be careful that they are not hurt by the dog running into
them, jumping and bumping them. They do need exercise and
will start getting into trouble chewing, digging, barking
etc. if they don't get it. The Catahoula should
have daily exercise running free in a fenced in yard or
safe open area. They love going for a jog, hike or participating
in agility |
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Temperament |
The
Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog is independent, protective,
and territorial. Loving with their family and all people
they know well and reserved with strangers (this would
include strange children). They need to make up to a person,
not a person make up to them. Of course there are temperaments
on both sides of this, but this is for the average dog.
They mature right around 2 and it is as if a light goes
on and they say to themselves "I am an adult now and I
need to act grown up." |
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Good with children |
This
breed's reservation with strangers should not be noticed
in a pup, but will show as the dog matures. Although affectionate
with his master, the Catahoula is not recommended for the
casual pet owner who is uninterested in allowing the dog
to function in his intended capacity. For the right owner,
this is a protective yet dominating canine. Signs of timidly
on a leash should not be taken as cowardness, but the intolerance
for strangers. This breed needs a dominant owner who shows
strong leadership. . |
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Grooming needs |
Since
the Catahoula is a short, single-coated dog, the grooming
needs are minimal. They should have a bath a couple of
times of year (unless they get into something and get filthy)
and a good brushing once a week. The nails should be trimmed
regularly and the teeth kept clean. This breed is an average
to light constant shedder. When nervous or stressed, they
have a tendency to shed more, especially when you are petting
them. |
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Average size (inches) |
22
- 26
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20
- 24
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Average weight (lbs) |
55
- 80
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55
- 80
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Health issues |
Prone to hip dysplasia and
deafness. Along with the deafness (both ears or just one)
this breed can have eye problems (tunnel vision, eye won't
open all the way, pupil is abnormal, etc.). As a breed they
are relatively free of a lot of diseases. Some older dogs
are known to have gotten cancer. |
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Living conditions |
Some do well in
apartments while others do not. It all depends on the lines
of the dog and how much time an owner spends with the dog
and how much exercise it receives. Catahoula need attention.
This is not a dog that can be tied to a dog house, fed, and
ignored. Chaining and or ignoring a Catahoula will either
make them shy or aggressive. They need human companionship.
This does not mean they need to live in your pocket and can
not be kept outside; this breed needs direction, training,
something to do, people, attention, etc. If they are kept
outside where it is really cold, they need a good warm dog
house, preferably one that has an entrance and then a turn
into the sleeping quarters. That way they are protected from
the elements. They need to be kept inside in really cold
weather, as they are a single coated dog. |
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Dog
breed description
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The short, single
coat is colored in a merle or black/tan pattern. Some coats can be
course, but most are short and tight. Color is an
especially notable feature in this herder: eye color and coat color
working in a very complementary and expressive way. The skull is broad
and flat. The legs are solid and strong boned. The deep chest provides
for good heart and lung capacity. The origins of the Louisiana Catahoula
Leopard Dog are unknown but it is believed to be descended from crosses
between Native American dogs, Red Wolves (some of whom lived as pariahs
on the outskirts of Indian villages), and the dogs brought to the
New World by Spanish conquistadors, probably mastiff-types and sighthounds.
Some experts believe Beaucerons were added to the mix when the area
was settled by the French. White settlers in Louisiana found the
Native Americans using these unusual-looking dogs to hunt a variety
of wild game, including deer, bobcat, wild hog, and bear. The new
arrivals soon came to appreciate this versatile breed that was equally
capable of scenting, trailing and treeing game, or baying and herding
feral hogs and cattle. There are many stories regarding the origin
of the breed's exotic name: Catahoula. The most likely is that it
is a corruption of the Indian word that meant "Choctaw," the name
of a local tribe. The only thing certain is that the Louisiana Catahoula
Leopard Dog is an all-American multi-purpose working dog.
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Dog
breed infobits |
On July 9, 1979,
the governor of Louisiana signed a bill making the Louisiana Catahoula
Leopard Dogbreed the official
State Dog of Louisiana.
The Catahoula Leopard Dog is the believed to be the result of crosses
between the Spanish Mastiff-type war dogs and the generic-type Indian
curs that roamed the American South.
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presented information.
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this or any breed.
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