The Catahoula Leopard can be considered as a native American breed since it is where this breed was developed. Originally coming from the Catahoula Parish county of Louisiana, this breed is known all over North America as an outstanding farm and ranch dog. Its skills are used for hunting and tracking big or small animals; and herding various animals herd.

The history of this breed started in 1536 during the time of Hernando De Soto’s quest for gold and treasures in America. It was said that De Soto brought with him the massive breeds of the Mastiff and Greyhounds and left some of them wounded when they retreated from the battles. The Native Indians took these damaged war dogs and cared for and socialized them with the Red fox, a hunting fox used by the Indians by that time, and this led to the conception of the Indian fox dog breed.

When the French settlers came to Louisiana in 1700, they noticed this new breed of dog and were mystified by their mottled coats and strange glass eyes. These so called Indian fox dogs were rampant and popular all over Louisiana and they were known to have great agility and skills in hunting big and small animals. With the French’s own breed called Beauceron, they managed to inter-breed these two kinds of dogs and the outcome is the present day Catahoula Cur.

The Catahoula Cur breed was famous and is said to have affected the lives of many known personalities such as the brothers Jim and Rezin Bowie who were believed to adore this breed so much they let them sleep in on their beds. Teddy Roosevelt also favored the Catahoula as hunting companion and the then La. Gov. Earl K. Long collected and bred Catahoula. Because of these inclinations to famous people, the breed became a household name all over the country and in 1979, it was made the official state dog of Louisiana.

Some breeds are measured for their coats, height or weight but not the Catahoula. This dog is given importance according to its characteristics and abilities while its coat, although beautiful all its own, is accepted no matter what color or texture. The Catahoulas coat can come in different varieties and colors such as black with mottles of blue and gray, red or brown with a light touch of red or liver, and any other colors with a touch of blue or gray merle.

The coat does not only vary in color and patterns but in texture as well, such as: slick, coarse, shaggy or wooly. The course coat is easy to maintain but takes longer to dry when wet, and looks fuller and longer than the other coat types; the slick coat, often referred to as the wash n’ wear coat, dries very quickly when wet and gives the impression as if the coat is painted on the dog. The wooly and shaggy types shed rather rapidly and grow out again as a course coat or double coat.

As quoted by breeder Don Abney, “You must be ready to teach and exercise a Catahoula. If not, he will eat your house. The Catahoula will not let you forget that you own a dog.” This breed is impressively intelligent, strongly energetic, makes an outstanding ranch or farm dog, and makes a very dear and excellent family companion and playmate to children. They can become insistent and demanding but they are not aggressive by nature.

Because of its nature as an intense worker, this dog needs a regular outlet of energy in the form of daily exercise, house or farm chores or an ample amount of playtime. Without these activities that keep them busy, they tend to suffer physically and mentally. As they grow older, they have a negative tendency to over protect their territory from other dogs and animals which often results to fights and deaths.