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About Catahoulas

No relationship to a "Cat"

The name "Catahoula" derives from the Indian name of a county in Louisiana - it has no relationship to "Cat" or a feline of any sort, but I have often thought that Slim is very catlike:
1. His tongue is scratchy and he is always licking - cleans himself like a cat
2. He stretches like a cat by arching his back way up high (I've never seen a dog do this!)
3. He is fast and agile like a cat, and he has never really had any puppy clumsiness
4. He uses his front and back feet like a cat by lying on his back and holding his "prey" (usually a stuffed toy) in the air while attacking it
5. He uses his front paws to bat things around like a cat - dogs do this, too, but not with such skill

Slim and Horses

He naturally tracks and herds (people, dogs, horses, the barn cat - he doesn't care). He clowns around with the horses and, while I worry that he is going to get stomped, he seems to know which horses are playful and which ones are deadly. When I am horseback riding and he is "bored", he just chases me around the riding ring and bites/ pulls at my horse's tail. When my horse's ears go flat back, I know that Slim is behind me trying to get my attention again.

Here is more than you ever wanted to know about Catahoulas.

http://pkcpetfood.dnsalias.org/coondogs/site/breeds/cur.htm


http://www.bulldoginformation.com/catahoula-leopard.html

http://www.boardogs.com/Boardogs_Auscat_Catahoulas_Home.ht m

These sites provide history of the breed and interesting facts about the breed that are true to my experience with Slim. This is not a dog for a person who does not taking dog ownership VERY seriously and is unaccustomed to being a leader for a dog at all times. Slim requires my attention, or something to do, almost constantly. He has never been destructive, but I have been challenged to my limit to find ways to keep him busy and entertained. I worry that Slim's cuteness may lead some unsuspecting person to go out to find one of these dogs - a novice dog owner would end up with an uncontrollable dog.

Slim's sire is one of the top dogs in the breed, Camp-A-While's "Elvis" - I can't imagine having a dog with any less refined background and getting a less predictable dog.

The Catahoula is the only breed of dog native to the United States and became the official Louisiana state dog in 1979. They are descended from the Red Wolf and Spanish war dogs (Mastiffs and Greyhounds) abandoned by DeSotos army in 1542 and then raised by the Indians of the Catahoula Lake region. In 1700 the dogs were crossed with the French Beauceron by French American settlers.

Catahoulas average 60-70 lbs and about 24" tall, with short hair, long tail, natural flop ears, glassy eyes, webbed feet, and spotted coat. They are gentle with children, loyal to family, intelligent and independent, but territorial and potentially aggressive to strangers, making them good pets and guard dogs.

They are extremely agile and athletic, and they think as fast as they move. As a hunting dog the animal is diligent, dependable, efficient and especially good at tracking. They are the largest and most aggressive of the cattle dogs, bred to handle wild cattle and hogs in the roughest, most remote country, swamps, hilly canyons, thickets, forests, or mountains. The are bred to gather, circle and “bay” quarry until their master can reach them to take control.