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Catahoula Leopard Dog is identical to the dog that in 1600 used to follow Indians of America: hunter, guardian herdesdog as in the past.
A dog, in synthesis, in which we find the atavic instincts and the ancestral qualities that make him a subject exceptionally eclectic that can be utilized in any kind of labour.
In certain aspects, the Catahoula can be defined a primitive dog spontaneously formed in Mississipi's lowland valley from the mating of spanish war-dogs belonging to the colonizers with the Red Wolf (the only animal similar to the dog wide-spread in that precise historical moment in the area) as a matter of fact, he present many aspects of the wild animal.
The Catahoula, then, istinctively is a hunter-dog, an excellent guardian, a house defender and istinctively a perfect cow-dog at the service of the Ranch.
Today in America almost every Ranch gives hospitality to this reliable four paws companion.
The Catahoula present strong shoulders, powerful jaws as the war-dogs, the silent crawl sharp sight the diffidence towards strangers and the plasticity of the wolf movements.
The animal that Indians, before, and Cow-boys, after, have thought to be so useful to decide not to manipolate him in any way, is today the Louisiana National Dog that in order to confirm the historical and cultural importance of such an animal has founded an association of the breed: National Association of Louisiana Catahoula (N.A.L.C.).
Peculiar characteristics of the breed are the leopard-skim coat (useful for the mimesis while hunting), the palmate paws (heredity of the past years spent hunting in Mississipi's marshs) and very bright blue eyes (the blue colour derives from the third membrane pigmentation). Apart from this he is a dog whose medium to medium-large size (oscillanting between 55 and 66 cm high and whose wegth oscillates between 25 and 40 kg). Powerful and slim contitution, manoeuvrability and resistance are the characteristics that fully represent the breed. Colourings and combinations of the coat colours are, pratically, infinite; he can be entirely or partially leopard-skinned, without a pattern (black, blue yellow reddish).
He coat is of different lenght, but anyway, short, it can change in the same subject according to changes in environment.
Eyes colouring is endless too, glass eyes are the favorites light as glass. The subjects with eyes that are not entirely of one colour are frequent, for instance half brown and half blue, or brown as a base with blue spots, the so called "marble eyes".
For what concerns his temperament the Catahoula are dogs of a proverbial equilibrium, very affectionate in the family, they love children of which they are scrupulous guardians as they were the lambs of the herd. The intelligens in the herd conduction, the malice in hunting and the reliability as companions of everyday life make the Catahoula to be used in public order activites; in America, because of their qualities, they are permanently used to find out missings, to look for drugs and as a defender.
The Catahoula obtains excellent results as a sportsdog too as in the agility that's a discipline in which he puts in evidence the exceptional plasticity of his movements and the perfect harmony with his master. Always accustomed to big spaces doesn't adapt himself very well to live in a flat.
To conclude I will use a definiction of Don Abney (expert breeder): "the Catahoula has the power of the mastiff the greyhound speed and the wolf spirit " and I add " the indian charme and colours". Catahoula in indian means "pure water" as like their eyes.
Salvatore Montemurro
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