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type catahoula Catahoula history fun video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMQPDO969_g history, standard and genetic research: http://www.cobradog.com/breed­history.php working catahoula association: http://www.workingcatahoulas.org/ Abney on the catahoula: http://www.abneycatahoulas.com/ history of bob tail: http://www.catscradlecatahoulas.com/html/history.html abney on issues: http://www.abneycatahoulas.com/issues.php cats cradle on various subjects: http://www.catscradlecatahoulas.com/html/raw_meat_diet.html NALC: Contact details: National Association of Louisiana Catahoulas Inc (N.A.L.C) Mail: PO Box 1041 Denham Springs, LA 70727­1041 United States of America Phone: 225­665­6082 Office hours: 9:00am to 4:00pm Central time Monday to Thursday. Closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday History The N.A.L.C was founded by Mrs J.S. (Betty­Ann) Eaves in 1977. Her father, Kline Rushing, dreamed of having a central place to register his beloved dogs. Betty and her father spent many months recording the ancestry of the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. Following her fathers passing, Betty­Ann made her fathers dream come true in late 1977. The oldest catahoula registry. coat types: slick (painted) or course, never wooly paws: oval can have extra digits they called double dew clawed dogs "snake proof" in the past tails: bob tails can be found in some lines . further into standards in above links. Cow licks : some fun legends about the direction and meaning of the cowlick. UKC standard: http://www.ukcdogs.com/Web.nsf/Breeds/HerdingDog/LouisianaCatahoulaLeopardDog0101200 8 does not accept docking BUT does accept bobtails Cut gear: http://hardcorehogdogs.com/Cut_Gear.html http://www.swampdawgcutvest.com/ Eyes: Blue eyes, they can also be green, amber or brown Cracked/marbles eyes 2 colors on 1 eye or both Odd eye eyes being separate colors Coat colors and patterns: ANY self color any tri color any "point" marking color combo dilutions Quad color merle "leopard" brindles of any on this list or on "trims" bi color irsh spotting piebald (ticking and roan have been rumored but never seen, usually mislabeling) saddle sable masks patchwork solid white or pre dom white dogs are often hard culled "killed not altered" for fear of health problems associated with semi lethal white. cryptic merle is often noted in this breed Paw: Oval Mixing catahoulas are often crossed for hunting purposes with american bulldogs "catahoula bulldogs" these are NOT catahoulas. they have been used in the creation of the Alphalpha Bulldog . other breeds / mixes mistaken for the catahoula, bully breeds, great danes, aussies and border collies, labradors. GSD and various other breeds with merle or lacking merle. this is primarily due to unscrupulous mixing to try and obtain the merle genes. just because a dog is merle does not mean its a catahoula or a cross of a catahoula there are DOZENS of breeds with merle and more "developing" it every day. yes merle can be a randomly developed mutation HOWEVER when it shows up in a large number of dogs rather than a handful it is unscrupulous breeding practices , especially when the dog looks nothing like the breed it claims to be. take a look at the panda GSD this is a NEW white mutatuion not piebald or merle. this phenomena ha only showed up in a SMALL handful of dogs. while the merle Pomeranian, Chihuahua and Bully breeds have shown in larger numbers. there are many breeders that breed strictly for color because it is easier to place "flashy" this of course leads to some unscruprulous breeding practices such as breeding Merle X Merle or two high white content dogs together. a pup born predominately white is often culled to avoid some of the serious health concerns involved. Merle XMerle (MmXMm) will result in 25% double merle, 50% merle and 25% non merle work Catahoulas themselves are used as Catch, bay, tracking, treeing and herding dogs. after doing research some have excelled in Schutzhund, obedience, dock diving and agility. some breeders that want to go into the AKC (few do) have been pushing to go for lure coursing rather than any other field activities (this is not the way to go...they are not sighthounds) Baying with vest Ears: triangular or "v" shaped. V or triangle ears the skin should not be tight nor excessively loose , this is to lower risk of injury when working. much like their shorter coats are meant for warmer climates and rough terrain . Movement: normal gait the faster they move the more the paws converge under the body "single tracking" tail: bob tail normal long tail Breed history: The Catahoula Leopard Dog's roots date back over 400 years,to the period of Spanish Exploration of the New World, specifically the Gulf Coast and southern portions of the East Coast of the United States. On these expeditions the Spaniards were accompanied by "war dogs", believed to have been the Mastiff and Greyhound. These dogs would assist in hunting, guarding the camps, and battle. Some of these dogs were wounded or left behind and were captured by the Native Americans of the region. It is believed by historians that these dogs may have bred with the red wolf, a species native to that area. These wolf­like dogs became the companions and protectors of the Native Americans. About a century later the French, during expeditions along the mouth of the Mississippi River, became intrigued with these strange­looking dogs with haunting light eyes. The French found that the wolf­like dogs had the ability to successfully hunt game in the swamp because of several characteristics including a keen sense of smell and webbed feet. The dogs could also easily retrieve cattle which had wandered into marshy areas. The French had brought with them their own dogs, known today as the Beauceron. The Beauceron dates back to the mid 1500's and was originally used to hunt wild boar. It is believed that in an attempt to create an even better hunter, protector, companion, and herder the French crossed the Beauceron with these wolf­like dogs. The Catahoula Leopard Dog is the descendant of that crossing. A Catahoula is a loyal friend and protector, as well as being an incredibly versatile working dog. While not overtly aggressive, one would be unwise to enter their domain in the absence of their owner. Once called a "Catahoula Cur," the foundation of the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog came into existence through chance breeding and from some planned breeding. The Indians in and around Louisiana used the Red Wolf, which then roamed Louisiana during this period, to locate game, much in the same manner as hunters use their dogs today. Hernando DeSoto had traveled from Florida into Louisiana, bringing with him the "War Dogs" that had made the journey to the New World. The breeds that were referred to as War Dogs were the Greyhound and the Mastiff. Research has shown that the Mastiff type of dog that accompanied him was probably those known as the "Alano Mastiff" of Spain, which are now extinct. These Mastiffs had a reputation of being able to pull down very large game with ease. DeSoto utilized their abilities to persuade the Indians to provide information on the whereabouts of Gold and Treasure. Mostly those already owned by the Indians. After suffering defeat in battle, DeSoto abandoned his War Dogs which were allowed to roam freely. They bred and interbreed with each other along with the Red Wolf . The offspring of the various breedings were then used by the Indians, and became known as the "Wolf Dog." The Wolf Dog, which is mentioned in Louisiana History, as well as most history books covering this era, was the name given to them by Henri Tonti during one of his visits to Louisiana. the wolf dog was claimed to be scantily different from its wild cousins, quote: "the only difference was the dogs would bark and the wolves would howl." By the early 1700's the French had started arriving in Louisiana. Hearing the stories of Tonti of the abundance of game in Louisiana the French brought with them a dog known as the "Bas Rouge," or Red Stockings. This dog has also been called the "Berger de Beauce." Today that very dog is known as the Beauceron. The French bred their dogs with those of the Indians' Wolf Dog, and together these four canines contributed to the inception of the Catahoula that we know today.There have been references to Catahoula Indians by many people, but the truth is there were no tribes of Catahoula Indians. After the onslaught of the Indians by the white man, four tribes of Indians settled together in an area where the Red, Black, and Little rivers join. These four tribes were the Avoyelle, Tunica, Ofo, and Choctaw. Because these four tribes remained in close proximity of each other, they were dubbed as the Catahoula Indians. Even the name Catahoula has been interpreted in many different ways. Unfortunately, when researching the Indian language, Muskhogean, it is found that there is no such word. Again, research gives way to a mis­pronunciation or slur of the word "Couthaougoula" meaning Choctaw. There were three distinct versions of the Catahoula which varied in size and color. These lines of dogs were known as the Wright, McMillin, and Fairbanks lines. Mr. Preston Wright's line was the largest of the three, and represented the dogs originally produced by the dogs of DeSoto. His dogs ranged between 90 and 110 pounds. Mr. T. A. McMillin, who lived on Sandy Lake, raised mostly Blue Leopard dogs with glass eyes.

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