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Catahoula | Catahoula Leopard Dog Breed Introduction
Catahoula Leopard Dog is a medium to large-sized herding and hunting breed from the United States. It is also known as Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog, Catahoula hog dog, Catahoula Cur, or simply Catahoula. Most Catahoulas have a leopard-like coat due to the merle gene hence its name. These dogs have a natural herding instinct and a unique way of working a herd which is the utmost importance than the appearance of the dog.
A Catahoula has striking eyes that may either be amber, brown, blue, green, or a combination of these colors. Some dogs may have heterochromia. This is where the pooch has two different colored eyes. Although, two colors may also exist in the same eye as either spotted of a cracked appearance in which the eye is split in two different colors. A Catahoula is aloof and wary of strangers. However, they are not aggressive towards people if properly socialized from an early age.
Socialization training is key with Catahoula Dogs since they can be protective, independent, and territorial. A Catahoula does not allow harsh training methods and will assert itself in self-defense. This is more of a companion dog rather than family dog. Catahoulas are not happy lounging around. They need a setting where they can indulge in their natural inclinations of herding and hunting. Although they can be trained to get along with dogs of opposite sex, Catahoulas often become aggressive with dogs of the same sex.
Catahoula Leopard Dog History | Origin
The precise lineage of Catahoula Dog greatly varies. However, one working theory suggests that dogs brought by Spanish Explorers( Mastiffs, Greyhounds, and Bloodhounds) in North America in the 16th Century were interbreed with one species of domestic animal. The Native Americans called the offspring of the interbreeding, wolf dogs. These dogs were again crossbreed after the French arrived with their hounds resulting to today’s Catahoula Leopard Dog.
Beauceron is also speculated to be part of the ancestry of a Catahoula. The early progenitors of this bred were used for herding wild hogs and cattle that were frequent in Louisiana. UKC recognized this bred under the name of Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog in January 1995. Catahoula Leopard Dog has been part of the Foundation Stock Service for AKC since 1996. Catahoulas have been the official state Dog of Louisiana since July 9, 1979.
Catahoula Lifespan | Catahoula Leopard Dog Lifespan
A Catahoula has a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Grooming
A Catahoula has a single short and smooth coat that sheds all-year round at low to moderate levels. It requires weekly brushing to remove dirt, loose hair, and keep the coat looking healthy and glossy. Although, some Catahoulas may have a medium and coarse coat that has featherings on the chest, tail, and hind legs.
Frequent brushing is key to prevent matting and tangling. This is a relatively clean breed that needs a bath every 6 to 8 weeks unless they roll into something stinky. Use a hypoallergenic dog shampoo and conditioner to bath and moisturize the coat. After a bath, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products from the coat to prevent skin irritation. Use a clean damp washcloth or unscented canine wipes to clean the eye corners.
Trim the nails of a Catahoula every 3 to 5 weeks using nail grinders or clippers. Overly grown nails are painful for the fur baby while walking or running. Brush the teeth of a Catahoula at least twice a week if not daily to remove tartar buildup using a canine toothpaste and toothbrush. Clean the ears on a weekly basis to remove excess wax or debris using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls. While cleaning the ears, check out for signs of dog’s ear infection such as odor, redness, or a dark discharge
Catahoula Leopard Dog Shedding | Catahoula Shedding
A Catahoula sheds at low to moderate levels all-year round.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Coat
A Catahoula has a single coat that may either be smooth and short or coarse and medium. The former almost looks painted. The medium coat may have featherings on the chest, tail, or hind legs.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Hypoallergenic
A Catahoula Dog is not hypoallergenic. This breed has a moulting coat that sheds throughout the year at minimum to moderate levels. Shedding releases dander and fur into the environment aggravating allergies. Apart from fur and dander, Catahoula’s saliva, mucus, and urine also contain a protein allergen that triggers an allergic reaction.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Training | How To Train A Catahoula Leopard Dog | Catahoula Training | How To Train A Catahoula
A Catahoula is an energetic, intelligent, and fast dog that learns pretty fast. It also has an inquisitive nature. However, Catahoulas are also independent, protective, and territorial which makes training a must do. Without proper leadership, this breed will be running the house and walking all over the owners. For this reason, Catahoula leopard Dogs are not recommended for inexperienced or novice dog owners. Parents should establish their authority from an early age by assuming pack leadership.
Creating a functional pecking order allows the Catahoula to attain its full potential while feeling secure to know it is under the guidance of a respected, loving, and trusted leader who will make thoughtful decisions for the well-being of the entire pack. For this reason, this breed will be a cooperative and faithful follower within the pack. A Catahoula Leopard Dog is generally gentle and loving with children. Although, they are aloof and wary with strangers as well as strange children. The tendency to stay reserved with strangers is not noticeable in puppyhood. However, it starts showing as the pooch becomes mature. Therefore, socializing a Catahoula is key to raising a dog that is not aggressive towards unfamiliar faces.
This dog also have a strong prey drive and may chase after cats and other small pets unless when raised with them from an early age. A Catahoula can also be taught to peacefully co-exist with dogs of opposite sex. However, it may have a high tendency of exhibiting aggressive traits towards dogs of the same sex. Fortunately, socialization training will help the dog to feel more comfortable on a day to day basis minimizing aggressiveness. This training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is with the breeder until the age of 16 weeks after the dog has already settled in its new home. Usually, parents take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks.
Even though, socialization can be a life-long training process to ensure Catahoulas mature to have a well-rounded temperament and personality. To socialize a Catahoula, expose it to a wide variety of people, animals, places, situations, smell, surfaces, smell, experiences, and sounds such as washing machine, whistles, door bells, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, baby crying sounds, and sirens. Enrolling a Catahoula in a puppy class may also serve as a form of socialization. These classes provide a controlled environment where Catahoulas can interact with other canines. A Puppy class is also beneficial to an owner. It enables the pet parent to not only identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance.
Make use of positive reinforcement methods such as using toys, treats, verbal praise, playtime, and petting to encourage positive behaviors. However, a Catahoula is a sensitive breed that will not hesitate to affirm itself in self-defense if harsh correction methods are used on them. Some of the harsh training methods include kicking, beating, shoving, yelling, and use of choke or prong collars. Keep the training sessions short, fun, and challenging for a span of 5 to 10 minute to avoid boredom and distraction. Start teaching basic command words such as come, sit, stay, lie down, wait, heel, drop it, etc. immediately the pooch comes home.
Teach one basic command at a time until a Catahoula is well-acquainted. Avoid issuing a command word while too excited or frustrated since it doesn’t sound the same for your dog. Effectively housebreak a Catahoula by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training. A crate is an invaluable tool that if used correctly teaches the dog have confidence in enjoying its company for a few hours reducing the severity of separation anxiety. However, the dog should not be crated for more than 4 hours at a time. This device is also useful when potty training.
It allows the parent to closely monitor the dog for signs of eliminating such as squatting, restlessness, sniffing, whining, circling, and lifting a leg against the crate door. Get positive outcomes while potty training by taking a Catahoula Dog Breed to the designated toilet area immediately it wakes up, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, every 2 to 3 hours, following an exciting activity such as car ride and playtime, after naptime, and before bedtime. After the age of 8 months, a Catahoula dog should go for potty breaks every 6 to 8 hours. This is because the bladder and bowel muscles of a dog strengthens as the dog matures.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Personality | Temperament | Catahoula Temperament
- Independent.
- Intelligent.
- Protective.
- Sensitive.
- Territorial.
- Energetic.
- Inquisitive.
- Gentle.
- Loving.
- Confident.
- Athletic.
- Alert.
- Watchful.
- Wary of strangers.
- High-prey drive.
- Active.
- Versatile.
- Playful.
- Affectionate.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Intelligence Ranking
A Catahoula Leopard Dog has not been ranked in the Intelligence of Dogs by Professor Stanley Coren. Although, a Catahoula is an intelligent breed that learns pretty fast.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Exercise
This is an energetic, active, and athletic breed that always needs a job to do. A Catahoula needs plenty of space to exercise in form of romping in a safely secured yard or going for walks on a leash several times a day. This breed is not suitable for apartment or city living. Engaging in outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, and retrieving flying discs or balls can also provide a good outlet for expending energy. Without proper exercise, a Catahoula will start to cause trouble by chewing things and digging holes.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Barking
A Catahoula has strong protective instincts and high tendency to bark at the strangers making them excellent watchdogs.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Height
A Catahoula has a height of 22 to 24 inches ( approx. 56 to 61 cm ).
Catahoula Leopard Dog Weight
A mature Catahoula dog has a weight of 50 to 95 pounds ( approx. 23 to 43 kg ).
Catahoula Leopard Dog Size
Catahoula Dogs are medium to large sized hunting and herding dogs that have a weight of 50 to 95 pounds ( approx. 23 to 43 kg ) and a height of 22 to 24 inches ( approx. 56 to 61 cm ).
Catahoula Leopard Dog Aggressive
Although aloof with strangers, Catahoulas are not aggressive with people if properly socialized from an early age. These dogs can be socialized to get along well with dogs of opposite sex. However, a Catahoula is likely to be aggressive with dogs of the same sex.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Bite Force
Reportedly, a Catahoula has a bite force of at least 200 PSI.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Eye Problems
A Catahoula may suffer from certain eye disorders as discussed below:
Cataracts – This is an eye issue that leads to cloudy and whitish eye lenses which eventually lead to loss of vision.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy – This is a group of degenerative diseases that affect the photoreceptors of a Catahoula.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Health Issues
This is generally a healthy and robust breed. However, a Catahoula may suffer from certain health issues such as deafness due to a lack of melanocytes, hip dysplasia, and eye disorders like cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Names
A Catahoula parent may search and find the name of the breed before it joins them home from the breeder or days after the pup joins them home to understand the personality of a particular dog. Parents may get name inspirations from the Louisiana heritage, leopard-like coat color, personality, celebrity Catahoula, food, books, movies, songs, historical figures, or nature.
Regardless of where you will find your inspiration, ensure the name chosen freely rolls off your tongue and will not be a source of embarrassment when uttered out loud in the public places. Catahoula Dogs and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels.
Avoid giving this pooch a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion. If a parent settles with a long name, he or she should find a cute nickname for the dog. If a Catahoula shares a name with any household member or guest that frequent your home, it may result to unnecessary chaos.
Female Catahoula Leopard Dog Names
- Stella.
- Zoe.
- Molly.
- Maggie.
- Angie.
- Rosie.
- Abby.
- Lulu.
- Ella.
- Layla.
- Lola, etc.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Speed
A Catahoula is an athletic and active breed that supposedly can run for a speed of of 45 miles per hour ( approx. 72 km/hr. ) similar to a Greyhound. This may be true since it is believed Greyhounds were one of the dogs interbred to develop Catahoula.
Male Catahoula Leopard Dog Names
- Leo.
- Moose.
- Otis.
- Loki.
- Oliver.
- Riley.
- Jack.
- Max.
- Cooper.
- Murphy, etc.
Catahoula Dog Food
The amount of food that Catahoula Dogs feed on depend on their age, metabolism, size, activity level, and body build. Catahoula puppies have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults or senior dogs. Therefore, a puppy should feed 3 or 4 times a day immediately they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Catahoula Dogs will feed a total of two meals for life with snacks in between.
Like other dogs, Catahoula Dogs should feed on the right amount of minerals, protein, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, water, and fats to maintain a healthy bone structure and weight. Depending on the budget and the time of preparation needed, parents may feed a Catahoula Dog with dry food, wet food, home made meals, or a raw diet. Owners who prefer commercial dry or wet food should ensure the first three ingredients that are listed are proteins from a known source.
Commercial foods should neither have fillers, chemicals, meat by-products, additives, nor preservatives. The same goes to the snacks given to the pets. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for medium sized puppies, adults, and seniors depending on the age of your Catahoula Dog. Check the physique of your dog to tell whether it is underweight or overweight.
The pooch is underweight if the ribs are visible. However, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, a Catahoula Dog has an ideal weight. Although, if the ribs cannot be felt after pressing, the pet is overweight and should be exercised. Owners who want to switch to another pet food should gradually do this over a period of one month by mixing old food with new food. As the week progresses, the amount of old food decreases as the amount of the new food increases until the Carolina Dog is only feeding on the new food.
Apart from Catahoula Leopard Dog, other dog breeds include:
Catahoula Leopard Dog White | Colors | Brindle | Brown
A Catahoula may have different colors including brindle, blue merle, black merle, red merle, and solid colors. Solid colored Catahoula dogs have small splashes of other colors such as white on their legs, face, or chest.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Types
There is only one type of pure bred Catahoula Leopard Dog that may be categorized according to its coat color such as red merle, blue, brown, blue merle, and white Catahoula respectively.
Catahoula Allergies | Catahoula Leopard Dog Allergies
Although rare, a Catahoula may suffer from various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Food allergies – Rarely, a Catahoula suffers from a true food allergy that results in an immune response. It is normally accompanied with a wide range of symptoms ranging from skin issues( hives, lesions, sores, facial swelling, itchiness, dermatitis, and pruritus) to gastrointestinal stress such as vomiting and diarrhea. Apart from food allergies, a Catahoula may also suffer from food sensitivity which also causes vomiting and diarrhea. However, it does not cause an immune response but occurs as a gradual reaction to an offending ingredient in the diet and snacks of the dog. Some of the ingredients that cause allergies include fillers, corn, wheat, soy, additives, chemicals, preservatives, lamb, beef, milk, eggs, fish, chicken, turkey, etc.
Skin allergies – This allergy is caused by food, environmental, and contact allergies that affect the skin.
Contact allergies – This allergy causes inflammation to the skin once it comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect Catahoulas include lawn chemicals, grooming products, certain fabrics, plastics, bed linens, latex, and medications. Commonly affected body parts include paws, around the muzzle, and feet.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergies that affect Catahoula include fleas, mites, grass, pollen, ragweed, trees, house mold as well as dust and dust mites. The saliva of fleas cause flea allergy dermatitis that normally affect the back legs and underneath the tail causing intensive scratching and biting until the skin around the bite area is raw. Signs of environmental allergies include congestion, nasal discharge, sneezing, and itchiness on various body parts such as paws, feet, underarms, groin, muzzle, around the eyes, ears, belly sides, and between the toes.
Catahoula Skin Allergies | Skin Problems
A Catahoula may suffer from skin allergies due to food and contact allergies that manifest on the skin such as hives, sores, itchiness, lesions, and dermatitis. On the other hand, environmental allergies cause atopic dermatitis. This is a condition that causes inflammation to the skin causing redness, rashes, lesions, etc. Apart from allergies, a Catahoula may also suffer from hypothyroidism that causes hair loss, dry skin and coat, and susceptibility to other skin issues.
Catahoula Eyes | Catahoula Leopard Dog Eyes
A Catahoula may either have brown, green, amber, blue, or a combination of these eye colors. The common eye color is ‘glass’ eyes that are very pale blue almost white in appearance. Catahoula may also have differed colored eyes, a condition known as heterochromia. Although, it is normal to have two colors in the same eye referred to as a cracked or spotted appearance.
Catahoula Ears
A Catahoula has drop-shaped ears that are small to medium in size.
Catahoula Tail | Catahoula Leopard Dog Tail
A Catahoula has a long curved tail that reaches the hock.
Catahoula Teeth
At birth, a Catahoula pup is whelped with no teeth. However, the deciduous teeth start growing in from the age of 2 to 3 weeks until the age of 6 to 8 weeks when the pup has a total of 28 milk teeth. The deciduous teeth will start falling out at the age of 12 weeks as the permanent teeth erupts beneath them until the pup has a total of 42 adult teeth. However, some Catahoula Dogs may have missing teeth.
Are Catahoula Leopard Dogs Rare
Yes. Catahoula Leopard Dogs are relatively easy to find in their native state, Louisiana and Gulf coast areas. However, they are more difficult to come across these dogs in other parts of USA. Around the globe, Catahoulas are nearly impossible to find.
Are Catahoula Leopard Dogs Hypoallergenic | Are Catahoulas Hypoallergenic
No. A Catahoula is not a hypoallergenic breed. It sheds throughout the year at minimum to moderate levels. Shedding allows dander and fur to spread around the house aggravating allergies.
Are Catahoula Leopard Dogs Aggressive
Yes. Although Catahoulas can get along with dogs of opposite sex, they can easily become aggressive with dogs of the same sex. They are also wary and aloof with strangers. However, they don’t exhibit aggressive tendencies towards people if properly socialized.
Are Catahoula Leopard Dogs Smart
Yes. A Catahoula Leopard Dog is an intelligent dog that learns pretty fast.
Do Catahoula Leopard Dogs Shed
Yes. Catahoula Leopard Dogs shed all-year round at low to moderate levels.
Do Catahoula Leopard Dogs Bark A Lot
Not really. However, due to their nature as protective and territorial dogs, they will tend to bark to alert the owner of something suspicious.
Catahoula Leopard Dog Quick Facts
- This is the only breed of dog that has historically originated in the state of Louisiana.
- Catahoula Leopard Dogs have been the official state dog of Louisiana since July 1979.
- They get their maiden name from their leopard-like coat.
