I researched Catahoula bloodlines for a year before deciding which lines I wanted in my pups.

Really? How well bred is the line you chose?

Their papers go back over 6 generations, the females' lines are jam packed with grand champions (that's Boo Boo), and the stud's is the same but just a little less than the female's lines.



This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 13 2013, 06:19 AM

Wow

Say, mALX. Can you tell me a bit more about the breed of dog you have?

Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Cur

They are the state dog of Louisiana. The origin of the breed comes from 4 different lines, one being Red Wolf. They consider humans their “pack,” and become very bonded to and affectionate with their owners - more so than most dogs. They will naturally guard them.

They work extremely well in teams (like wolves do, forming a circle around large prey to take them down).

They are direct descendents of Hernando De Soto's war dogs, extreme speed over long periods of time, aggressive and powerful hunter of big game.

In battle they are fearless, and do not discern the size or aggressiveness of the animal. (as in bear, bull, boar, etc.) They will fight to the death, totally ignoring pain. They will not surrender unless their Master orders them off.

They are loyal, devoted, hard working, powerful, and protective.

They can climb trees with amazing cat-like agility, and also climb and walk along banister railings like cats do.

They are working dogs - wired for hard work under rough conditions where only the fittest survive. If you don't exercise them well, that energy is going to go into something you won't like (like destroying your house if they live inside, lol).

These dogs are EXTREMELY intelligent. If they see you open a door with your hands, they will mimic it and open doors. If you put gates up they will find a way over/under/around them.

They mimic your facial expressions and sounds - try to talk. Boo Boo says "Mama," literally. Dixie sings (These dogs are howlers/bayers/etc).

Go to any cupboard once and pull a treat out of it, they will remember that cupboard immediately. Change it around regularly and they instantly know immediately where the new place is.

You can give them a full sentence of commands and they will understand and follow it. Very very obedient dogs, but also hyper and VERY mischievous.


OH! And they have webbed feet like a duck.




*





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 13 2013, 06:56 AM

They seem like a very fun type of dog to have, lol. Right up my alley


Are they good with smaller children?

They bond to their family, that includes small children in the home. They don't guard your house and property like a regular dog does, they are more like a Velociraptor - they scan the property with their eyes and remember. They will notice ANYTHING different immediately.

Examples:

1. My husband leaned a stack of boards up against his shed 1.5 acres from the house. The stud was let out of the house to use the bathroom, and saw that stack of boards that wasn't supposed to be there. He went nuts "warning" us about a discrepancy. My husband put the boards up - dog settled down.

2. We have two areas of the house that are exclusive - I don't go in my husband's den and he doesn't go into my office. If either of us break that and enter the other's territory, the dogs will try to herd them back out gently, just kind of pushing against their legs and steering them away from where they aren't supposed to be.




This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 13 2013, 07:21 AM

Lol. So they're like peacekeepers in the house.

Sounds interesting. I have a friend who's looking for a dog. This breed sounds perfect for him. Do you have to buy them exclusively from a breeder?

Well, you want to get them as puppies so they bond to you. Taking in an adult dog is never a smooth fit, and these dogs bond to humans quicker and stronger than other dogs, (so it is almost imperative to get them as puppies). A breeder is the best way, and get them early - 6 to 8 weeks at the most.

The females are much easier to train than the males in everything but housebreaking. The males have usually housebroken themselves by the time you get them home. But the females learn and obey commands much better - even if they don't want to do what you are telling them they will obey (because they aren't thinking they are supposed to be the Alpha like the male Cats do).

The males do think they are supposed to be the Alpha, so you have to raise them differently than the females, make sure you establish yourself as Alpha right from the start.

These dogs are like any hyper kid, they thrive on routines and a structured environment but you'll still have a loving Cat if they don't get that.





This post has been edited by mALX: Aug 13 2013, 07:32 AM

Thanks for the info. I'll suggest it to my friend

There are Cats in Connecticut, here is a link to a site that will help you find breeders near you:


http://catahoula.connecticutpuppiesforsale.com/puppy-finder/


Tell him to spend time with the pup first (whether he buys a Cat or any other dog), it should be friendly and outgoing, playfull but not rough or domineering - and clean and healthy.

Alright. Thank you!!!

Here's what the puppies look like:






Oh, and their scenting ability is better than a bloodhound's, they are also used for Search and Rescue/Drug dogs/Cadaver dogs/and Arson dogs.

I prefer German Shepherds myself. I've had all kinds of dogs of various breeds and I can see why the German Shepherd is the favorite choice of military and police units.

They're strong, fast, energetic, intelligent, and they pick up on commands quickly. Of course all dogs have different aptitudes for learning but my GSD has been the quickest learning dog I've ever had and she's too smart for her own good sometimes, able to get into cabinets and open the gate latch.

They learn quickly by watching and are good problem solvers.

I love all breeds of dog though, I'm an animal lover at heart.

My favorite dogs are Rottweilers and Dobermans, but Catahoula's come in a close third and German Shepherds 4th (the shedding on German Shepherds).

Rotties shed too, but it is worth vacuuming daily to own one. Dobermans and Catahoulas don't shed, which is a bonus plus in owning them.

Yeah I'll admit that is a major downside to the GSD. Ours lives indoors and she's a great dog but she sheds constantly so we have to brush her with a special brush and vacuum our furniture constantly.

That's about their only pitfall really. They are great dogs, my very first dog was a German Shepherd.

That dog sounds amazing.

All my dog does is snort(she's a Cavilere Kings Charles,so she has similar problems to a Pug but not as bad)snores,lies down,sleeps,sometimes walks up to me looks at me for a bit then rolls over onto her back waiting for me to pet her belly.

So, I did ten sections alone and discovered they didn't give us all of the label strips. So I borrowed the old one's and tried to set it anyways.

Had we had the correct strips, we would have been able to leave at five. Now we gotta redo my section.

I'm ready to go home.

You can go, Liz. I´ll take it from here

-books plane ticket-

oh, and mirocu says; a man with no job is a man with no money.