Catahoula Leopard Dog Breeders: Puppies For Sale! Excellent guard dogs & watchdogs. Working dog with great herding skills. Great swimmers with lots of energy. Family dogs. Children friendly pet. Also known as Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog.
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It's not quite known how the Catahoula Leopard dog came to be, but it is suspected that this now faithful family dog has been bred from a combination of Mastiffs, Bloodhounds, and Greyhounds with local dogs in northern Louisiana, either because Native Americans bred their dogs with dogs brought to the area by Hernando Desoto in the 16th century, and/or that they were "created" later in the 19th century by French settlers. The word "Catahoula" may either be a French derivation of the Choctaw Indian word "Couthaougoula," or that it's a combination of the Choctaw words for "lake" ("okhata") and "beloved" or "sacred" ("hullo"). The Catahoula Leopard dog is today the state dog of Louisiana and has become a prized family pet for many.
History
Probably originating in the northern Louisiana region near Catahoula Lake, the Catahoula Leopard dog is likely a hybrid of various dogs, including mastiffs, bloodhounds, and greyhounds, brought to the area by immigrants such as Spanish explorers, and Native Americans' local dogs. Hernando Desoto, the Spanish explorer, landed in Florida in 1539 and saw that there was only one native dog; that dog was native Indians' companion, described as looking exactly like a wolf that barked instead of howling. Their own dogs (the aforementioned mastiffs, greyhounds and bloodhounds) were Desoto's and his men's war dogs. These dogs were crossbred with the native Indians' dogs, producing a new breed that became the Catahoula Leopard dog. These dogs ultimately spread to north-central Louisiana, taken there by settlers from Europe.
One of the important things in the Catahoula Leopard dog's history is its propensity to be a working dog. Desoto and his men brought pigs with them from Santo Domingo and from Cuba, specifically to be an emergency food supply. They were not killed on a regular basis to be made an ongoing ready food supply, but instead were meant only to be emergency rations. Desoto's dogs were integral to the pigs' survival, because of their herding instincts.
By the time Desoto died three years after the expedition began, the 300 head of hogs the party had brought with them had swelled to untold numbers. Only one time during Desoto's command were these hogs use as food supply, and upon his death, 700 head of hogs belonging specifically to Desoto (with only 13 sows recorded as his pigs at the beginning of the expedition) were auctioned off. When the expedition finally ended in northern Louisiana Southern Arkansas, it's a nod to the party's efficiency (and to the Catahoula Leopard dogs' herding skills) that the vast number of hogs not only survived, but multiplied abundantly. (Those hogs, by the way, became ancestors to the modern "razorback" and "piney woods rooters" wild hogs in Arkansas and Louisiana, respectively.)
Early Catahoula Lake settlers and early incarnations of the Catahoula Leopard dog began to work in tandem, capturing wild hogs and cows; the Catahoula Leopard dog especially showed its propensity to pen and catch these wild but soon to be domesticated animals; these dogs' skill at managing stock is unique and a wonder to behold, indeed. They in effect provide "dog fences" around the stock they are herding, and then hold them at bay until the master arrives. The master then tells the dog what to do. Catahoula Leopard dogs remain prized for both their ability to manage domesticated and wild hogs and cattle.
What sets the Catahoula Leopard dog apart in purity of breed is not the way it looks (which can be varied, because of its multi-breed background), but in this propensity to herd stock. Today, in addition to herding stock, they're also great at hunting tasks, such as hunting black bear, raccoon, mountain lion, squirrel, wild pigs, or deer.
Notably, such historical figures as Jim Bowie and Teddy Roosevelt were fond of Catahoulas; Louisiana Gov. Earl K. Long also had a fondness for Catahoula Leopard dogs and actually collected them. The Catahoula has been the official state dog of Louisiana since 1979.
• Lines of CatahoulasThe Catahoula had three original "heritage lines." The Wright line was the largest, with dogs weighing between 90 to 110 pounds, and was a direct line from the original Desoto dogs. The Fairbanks line weighed between 60 and 75 pounds, and was generally brindle or yellow in color.The McMillin line, or the so-called "blue Catahoula," often had the aforementioned "glass eyes" and weighed between 50 to 80 pounds. Today's dogs are products of interbreeding between these lines to produce the wide variety of Catahoulas' appearances today, with the lines no longer disparate.
Appearance
Catahoulas vary both in size and appearance, with males larger than females; standing height at the shoulder is between 20 and 26 inches, and the weight is between 40 and 90 pounds. Because of their varied heritage and genealogical background, your pet's appearance is not really standard; one Catahoula can vary greatly in appearance as compared to the next.
Coats can be many colors, and patterns, including patterns with a base color and contrasting spots, solids with a single coat color, brindles with a dark or light base coat color contrasting stripes, or patchwork alternating colors. The coat itself is short to medium length, and lies flat, close to the body, either smooth or coarse.
The eyes of a Catahoula are very interesting indeed. They can be what are called "cracked glass" or "marble glass" in appearance, meaning that both colored and blue or blue-white irises may be present in the same eye. Eye colors can range from blue to brown to green to amber, even gray.
The tail can be either a long, whiplike tail or short bobtail. Their feet are usually webbed, which makes them great swimmers.
Personality
The Catahoula is a loving, protective family dog, although males can be aggressive toward other dogs. They are very, very good working dogs, meaning that they really like to have something to do, especially related to "herding" or "tracking" games. They're also very good watchdogs, so they make excellent guard dogs, as well. They do need to be socialized early on and to be given a firm hand, or they can become "alpha" dogs, where they think that they are in charge. Your pet will be loving and obedient as long as he knows you're in charge, although you should never, ever isolate your dog. He or she needs to be around you and other pets you may have, all the time. It's best to begin socializing puppies as early as possible, so that they get used to being around you.
If trained properly, though, your Catahoula is very intelligent with lots of energy, and very serious about the job you've given them, whether that be as guard dog or as some kind of working dog, such as a herding dog.
Proper Environment
Your pet makes a very good family dog and is good with children he or she knows, as long as you socialize him or her from an early age to be around children. These dogs can be very suspicious of strangers, so it's not a good idea to leave them alone around children they don't know.
The Catahoula itself is quite a "mixed breed" heritage, meaning that personality characteristics are not entirely fixed. That means that some dogs will do well in apartments, while others will need lots of room to run and play. Again, your pet absolutely must have interaction with you and your family, as applicable, on a daily basis; do NOT leave your pet alone.
Health
Catahoulas are prone to deafness and hip dysplasia, but they are relatively healthy dogs considering their varied background. You can generally expect your pet to live about 12 to 13 years, in good health except for the aforementioned hip dysplasia and possible deafness.
Grooming
Grooming for your pet is easy; a bath couple of times a year and regular brushing a couple of times a week is enough.
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