Catahoula Leopard Dog

Wonderfully affectionate and loyal, goofy and playful, superb watchdog

We have enjoyed , bred, raised, trained and worked Catahoulas for 0vwe 25 years

first time having a catahoula leopard dog but he plays well with my other dog witch is a good thing

Catahoulas were made to work. They’re strong. Each Catahoula I walk loves to run. They’re always on the hunt for small animals or other people/animals. They’re not typically aggressive but I know it’s in their blood so I’m cautious with them. They’re usually very sweet. They’re incredibly fast and great at fetch. They love to play and chase.

Catahoula Leopard Dogs tend to be very sweet dogs, but are definitely reserved. They are loyal to their owners and houses, so often they will stand guard and bark at people attempting to enter the house. Once you enter the house, they may be a little guarded around you, but usually allow for pets. When walking these dogs, they tend to be pretty controlled and easy to direct. They require a lot of energy, so I will often jog with Catahoulas when I walk them. They really excel at running and have a crazy amount of stamina. They were bred as working dogs, so they are used to/need a lot of outlets to use up energy. Their coats are often short and require only minimal brushing and maintenance.

The Catahoula Shepherd Dog, Louie, whom I've walked since he was a puppy was one of the most enjoyable walking companions I have met to date. Louie had the personality of a comedian and the most winning disposition and energy for days. Upon arrival, no matter how extensively we worked on it, he would jump on me. Despite his enthusiasm, he was effortless to put the leash on and usher him outside. From there he was a straight charmer. We'd often walk for miles and conclude our walks with a series of tricks and agility training. Because of his love of treats, toys, and games, it was easy to convince him to work toward and quickly acquire a new trick. When space was allowed, I'd leave him to romp and Louie would go wild. He'd chase sticks with such fervor that he'd tumble over himself, he'd romp through piles of leaves sending debris everywhere, and he'd leave me with belly-aching joy.

I have walked one Catahoula Leopard Dog and he was a very fun doggy to walk! He was fine with me when I first met him and when he knew I was taking him for a walk, he became very excited! He was a younger dog and had a lot of energy. He was pretty good on the leash and pulled only very slightly. He enjoyed some running and stopped to sniff around a bit. He was not a fan of other dogs and would lunge at them when they walked by. I made sure to keep a good distance between other dogs when I saw them coming. He was a great listener, seemed very smart, and overall was a great dog to walk and a great exercise buddy!

I'm a first time Catahoula owner and Cash is wonderful. I rescued him at 8 Months he was very timid until we got away from the shelter, and than he really opened up. He's extremely friendly, loves people,dogs/cats, and kiddos. He's very goofy but stubborn to training but gets it pretty quick and shows off.

Gabby is such a sweet dog. She weighs almost 60 pounds and is very affectionate. We walk 5-7 miles every morning and as sun goes down. I use a prong collar because she goes nuts when she detects a bunny or squirrels. Gabby loves rolling around in wet grass. She has a question mark white tip tail that makes it easier to see her in the dark.

We got Leo when he was 8 weeks old and grew rapidly. He has made us a lot more active and we enjoy seeing his progression in his training and plan to keep growing that his whole life. He loves to cuddle when he's tired. Loves to sunbathe on nice days. Loves to be part of the family. He has grown faster than typical Catahoulas as he is already 55 pounds at 6 months. This is our first dog together and could not have asked for a better outcome.

Mikey has been a wonderful catahoula puppy, he just recently turned 1 and finally broke the 70lb mark! Catahoulas can be a stubborn breed, so my advice to people getting a catahoula would be train hard and train early!! From day one when he came home we started kennel and leash training, now he is stellar with both of those! He has also picked up tricks easily, and his favorite game is one we call “go find them!” It’s where I hide treats all around the house and he has to sniff around for it. His all time favorite activities though are playing with puppy friends, he’s never met a dog he didn’t love, and going on hikes. I’d say the only issue I’ve had with him is he can be very territorial with new people coming into our home but we’ve come up with ways to help him be more welcoming to guests!

My first one. Always had blue heelers.

My Ashley is a rescue, I’ve had her since she was roughly 1year old, and I didn’t know her breed until about 2 years ago. Catahoulas are a wonderful breed, she barks when people knock on the door, and she likes to jump but once she’s greeted and petted she’s fine. Her energy level really depends, some days all she does is nap, other days she’s jumping over the furniture. Easy to train, sometimes stubborn, but with the right treat anything is possible! She’s very loyal and incredibly friendly. Her prey drive is somewhat high, the local rabbits don’t stand a chance, but cats and other creatures like squirrels don’t seem to phase her. Overall she’s my best friend and I see many more catahoulas in my future.

It has been and experience that’s forsure. I have never had a dog like this. Now we live on a ranch with chickens,cows,cats etc. Ellie mis treats the other animals she had killed 2 chickens and 2 kittens and last night the mama kitty we had. I don’t know what to do to stop all this

Jax will spend the whole day next to his sole owner, either in the water or on land. He doesn't get along with other dogs and will guard his owner constantly, hiding between the legs and growling at the threat. He enjoys kids and gets along easier with females.

Maybe I have poorly trained him, but yogi is a rescue pup I have had for almost 3 yrs. He isnt fond of the vet. He isnt fond of strangers. He has allowed some peers in ur home but defiantly aware of his surroundings. He seems to only mind tiny breeds but I usually wont socialize him because he has tried to be aggressive towards other animals. He is fixed. And has so many quirks. Very sweet . Very very playful. Non stop. Still figuring out jobs and games/activities for him. He has bitten me in the past for pent up aggression. (Moving from a farm life to city life) it is such a confusing and hard lifestyle change. Which goes against his lb breed. I would not reccomend a catahoula to be a first pet or if you have small children. They are always on the go. And aware of everything being quick thinkers.

Smart dog. Loud and kind if hard to train.

Kaya is a wonderful, loving and highly intelligent Catahoula. She is very inquisitive, has a laser focus and is absolutely devoted to her Family/pack. She loves playing and is a natural at herding and baying which is a lot of fun to watch her do.

Catahoula are not like a normal dog. They are much more wonderful. They are also more work, orders of magnitude both smarter and more stubborn. They are also puppies for up to 3 years. It takes a determined owner to have one of these around farm animals. Their desire is to chase and subdue stubborn animals. At 3 a light switch flips and the dog becomes wary of strangers, and more protective. That said there are three rules I’ve learned the hard way. Rules that will help you find the path to success with your pup. 1. Exercise - catahoula have been bred for hundreds of years to run and catch things, or run and herd something stubborn back. They are bred to do their job or die trying. So they absolutely need an outlet for their energy, and a way to keep their mind occupied. Or you will both be miserable. This usually means a job. Hunting, guarding, scent work, herding, they can do anything you want to bother to teach them to do. If you don’t have a farm, or a place to hunt you should find or make a flirt pole. For some catahoula a 2hr run is a good warmup. 2. Consistency: someone told me that most dogs are cognitively like a 2 year old. LGD are like 4-5 year olds and catahoula when fully mature are like a 6 year old human child. That big beautiful brain of theirs pays attention and watches for patterns. When you’re consistent it’s a wonderful thing, and when you aren’t they start testing all your boundaries. Because if one moves maybe the others do too. This will make you both miserable. To be clear: boundaries will still be tested. But not like they would be without consistency. 3. Be the alpha: this, and the first are probably the cause of 90% of all behavioral problems. Training most dogs is about teaching them the meaning of words. But teaching a catahoula is about teaching them to respect you as alpha. Everything else - the meaning of words etc - they pick up along the way. A friend - a “dog trainer” - was over for supper and asked if she could teach my dog to shake. I told her to go for it. She spent an hour with treats trying to teach my dog joy to shake. Joy refused to shake. She clowned around, sat up, rolled over she did anything and everything she could think of - including ignoring my friend - except to shake. After an hour my former friend declared my dog too stupid. I called joy over, asked her to shake and she performed perfectly. But I am her alpha, so she obeyed me. She figured out along the way what my friend wanted from her but abjectly refused to obey someone not her alpha. They are absolutely the best breed of dog, and give back twice or better what you put into them. They are the most loving, loyal, intelligent, excellent dogs I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Crosses are usually less intense, energetic and unbidable than a purebred dog. TLDR: A tired catahoula is a good catahoula. Be consistent. Boss or be bossed Ps. Ask a native Choctaw - the word “catahoula” doesn’t mean sacred lake. Look for the definition in the upcoming book “catahoula: a natives perspective” by Renee Jackson. This book contains the true history of the breed from the mouths of those who developed it. As well as the meaning of the breeds name.

We found her in the woods as a 4 month pup. She took her in and confirmed her breed. She was OBNOXIOUS at first, but once she gets a run...she is the absolute BEST. She loves everyone, once she knows we accept them. Not the greatest around small kids/babies because of her exuberance but she is ALL heart. She learns extremely quickly and really wants to please. Love this girl.

I adopted her at about 6 weeks. I take her to work with me every day and just about everywhere I go. She walks around the construction site with me and interacts with people and is getting used to heavy equipment and sounds. Not much fear, very observant and cautious.

Apache is a great companion. She is very cautious around new people and is very protective of our family. She is always watching all thats going on. She also enjoys herding cows during our roping practices.

Best dog ever best dog ever