Anyone know anything about Catahoula's?

[Pandemonium]

There's a lovely girl by the name of Sadie pulling at my heart strings. I know we have Bernie (Beagle/Husky), and he's nearly a year old, but.. I think I neeeeeeeeed Sadie. Please take a look at the link below, and tell me what you think oh wise ones?

I'd sure appreciate some feedback on what to expect with this kind of dog. Kym

http://http://www.barlees.org/cgi-bin/adoptions/showcase.php?detail=536

 

[jess2416]

decent site, has a lot of info

http://www.donabney.com/information.shtml

 

[corgi_love]

The link you posted has two http:// signs:
http://www.barlees.org/cgi-bin/adoptions/showcase.php?detail=536

She's so beautiful, I love Catahoula's.. I'd love to rescue one one day Good luck!

 

[Pandemonium]

Thanks for reposting that link corgi love! And Jess.. thanks for the link.. I'll go read!

 

[Renee750il]

Heheh . . . . look up Gempress' Voodoo threads

And go get Sadie!

 

[Pandemonium]

lmao.. you'd think that after spending the past year admiring and lovin' the Vood.. I'd have remembered what kind of dog he is! Good grief..thanks Renee!

 

[Pops2]

they're good hard working dogs w/ the personality to go with it. they should be really smart & semi trainable. they should be very tolerant, protective and caring of children (like a good pit). with strange adult on their own property they should be hostile (like a fila), even after being told the person is okay they should appear to be resentful for a while. off their property they should ignore strangers. they are difficult to pass around because they are slow to warm up to a new owner, this has limited their popularity in hunting circles. after trading they may not hunt for the new owner until they decide they like them, which can be anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year. because the dogs are very smart, a rescue from a kill shelter may very well understand whats going on and be appreciative enough to warm up quickly. they are generally very dominant dogs which a lot of people mistake for dog aggression. also they don't take crap from other dogs, very little patience which is also often mistaken for dog aggression.
general info they are cur dogs, that means the same dog you use to work cattle, horses & other rough stock should be able to turn around that night and go hunting. on the hunt they can bring a lot of heat & smarts to a pack, which endears them to people who have gotten them as pups and raised them. the combined heat and tracking ability led the LA state prison system to develope it's own line which is used to work the stock on the prison farms and to run down escapees. w/ a lot of effort they can be toned down to handle soft stock like sheep. all of this smarts means they need to be challenged, a bored leopard dog is a highly destructive leopard dog.
they are great dogs for the right person, but a proper one is not the right dog for everybody. there are occassional dogs that have incorrect personalities that are over friendly, in fact a lot of show oriented kennels are breeding for this.

 

[Angelique]

My Tia is a Catahoula mix. From what I've learned from her, I love the breed.

I got her from a shelter four years ago when she was 18 months old, and very messed up. She's doing great now.

Very athletic, good at log climbing, smart, cat-like and elegant too.

 

[Gempress]

Heheh . . . . look up Gempress' Voodoo threads

ROFL! Don't scare her!

Pop's assesment was right on the money. They do tend to be a very guardy breed, much more so than you would expect from your typical herding or hunting breed. Voodoo is VERY protective of our home and vehicles. I don't recommend a 'houla if you're not willing or able to handle a dog who will actively defend against trespassers. As for strangers, I do agree that many 'houlas are indifferent. But I think that varies depending on breeding. Voodoo is perfectly happy to get attention from "approved" visitors, and I would trust him with a child anywhere.

I don't know if this was mentioned on those info Web sites, but they are also very strong dogs for their size. Leashes, collars, fencing and crates should be selected with this in mind.

Obedience training....well, that can be interesting. I know people say dogs can't be "stubborn" in the human sense. But that's the best word I can think of to describe 'houlas. They are bright and fast learners, but first you have to convince them that doing things *your* way is a good idea. And perhaps it has to do with their dominant streak, but you can't be overly physical with them. They are likely to fight physical methods just to prove that you can't force them to do anything. But once you figure out a good method and your dog decides to cooperate, training is pretty easy.

And 100% agree about a bored 'houla being a destructive 'houla! :yikes:

 

[wchua24]

i cant see your post would you mind posting it again.

 

[Pandemonium]

Thanks to each and every one of you and your insight, help, and information. We have decided, especially after reading Gemp's post, that Sadie would not be the best fit here. We are sending $$$, and some things that the shelter needs, to help out their cause.

Please, don't take offense any one, that we're doing what's probably best for Sadie, and our home. We live in semi rural cottage country, and there are many people in and out of our home, yard, and neighbourhood on a daily basis. I do not know that I could handle, as Gempress says "VERY protective of our home and vehicles. I don't recommend a 'houla if you're not willing or able to handle a dog who will actively defend against trespassers". I truly wish that Sadie would be a better fit with our home, but I am glad I gave it some thought and asked the right people the right questions before bringing her here, and then having problems I am not ready to deal with.

I will find the dog for me, and Sadie already has people interested in her, where she'll probably be farm bound, with lots of llama's!

Thanks again everyone, I knew I could count on your "saner" input! I don't normally fall for the "eyes", but Sadie had my heart strings.

 

[Gempress]

While I'm disappointed not to see Sadie, congrats to you for making an informed decision. No breed of dog is perfect for everyone. Let us know if you find another addition!