Description of a Catahoula Leopard Dog.

Catahoula Leopard Dog Information

(aka. Catahoula)

History

While the origins of the Catahoula Leopard Dog are unknown, the predominant theory is that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto left behind his dogs (greyhounds and mastiffs) in Louisiana in the 1500's. The locales then bred these dogs with their own tamed red-wolves. Then in the 1600's the French began settling in Louisiana and bred their Beaucerons with the greyhound/mastiff/red-wolf mix. After that, the breed was largely left alone until 1979 when Governor Edwin Edwards declared the Catahoula Cur Louisiana's state dog. This of course meant a name change from the Catahoula Cur to the Catahoula Leopard Dog.

Appearance

There are three major varieties of the Catahoula:
The Wright Line
Weight: 90 to 110 lbs.
The Fairbanks Line
Weight: 65 to 75 lbs.
Color: Brindle to yellow
The McMillin Line
Weight: 50 to 60 lbs.
Color: Spotted blue with glass eyes

The fur of the Catahoula is short and thick without an undercoat. The colors can vary greatly and generally have patches or merles everywhere. These patches can come in blue, gray, black, liver, and red. The solid color possibilities are red, chocolate, yellow, brindle, and red.

Temperament

The Catahoula Leopard Dog temperament can really very on their training, but the common trend is that they are very high energy. If left alone with nothing to do, they will expend their energy on their surroundings such as furniture and walls. The Catahoula tends to loving and tender towards children and other pets, but a few can be aggressive. Proper care and training is needed to have this dog as a pet, otherwise, they will likely overtake their owners and become too much to handle. With that said, the Catahoula can really be a wonderful, loyal pet as long as the owner is prepared to put in their time to raise their best friend.