Dog Community

Catahoula

Posted : 6/8/2007 10:18:00 AM

Does anyone here have a catahoula? I have one although I suspect something else might be mixed in...I don't have a picture on my work computer to post but I'll see if I can find a good one tonight. I'm more curious to see if people have the same experiences with them that I have. He showed his herding instincts from the first day we got him. He seems to prefer to be around people than other dogs (he will do anything to get a scratch on the head). And he's really smart...yes, I know that every dog owner says that [

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jenhuedepohl

Posted : 6/8/2007 10:31:45 AM

We think Lucy in my sig pics is a Catahoula mix. Best guess? Catahoula/German Shorthair. (We're of german heritage and call her our Cajun Kraut LOL!) She's got a LOT of prey drive, shows a lot of herding instinct, and likes to guard our yard & even our camper after she figured out that these were "her" places. (She doesn't get aggressive, just gives us plenty of barking alerts when something isn't right!) She's a great dog, and also super-smart. She fit right into our household and ADORES our kids. I just love her playful, outgoing personality and of course, her gorgeous blue merle coat (called blue leopard in catahoulas)

Can't wait to see pics! If purebred Catahoulas are anything like Lucy, I'd love to have another.

DogPark

Posted : 6/8/2007 11:39:04 AM

Cajun Kraut! LOL!!! She's a cutie :-)

Mosby is great with kids and older people as well. He can be very active but when he is around someone older is seems to want to just lie by their feet and keep them company.

Jennifer Cronin

Posted : 6/13/2007 5:26:56 PM

I have a 12 week beagle/catahoula mix that we just got a week ago. He is the smartest dog I have ever known! Long story, but I didn't know he was catahoula until a few days ago. I got nervous reading some of their supposed agressive traits, but our guy seems to be very submissive and great around the kids. I'd love to hear other peoples experiences with this breed.

brookcove

Posted : 6/13/2007 11:04:35 PM

Catahoulas are neat dogs. They are one of the oldest still extant, established cur dog breeds. They take a bit more after the herding dog side of the family, which is one reason they haven't gone the way of the more aggressive breeds that were a big part of "how the West was won." They are still used relatively widely as herding/hunting/baying dogs, considering they are a pretty rare breed.

The ones I've seen, purebreds, have all been pretty soft and squishy dogs as far as relating to people. They are only hard headed in the sense that a hound is - with that independent, "my way or the highway" streak. I hear some lines can be more pushy or even guardy, but so far I haven't personally dealt with any like that.

DogPark

Posted : 6/14/2007 9:30:41 AM

I love hearing that everyone thinks they are such smart dogs!

Mosby had an aggression problem when he was younger, and still has a tendency to want to fight other dogs at the park. We got him neutered and I worked with him a lot to make sure he understood that fighting is not okay. I can tell by his body language if he doesn't like a new dog. As soon as I see those signs I stay close and make sure he knows that I am ready to step in at any moment.

He is definitely protective of me and my family and very loyal. When I am gardening out front, he will sit on the front steps and watch me but will never go up the street by himself. He has never run away or tried (except to chase a squirrel once, but didn't get very far)

DogPark

Posted : 6/14/2007 10:04:58 AM

I finally remembered to get a picture of Mosby to post but I can't figure out how to do it [sm=uhoh.gif] I tried the picture button in the top right and pasted the url from Flickr and I also tried the upload button at the bottom. What am I doing wrong???

spiritdogs

Posted : 6/14/2007 4:34:43 PM

Some people are, unfortunately, breeding Catahoula x Pit mixes. They are supposedly trying to resurrect a type of dog that was also used for hunting long ago. But, in today's world, a lot of them just end up in shelters...
This site has some interesting information about them:
http://www.donabney.com/

Jennifer Cronin

Posted : 6/16/2007 9:31:29 AM

There is another message board I found for Catahoulas. They are Very serious about how it is strictly a working dog, can't be left alone with othe dogs, etc. So I'm glad to hear a different perspective. As soon as figure out how, I'll post a picture. I'm curious to see how much catahoula you think my guy is.

Workingdoglover

Posted : 6/16/2007 1:17:59 PM

The Catahoulas where I live (southern MO) are still used to work cattle and such. I've only been around a couple, but the first one scared the crap out of me...lol! He was one of those dogs that you do not turn your back on. He had the run of the "ranch" (it was a place that we used to go for rodeos), so he was probably acting on guarding instincts. I definitely didn't let my guard down when I was around him. The other I was around was a younger dog, and he was a real sweetie when he wasn't "working." I think a lot probably does have to do with lines and the way they live. The first dog lived in the barns, but the second actually lived with his family.

DogPark

Posted : 6/21/2007 2:16:08 PM

Okay, trying to post the picture of Mosby...

DogPark

Posted : 6/21/2007 2:18:06 PM

It worked! He will be 13 in the fall. He hates the camera so I have a hard time getting a picture of him when he is standing up or running around. His hair is thicker than the average catahoula, I think but he's a sweety.

Liesje

Posted : 6/21/2007 2:19:05 PM

I don't have one but they are sure cool looking! I took some pics of them at a dog show last weekend (these were dogs that were showing). I love their light blue eyes.

DogPark

Posted : 6/21/2007 2:38:37 PM

Beautiful!

Jennifer Cronin

Posted : 6/23/2007 8:28:30 AM

What a sweet face!