Catahoula Leopard Dog

The Catahoula Leopard Dog is the state dog of Louisiana. Also called the "Catahoula Cur"�, it is believed to be the earliest dog developed by settlers to the New World. It is an amazingly versatile breed as a working dog: it hunts a variety of game big and small, it guards, and it herds. It has been used to round up Brahmin cattle in Venezuelan ranches, and it has pulled sleds in Canada. The word "Catahoula"� is derived from a Choctaw phrase meaning "sacred lake"�; the area where the breed developed is the Catahoula Parish. The Catahoula is a dog of medium size and sturdy medium structure. At this point in time, it is defined more by temperament, working ability and heritage than by specific physical attributes; consequently its appearance can be rather varied between individuals. However, there are several unique physical characteristics that are common. The Catahoula stands on average from 20 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder and it weighs on average 50 to 90 pounds. This dog has a short, dense coat. It occurs in a variety of colors: most are affected by the merle gene, so that coats are solid colors with varying degrees of spots and mottling thereby earning the "leopard"� name. The base color may be black, blue, brindle, chocolate, red, white, or yellow. Subtle white or tan markings are optional. The Catahoula Leopard Dog is a fairly square dog, with defined musculature and medium bone. It may have a long, curved tail or a bobtail. The bobtail is natural and part of the heritage of the breed. The ears are large, triangular and pendulous. The feet of the Catahoula are webbed nearly out to the ends of the toes this is ideal for tracking game through swampy areas. The eyes of this breed are affected by partial heterochromia: they have a "glass"� or "marbled"� appearance and often contain more than one color in one iris. They may be primarily brown, blue, gray or amber. Much of the history of this breed is based upon speculation; rather than documentation the historian must rely upon generations of quasi-legendary information. When explorer Hernando de Soto came to the New World in the 16th century, he brought with him Mastiffs, Bloodhounds and Greyhounds which were referred to as "war dogs."� He and his company documented the dogs of the Native Americans describing them as wolf-like. It is highly likely, as legend says, that the war dogs of the European explorers bred with the dogs of the Native Americans to set the foundation for the Catahoula. Legend also claims that the dogs of the Native Americans were tamed wolves or wolf mixes recent DNA research suggests that this is unlikely. The dogs of the Native Americans at that time were more probably the descendants of dogs that had been with them for hundreds of years, since they had first come from Asia to North America. When the French settlers came to Louisiana Territory two hundred years after de Soto, they documented the dogs that accompanied the Native Americans of the region these dogs, they said, had "glass eyes,"� and excellent hunting ability. The French had brought with them their large herding dogs Beaucerons. The "glass-eyed"� dogs of the Native Americans were bred selectively by the settlers with the Beaucerons, to eventually develop the modern Catahoula. In 1979 Governor Edwin Edwards of Louisiana recognized the importance of the Catahoula Leopard Dog in the history of the state, and made it the official state dog. Since 1995 the American Kennel Club has listed the breed with its Foundation Stock Service. Both the United Kennel Club and the AKC list the breed as a "herding"� breed. The Catahoula Leopard Dog is an intelligent and active breed with a strong personality. It must have something to do and think about, or it can become bored and destructive. This breed does best on a farm or living in a home that has a lot of yard space. Fencing should be high and secure. The Catahoula is generally very healthy. A major concern is the incidence of deafness in those individuals with a lot of white in the coat. Studies suggest that those individuals who were predominantly white had an 80% chance or better of deafness. The Catahoula Leopard Dog is very assertive, but rarely aggressive. It does quite well with small animals in the household, but it will want to be the pack leader and organize the others as it wishes: it has an inherent tendency to take charge, of its pack or of its environment. Without being properly socialized to other dogs early in life, this breed can have a tendency to be quite dog aggressive. This breed is very fond of children and is very gentle and patient with youngsters; stories about of individual Catahoulas taking it upon themselves to watch over young children, without prior direction. The Catahoula dog is territorial and protective of its domain and of its family. Often, this trait begins to show with maturity after the dog is two years old or more, when suddenly the dog is making it his business to protect the owner. This behavior can become quite excessive and present a problem. It is important that the Catahoula have a very strong leader who is experienced with dog ownership, in order to set boundaries and give the dog structure. The Catahoula needs human interaction and companionship and will want to be involved in family activities. If left alone or isolated for long periods it is likely to develop unwanted behaviors and neurosis. The Catahoula has been used successfully to hunt a variety of wildlife, including wild boar, bear, cougar, raccoon, badger, and small game such as squirrel. It uses a characteristic hound-like bay, but not usually until it has the prey completely cornered and eye to eye. They are also used successfully to herd livestock mostly by holding it in place until the shepherd can redirect it. The Catahoula is also used in recent years in work with law enforcement, particularly tracking, and search and rescue.

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