# catahoula leopard cur ?



## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Anyone ever owned or been around any and can tell what their temperament is, how are they around kids? Are they stay at home or do they roam. Are they protecters of their owner. Are they fairly easy to train. Are they hunting dogs.
Thinking about one for the grandkids. Eddie


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## harplade (Jul 14, 2005)

we owned one when my children were little (2 and 7). At the same time, we owned a lab/mastiff mix (both females). The children much preferred the catahoula. We have pictures of the dog buried totally, except for head, in a sand pile b/c 7 year old daughter and friend were playing. She loved to be with them in any situation.

She was smart, roamed some but seemed to know the score about cars, etc, not real friendly with strangers but not overly aggressive.

We had to give her away b/c she would grab chickens and maul them. We couldn't tell if she was trying to play or if it was hunting behavior-she wouldn't kill them just bit into them and they wouldn't live. We couldn't break her of this habit. One guy we know tied a dead chicken aroudn the dog who kept messing with them. Left it until it rotted clean away-said it cured the dog but I couldn't handle doing that.

We gave her to a man who had no chickens and lived way in the woods. He loved her but ended up giving her to a young man who hunted and would really put her to work. 

They are definitely not a dog to leave at home all day while kids are in school-they will find some way to get in trouble. But a loyal, fun kid dog and family dog-you will love them. 

Having had a blue heeler and a catahoula-very much in the same category for attention needed.

Also, they look kind of 'skulky'-especially when strangers are around. They keep their tail down and kind of creep towards people. Kind of like those stereotypical movies of the old South with the hound dogs creeping off the porch when the master got home. But that is the way almost all of the ones I know do-they're not fond of strangers so they are looking suspiciously at them, I guess. My blue heeler was the same way-but never aggressive/protective unless it was an unusual circumstance.

Many times I sent my kdis to play in the woods with Freckles, the catahoula, and felt she would have protected them with her life if need be.

She was also fairly quiet-not a big barker at night when the critters were howling. 

Hope that helps, maybe someone else from Louisiana will chime in on this one.

Harplade


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## grimm_mojo (Dec 30, 2007)

the catahoula from what i understand is breed for a herding dog an used to hunt as well . i know couple guys in east texas that have messed with them they used them to hunt hogs with down there . but what i seen they pretty good natured dogs


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## Countrygrl3 (Nov 19, 2004)

I have a catahoula cross, he's definately a herding dog. Works best with the hogs and cattle, smart and does not back down. He's flipped my 9 month old bull over. I take him fox hunting all the time. Can be stubborn at times but was easy to train. He's a fantastic dog around the kids (2 and 1 year old) very tolerant of everything they do. Protective of his area, does not like people being there who shouldnt and is protective of his "people". Over all a joy to have on the farm, but did take a while to break to chickens, he was just too rough on them. He covers our entire farm, can tend to wander but knows his job. 

Sue


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Thanks folks for the info. I've always liked that speckeld color and the blue eye some of them have. I was watching that Cajun fellow Justin Wilson on tv and he told of that dog he had and said one day his little grandson was running to the highway and that catahoula run and got between him and the road and would not let him get any closer to it. Yep ole Justin would stretch the truth, but you don't tell them kind of stories for a joke. Not if you love your grand kids," I Guarantee" LOL Thanks again Eddie


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

I had one for a short time. He was a good dog, but very protective of the place. I didn't have small kids at the time, so I can't speak to that issue. I don't think I would have wanted the one I had to be around the kids, though. He tended to nip when he felt it was needed. He was also very good at tracking, and tracked my truck out onto the highway.


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## harplade (Jul 14, 2005)

make sure to check their hearing-the blue eyes gene is linked to a deafness gene. Just a caution.

Harplade


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

I have a Catahoula/Anatolian Shepherd cross. He is wonderful, loves children and is the perfect farm dog. He doesn't herd, but he does love to help us bring the cows in for milking by making rounds of the field and getting all the cows up. He is protective of us, but not aggressive.
The blue eye(he only has one blue, the other is brown), scares people......but he is a very sweet dog.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

I LOVE my Catahoula. Katie is the BEST dog, but she is very skittish around strangers. Hubby's nephew recently got a Catahoula and his two boys absolutely love that dog and she loves them. I think Catahoulas are great dogs and I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Ravenlost said:


> I LOVE my Catahoula. Katie is the BEST dog, but she is very skittish around strangers. Hubby's nephew recently got a Catahoula and his two boys absolutely love that dog and she loves them. I think Catahoulas are great dogs and I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.


 I think Im going to get one. Sounds like a good Homestead Hound. I'll just watch how it acts around kids. If I can get a puppy and let it be around the grandkids from the get go. Thanks everyone, you've been a big help with lots of info.  Eddie


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## gina kay (Sep 12, 2007)

Like Harplade I have blue heelers, heeler/catahoula mixes, and heeler/lab mixes. All great herders and I've never had a problem with them and chickens being together, but then they grew up with the chickens. They are not aggressive at all and are more likely to show a burglar how to get into my house then run them off, haha!! But my two catahoula/heelers are a father and son and the father is big, fluffy (thick fur), markings on his face making him look big and ugly but he's a big baby. He loves to sit & lean up against my legs knocking me off balance. I wouldn't trade them for anything!


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## HOTW (Jul 3, 2007)

A friend of mine had 2 growing up.They were greta with all the kids in the household but they did roam and they were suspected of killing a foal so they got rid of them.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Catahoulas can come in solid colors as well so don't over look those! Be careful. Some bloodlines can be more hard headed than others. Lots of catahoulas turn dog aggressive when they get older..around 2 to 3 years of age so don't be surprised if your dog gets to the point he/she won't tolerate any other dog on the place. Lots of them can be dominant and some will want to test you EVERY day. Just be aware of that. I used to have quite a few. They all were different in personality but I can tell you that even a 8 week old pup will bite a stranger or bark ferciously!


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Eddie
they don't herd cattle in the same sense as collies do. they hunt up stray cattle & run them back to the herd & keep them together while you move the herd.
as for hunting they are not cold nor open like a hound but they have a better handle. they will start a track you put them on but will drop it in favor of a warmer track of the same game. off their own property they are more tolerant of strangers but shouldn't be over friendly. on their own property they should be hostile to strangers to some degree.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Pops2 said:


> Eddie
> they don't herd cattle in the same sense as collies do. they hunt up stray cattle & run them back to the herd & keep them together while you move the herd.
> as for hunting they are not cold nor open like a hound but they have a better handle. they will start a track you put them on but will drop it in favor of a warmer track of the same game. off their own property they are more tolerant of strangers but shouldn't be over friendly. on their own property they should be hostile to strangers to some degree.


 I may be wrong but don't some folks **** hunt with them? Eddie


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Catahoulas has really not been bred to tree ***** but some particular bloodlines still have the treeing ability. Captain Black's catahoulas, in particular, has been highly bred to tree but I believe his fish harvesting/reef collecting business (he's based in Florida) has taken off so he had no time to work his dogs and cut back on 'em. Catahoulas throw HUGE litters of pups. 18-25 pups at a time is not uncommon. As a general rule..catahoulas tend to have 12 and up pups in a litter. Catahoulas have really lost the ability to tree because they have been sub-specialized on cattle/hogs for a very long time. It's extremely hard to find a catahoula that trees every time on a ****.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

OTH because the run silent, they are more likely to catch **** on the ground & they will absolutely sight tree (almost every dog will).


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Also there are other "leopard spotted" breeds like the leopard cur (which is apparently going to be changing its name & classification w/ the UKC to leopard tree hound) & the goodman fox hound. and leopard spotted throwbacks occasionally popup in mt. curs & plotts.


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