Catahoula Leopard Dog

Our goal is to teach you everything there is to know about dogs. This is why we are continuously bringing in a new dog breed. Today we’ll talk about the Catahoula Leopard Dog. This breed has a unique background. This blog takes about 7 minutes to read, and you will learn everything there is to know about this breed. We’ll tell you about their eating habits, way of life, height, and weight.

Introduction

  • It’s an intermediate breed that shouldn’t look like either a sighthound or a bulldog.
  • The dog’s body should be slightly longer than tall, with the distance between the elbow and the ground equaling 50-60% of the dog’s height from the withers to the ground.
  • While certain breeds can be recognized by their ear forms, this is not the case with Catahoula. Some of these canines have ears that bend over like hound dogs, while others have ears that lay backward or stand straight up.
  • Bridle designs, patchwork patterns, and even solid colors, like blue, can be seen on Catahoula.

Second Name

Catahoula Cur, Catahoula Hog Dog, and the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard dog are the other names of this breed.

Nickname 

  • Luna
  • Sadie
  • Callie
  • Remy
  • Hank
  • Max
  • Rocky 

Read also: Cockapoo- Health & Lifestyle

History

  • According to one idea, the breed began in the mid-1700s when French settlers brought Beauceron canines with them to what would become Louisiana.
  • To make a superior working dog, the settlers crossed their dogs with well-adapted swamp hunting wolfdogs owned by Native Americans.

Characteristic

  • Scientific Name: Canis lupus familiaris
  • Origin: Louisiana 
  • Coat: Single smooth short or coarse medium coat
  • Coat Colour: Black, brindle, red merle, black merle, red and yellow
  • Height: 20-26 inches
  • Weight: 50-90 pounds
  • Lifespan: 10-14 years
  • Personality: Intelligent, energetic, loving, independent, and gentle  

Behavior

You should learn about a dog’s behavior before purchasing one. Remember that you will be introducing them to your family, so you should first familiarize yourself with them.

Sensitivity

  • They are affectionate and sensitive.
  • They are also prone to many kinds of skin sensitivity. 

Kid-Friendly

  • With smaller children, this breed is gentle and kind, thus unlike other athletic dogs, this breed can be an excellent addition to a home.
  • They are also affectionate and gentle with family members.  

Read also: Flat Coated Retriever-Coat & Color

Other Animal

  • They can get along with other dogs and animals if properly socialized and raised with them.
  • It’s crucial to remember that certain Catahoula will never get along with other pets and will need to be kept in single-animal homes.
  • They can be aggressive toward other dogs, particularly if they are both males.

Care They Need

Caring for a pet is highly vital, as is having a caring attitude toward them. They are completely reliant on their owner for food, grooming, and exercise.

Food & Diet 

  • However, because Catahoula Leopard Dog is prone to gaining weight, their diet should include biologically adequate proteins, healthy fats, ground bones, and vegetables rich in important vitamins and minerals for optimum health and performance.
  • 3 3/8 to 5 1/8 cups of high-quality dog food, divided into two meals, is the recommended daily quantity for this breed. But it varies with every individual.

Exercise

They are intelligent individuals that require firm, patient, and constant training. They are high-energy dogs who require an hour of daily intense activity.

  • This breed enjoys outside activities because it is a naturally sporty dog. The Catahoula Cur is an excellent swimmer, as it is frequently used to track pigs through a variety of dry and wet terrain.
  • Walking for an hour is advised. 

Training

It is a difficult breed to train because of its stubbornness. They require an owner that is willing to put in a lot of effort and desire to train them. 

  • Reward-based training works best for them.
  • Teach them fundamental commands such as sitting, lying down, and coming and going.
  • Early socialization is also important as it plays a crucial role in a dog’s training. 

Grooming 

It has a short, smooth coat that is easy to groom. They only need to be bathed a few times a year (more if they’ve gotten themselves into something), and their coats don’t need to be brushed regularly.

  • Long nails can be problematic for dogs therefore they should be cut regularly.
  • The teeth of this breed are usually healthy, and you can maintain them that way by cleaning them at least twice a week!

Health Problems 

Catahoula Leopard Dog is generally healthy, however, they, like all breeds, are susceptible to specific health issues. Although not all Catahoula will contract any or all of these illnesses, it’s crucial to be aware of them if you’re thinking about getting one.

  • Canine Hip Dysplasia
  • Deafness
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Hairstyle

They do not need any hairstyle. 

Speed

  • Catahoula Leopard Dog pets have been dubbed the ’45-mph couch potato’ due to their pace.
  • They obtained their name from their incredible bursts of speed when chasing and defeating prey, as well as their enjoyment of lazily resting.
  • They can run at 45 miles per hour.

List of Mixed Breed

  • Mastahoula
  • Labahoula
  • Catahoula
  • Pooahoula

To Buy/Adopt Catahoula Leopard Dog 

  • Adopting a Catahoula Leopard Dog is substantially less expensive than purchasing one from a breeder. Adopting a Catahoula Leopard Dog costs roughly $300 to cover the costs of care for the dog before its adoption.
  • Buying Catahoula Leopard Dogs from breeders, on the other hand, can be unreasonably expensive.
  • They normally cost between $600-$2,000 depending on their breeding.

Babies

  • The usual litter of Catahoula Leopard Dogs has 8 to 12 puppies.

Price 

  • Depending on the breeder, these dogs might cost anywhere from $600 to $900.
  • This is a fairly low-cost alternative when compared to other breeds.

Overview

  • When working in the field, the Catahoula personality is passionate, serious, and concentrated; at home, they are protective, playful, and affectionate.
  • They are not hostile against people if properly socialized from puppyhood, but they are watchful and distant towards strangers.

Good & Bad About Them 

Good

  • They have an interesting color pattern on a short, easy-to-care-for coat.
  • He is a serious working dog who is extremely focused and assertive in his actions.
  • They come in medium to large sizes. 

Bad 

  • Many Catahoula are aggressive against other dogs of the same gender. Many people have strong inclinations to follow down and capture fleeing cats and other animals.
  • When bored or under-exercised, they become destructive.
  • If you don’t socialize with them at a young age, they may develop shyness.

Fun Facts

  • The Catahoula hog dog is one of the alternate names for the breed, and it’s not because they look like pigs, but because they were originally developed to hunt hogs.
  • Despite being an undeniably cool breed, the Catahoula leopard dog has yet to receive official recognition from the American Kennel Club. They are, however, a part of the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service, which is designed to “enable purebred breeds to continue to flourish while providing them with the security of a trustworthy and respected outlet to keep their records.”
  • This breed has attracted the imaginations of mystery and crime fiction writers for some reason. A Catahoula leopard dog was featured in a 2005 episode of “Veronica Mars” and an episode of the procedural crime drama “Bones” eight years later.
  • They have webbed feet which are the very unique characteristics of this breed. This unusual physical attribute offered them an advantage in the water, allowing them to be outstanding hunting dogs as well as skilled swimmers.
  • This breed has long, sharp, hard nails that let them climb trees with ease. Catahoula, when combined with their great hunting instinct, may readily take down the game on land, in the water, or the trees. Due to this feature, they are known as cat dogs.
  • It has a hazy history. Many hypotheses exist as to what breeds are combined to form them. What we do know is that they have the genes of native wild dogs preserved by the Choctaws. Catahoula Leopard Dog are reported to be created by crossing wild dogs with bloodhounds, greyhounds, mastiffs, Beaucerons, and red wolves.

Reference Link

Are Catahoula intelligent?

The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard, like most intelligent dog breeds, requires a considerable amount of stimulation to be energized and happy. These canines are extremely bright and quick to assess circumstances, making them ideal law enforcement assistance dogs.

Do Catahoula dogs talk?

If he’s kept isolated for an extended period of time, he can become very noisy — interpret that as “bark his head off.” If left alone, Catahoula This breed excels in agility and obedience training, as well as hunting and tracking sports.
can get bored and destructive in addition to barking.

What are Catahoula good for?

This breed excels in agility and obedience training, as well as hunting and tracking sports.

Do Catahoula have hip problems?

Hip dysplasia is a genetic illness that causes the hip joints to form incorrectly, resulting in arthritis, and it is frequent in Catahoula Leopard Dogs.

Are Catahoula dogs hard to train?

It is a difficult breed to train because of its independence.